UPCOMING COURSES 2023

Join me for a variety of workshops, private tutoring sessions, or group classes.

A new series called Let's Talk About Coloured pencils breaks up my basic class into 4 mini workshops.  The classes

total more hours than in previous basic workshops and give greater flexibility for students who may only want to take one

or two of the workshops based on knowledge,interest, time or other.  The workshops are independent of each other and focus

exclusively on topic outlined.  The final workshop in this series pulls it all together, but can also be considered an

independent workshop.  10% discount if  students registrar  for all 4 classes prior to class 1 start date.

for refund information please contact contact me

My ever popular Observational Drawing Workshop with Graphite is also being offered this spring in  partnership with UVic.  

No prior knowledge is required, and workshops are meant to be fun, light and easy to follow with video to review at students leisure of up to 2 months after class is complete.

 

I am a full-time practicing artist with over 45 years drawing,and practicing art.  I also have over 28 years of teaching both adults and youth and bring to all

my classes what it takes to succeed as an artist. I have taught adult education since 2011 and enjoy working with the University of Victoria in teaching

basic drawing courses in observation and portraiture.  

I have over 10 years of experience working as a full time practicing artist, along the way winning awards, and recognition for my colour pencil and graphite works.  

I have placed twice in Canada's prestigious Kingston Portrait Competition. I understand what it takes to be successful at getting your work recognized and spend

a great deal of time discussing what is needed to move your work forward.  Currently being represented by West End Gallery in Victoria, and Edmonton, Alberta.

I have a Diploma in Interior Design, and have designed and built my own home.  I also have a BFA with distinction from

Concordia University in Montreal and an M.Ed specializing in Visual Arts education.  

Member of the Botanical Artists of Canada.

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BASIC OBSERVATIONAL DRAWING WITH GRAPHITE

ZOOM WORKSHOP 

April 15-May 13

Course Description

Time:9:30 am – 12:30 pm

Days:Saturday

Sessions:5

Total instructional hours:15

Hours per session:3

Course description

Knowing the fundamental methods of observational drawing is an important tool for successfully and accurately depicting a subject. Using graphite, you will explore the elements of drawing through mark making, line, shape, texture and volume. We’ll study basic perspective, work towards understanding positive and negative space and understand how light and shade is applied on various forms and surfaces. This course is for people who are new to drawing or who want to work on improving their basic observational drawing skills.

Online 

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TO REGISTER UVIC

GRAPHITE DRAWING - BIRD ON BRANCH

JUNE 13 TO JULY 4​

Tuesday evenings - 6:30 - 9:00

Zoom sessions

This is a basic drawing class for students who want to continue to explore the fun world of texture and graphite drawing.  We'll layout and draw a simple bird and use a reference image to incorporate feathers, details of the head, face, beak and eye.  We'll have fun exploring how to use values over texttures and incorporate a simple branch into the image with values and some simple textures.

Each class will be recorded 

Tuesday PST

$150

For further information, contact Jeannette to find out more about this course

Advanced Colour Pencils Drawing and Water Colour

Botanical and Insect specimens

Saturday, July 15 to August 12 - 5 sessions​

Zoom sessions

In this intermediate to advanced workshop students will be challenged to create a finished botanical specimen with an insect.  Students can bring their own specimen to the session or work with one of the 3 specimens the instructor will provide through high resolution images.  Students will also incorporate an insect and we'll used both coloured pencils and water colour to the study. By the end of the session a finished work will be the goal.  Students will be required to provide their own pencils and an extensive supply list will be provided included a number of water colours and iridescent ranges as well.  Instructor will provide alternatives to pencils and supply list when requested.  To complete work some outside of class time will be required - additional follow along videos will be provided for students to assist in this area.

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Each class will be recorded and additional recordings will be provided with total workshop of over 20 hours

Saturdays - 10 - 1 PST

$225

For further information, contact Jeannette to find out more about this course

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NEW Let's Talk About Series

Medium: Coloured Pencils

10% Discount if all 4 classes in the series are registered for before the start of workshop 1

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Workshop 1: Understanding the Color Wheel as a Colour Pencil Artist.

