Benicia Figure Drawing Group

Instructor: none*
Tuesdays, 7pm-10pm, ongoing, please arrive before 7pm to set up your station.

Monthly Fee: $65 members, $70 non-members
Two Sessions in one Month: $35 Members, $40 Non-Members
Drop in - One Session: $20 Members, $25 Non-Members

Payments may be made by check or cash on Tuesday nights.

The Benicia Figure Drawing Group meets at the Arts Benicia Classroom Studio, 991 Tyler Street #115.

Benicia's Figure Drawing Group has a rich history spanning decades. Begun in 1986, it was held in artist Bill Harsh's studio in the 940 Tyler building in the Benicia Arsenal. Current members Lowell Dalton and Lars Lucker joined the group around this time. After a winter storm peeled the roof off, the group convened in various studios in Benicia (with a long period in the studios of David Ernst and Carol Dalton above Zellique Glass Studio on East H Street, now the 701 Gallery). In 2001, it moved to its current location in the Arts Benicia Classroom. Almost since its inception, we've contracted with the Bay Area Models Guild, one of the longest lasting guilds in the world.

Each figure drawing group has a unique culture and "house-rules" that have been established over time to ensure that the environment is conducive to the goals of its members. The main goal of Benicia's Figure Drawing Group is to sustain an environment that supports a rigorous and concentrated study of the figure. To this end, our policies preclude music, pets, cell phone use, visitors, and food.

In order to support a focused atmosphere, we ask that members show the following courtesies to their fellow artists:

Please arrive before 7pm, to set up your station. We strive to begin promptly at 7pm. If you arrive more than 5 minutes after 7pm, please do NOT set up your station, since this can be loud and visually distracting. Instead, draw without a full setup until the break. If using a table, be prepared to share with another artist. Setup locations are not reserved, but are on a first-come-first-served basis.

Poses consist of:
Five Two-minute poses, Two Five-minute poses, 5 minute break
Four Five-minute poses, 5 minute break
Two Ten-minute poses, 5 minute break
Two Ten-minute poses, 5 minute break
Twenty minute poses with 5 minute breaks in between.

We alternate each week between male and female models.

*The following books provide excellent structure for beginners:

The Complete Life Drawing Course, by Diana Constance

The Natural Way to Draw, by Nicolaides

The Art of Responsive Drawing, by Nathan Goldstein

The Art of Figure Drawing, by Clem Robins