March 27-April 3, 2023

6:30pm - 8:30 pm

Sessions: 2

$50 

Understanding how colour works is a fundamental and essential element in colour pencil work. In this mini workshop we will explore the colour wheel and why understanding what colour can do for your work is so important. This means we will look at the Color wheel layout, warm and cool colours, what colours to mix to get other colours, mixing for change of colour, adjacent, complimentary, warm and cool mixes, how to see colour in your work and can you enhance or “fake” a colour. Working with basic colour blocks, basic sphere and simplified botanical specimens we’ll explore and discus how to use these methods effectively in making your drawings work more successfully. Students will get access to the video of the online session and an information package.  

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For more information:  Contact​

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NEW Let's Talk About Series

10% Discount if all 4 classes in the series are registered for before the start of workshop 1

Workshop 2: Colored Pencils, Papers and other Tools

​April 10-April 17, 2023

6:30pm - 8:30 pm

Sessions: 2

$50 

What’s in a pencil? Why is paper so important? What about all the other tools I need? The all important question for colour pencil enthusiasts is how to choose good materials, how this all ties into making great art and getting started with a limited palette and limited budget. In this mini workshop we’ll explore all the elements that will start the colour pencil enthusiast on the path to successful outcomes. Using simplified botanical specimens in photographic references students will get a primer on creating art with bright colours, lovely depth, glow and visual interest is such a fun and important part of coloured pencil art making. Students will receive access to the class recorded video and an information package.  

For more information:  Contact​

​NEW Let's Talk About Series

10% Discount if all 4 classes in the series are registered for before the start of workshop 1

Workshop 3: Shading and Layering .

April 24-May 1, 2023

6:30 pm - 8:30pm

Sessions: 2

$50

Workshop 3 explores the third element in creating striking images with coloured pencils. We will delve into understanding how to apply layers of colours, where to begin for shading, dark vs light, layer methods, how this applies to colour mixing, how layering can create different effects and how this can be tied into shading for 3 dimensions. Using basic block and sphere studies as well a simplified botanical specimens we’ll look at effective and amazing possibilities in shading and layering. Students will receive access to the class recorded video and an information package. 

For more information:  Contact​

NEW Let's Talk About Series

10% Discount if all 4 classes in the series are registered for before the start of workshop 1

Workshop 4: Composition and Pulling all Elements Together

May 8-May 15, 2023

6:30 pm - 8:30pm

Sessions: 2

$50

In this final workshop of the Let’s Talk series students will have the opportunity to present a question around colour pencil art making which will be then explored in class. Top 3 questions will be chosen from questions sent prior to class by the instructor, with time allotted for minor discussion on other topics related to drawing and art making.some suggestions might be: Composition, making art for successfully showing in shows, delving into more specific colour pencil topics around colour, working with the materials and other. 

For more information:  Contact​

FUNDAMENTALS OF PHOTOSHOP FOR VISUAL ARTISTS - ZOOM

Offline through video  

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Adobe Photoshop Basics for the Visual Artists

 

In this class students will delve into the wonderful program of Adobe Photoshop.  This class is for absolute new comers to Photoshop and involves navigating the program from all the areas artists need.  We’ll cover the general interface from work area, panels, tools bar, menu bar and control bar.  We’ll discuss how to open, save, work with resolutions, colour fundamentals from RGB to CMYK, and the essentials of photo/image resizing, cropping and preparation.  The areas of layers, adding text, image correction for distortion, colour, white balance and other will all be investigated as well as saving, file sharing and file storage using both Adobe online and hard drives/external hard drives.  Specifically geared for visual artists who need to know how to import their images for photo referencing, and how to correct photos of their artwork to send out for competitions, contests and print shops, working from your own photos, and other.  We’ll cover all the areas necessary to get you going and beyond.  

 

Students will need a recent version of Photoshop step-by-step instructions provided.   

 

Students will receive information packages of each class.

 

Jeannette Sirois has been working professionally with Photoshop since 1995 both as a designer and professional visual artist.  She started teaching the program in 1998 and has been using and teaching Photoshop ever since.  She has extensive experience through Adobe courses and in her own art practice and now uses both Adobe desktop and tablet in her art practice every day.  

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For further information, contact Jeannette to find out more about this course

Coming Fall 2023

PORTRAIT DRAWING WITH GRAPHITE

ZOOM WORKSHOP 

Course description

In this introductory course, we will explore the complex topic of portrait drawing and break it down into manageable concepts. With easy-to-follow exercises, we’ll examine the face in sections and focus on understanding how to get more accurate proportions, how to draw eyes, nose and mouth and how to put it all together in a well-proportioned drawing. 

Prerequisites

This course will require the use of Zoom and may use other education technology such as internet-based applications, cloud services, or social media. In order to complete this course you will be required to either consent to the disclosure of your personal information outside of Canada to enable use of these technologies, or work with the Division of Continuing Studies to explore other privacy protective options (such as using an alias or nickname).

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Advanced Colour Pencils Work and Water Colour

Botanical and Insect specimens

July 15 to August 19​

Zoom sessions

In this intermediate to advanced workshop students will be challenged to create a finished botancial speciment with an insect.  Students can bring their own specimen to the session or work with one of the 3 specimens the instructor will provide through high resolution images.  Students will also incorporate an insect and we'll used both coloured pencils and water colour to the study. By the end of the session a finished work will be the goal.  Students will be required to provide their own pencils and an extensive supply list will be provided included a number of water colours and iridescent ranges as well.  Instructor will provide alternatives to pencils and supply list when requested.

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Each class will be recorded and an additional recordings will be provided with class hours of over 20 hours

Saturdays - 10 - 1 PST

$225

For further information, contact Jeannette to find out more about this course

FUNDAMENTALS OF PERSPECTIVE DRAWING

ZOOM WORKSHOP

Course description

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Are you looking to better understand illustration and general representational art making? From still life to environmental spaces and basic human forms, this course will give you the tools to move forward with more accuracy and realism in your art making. Learn the fundamentals of one-, two- and three-point perspective drawing, the basic concepts of horizon lines, vanishing points, and measurements in perspective, and other techniques to give your drawing more depth and perspective.

Future dates will be posted

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ADVANCED METHODS OF PORTRAIT DRAWING WITH COLOURED PENCILS

Future dates will be posted

Course description

This class is for students who have a good grasp of portrait drawing but would like to challenge themselves in developing their facial drawing skills. We’ll work on three main areas: eyes, mouth and skin and look at details from veins, to water edges, to reflections and iris details. Students will also be shown how to work on the skin textures such as wrinkles and pores and learn how to successfully use contouring and tonal ranges to depict accuracy in three dimensional facial structures.

Prerequisites

This course will require the use of Zoom and may use other education technology such as internet-based applications, cloud services, or social media. In order to complete this course you will be required to either consent to the disclosure of your personal information outside of Canada to enable use of these technologies, or work with the Division of Continuing Studies to explore other privacy protective options (such as using an alias or nickname).

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PORTFOLIO, IMAGE REVIEWS AND FEEDBACK

For more information about private lessons visit: Private tutoring

Areas of Feedback:

-  How to put a portfolio together

-  What is a body of work and are you heading in the right direction

-  Level and skill of your work, areas that need attention.

-  Skill with your medium, review of your work in relation to what you want to do with it

-  Submitting for a show/competition, what are the ins and outs, what you need to do and more

-  Feedback on individual work,  getting professional feedback I use correct terminology to discuss areas that need to be improved and give you step by step advice on the work based on professional knowledge and terminology, including the elements and principles of art.

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BEYOND THE BASICS

NOW BEING OFFERED AS A GROUP OR PRIVATE TUTORING WORKSHOP ONLINE

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Jeannette Sirois

TIME AND PRICING WILL DIFFER BASED ON MODEL OF WORKSHOP

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This workshop is for participants who are familiar with colour pencil drawing botancials and who want to focus on advancing their skills in drawing botancial works.  We'll work with live specimens and develop our rendering skills using layering.  Furthering our discussion on how to bring deeper richer colours to the paper, we'll combine the colour pencil work with beautiful fine detailing using watercolor paint with alcohol and water to attain clean lines and small area washes.  Along the way, we'll study form, tone, and composition within the botanical field of art.  

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For Registration:  Contact Jeannette Sirois through this webpage contact form

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