Drawing II

Course Description

ART1301C – Drawing II is a 3-credit, integrated lecture-and-studio course continuing the drawing sequence begun in ART1300C (Drawing I). Students build on the foundational observational drawing skills and basic media handling introduced in Drawing I, advancing toward greater technical command, expanded compositional strategies, deeper engagement with drawing as both representation and expression, and the development of an individual artistic voice. Studio projects move from the structured exercises of Drawing I toward more open and ambitious work — including extended observational studies, sustained portrait or figure drawing (where life models are available), exploration of expanded media (mixed media, ink, charcoal, conté, color drawing media), and projects emphasizing personal subject matter and conceptual development.

The course sits within the Florida Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS) under Visual Arts and Art History > Studio Art and is offered at approximately 20 Florida public institutions. ART1301C is required for the drawing concentration in most Florida BFA programs and is the gateway to upper-division drawing coursework. It is also a required prerequisite for many painting, illustration, and printmaking pathways. The integrated "C" format means lecture, demonstration, critique, and studio work are combined; students typically meet for 6 hours of studio per week (the standard 2:1 studio-to-credit ratio for visual arts).

ART1301C continues the studio-critique format introduced in Drawing I: students develop work between class sessions, present projects in regular group critiques, and respond to peer and instructor feedback. Most institutions require students to read about and reflect on contemporary drawing practice, visit gallery and museum exhibitions where available, and prepare a portfolio of advanced drawings suitable for review for entry into the drawing major or for transfer to a four-year program.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of ART1301C, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate advanced observational drawing skills: accurate proportion and perspective; sensitive description of form through value; nuanced rendering of edges, surfaces, and atmosphere; sustained attention across extended drawings.
• Apply advanced compositional strategies: figure-ground relationships; multiple focal points; visual rhythm and movement; format and scale decisions; the use of negative space; the relationship between subject and surface.
• Demonstrate expanded technical proficiency with drawing media: graphite (full range of values and surfaces); charcoal (vine, compressed, willow, charcoal pencil); conté and chalk; pen and ink (including washes); ink brush; pastel; other media as appropriate.
• Apply color drawing at an introductory level: colored pencil; pastel; mixed media incorporating color.
• Demonstrate figure drawing at an intermediate level (where life models are available): proportion; gesture; structural anatomy; sustained pose work.
• Apply principles of mark-making and surface: the expressive range of marks; line quality and weight; texture; the relationship between mark and form.
• Apply the design process at an advanced level: research and concept development; thumbnail and study sketches; sustained development; critique and revision.
• Engage in independent project development: defining a personal subject matter; producing series-based work; documenting the development of ideas through sketches, studies, and notes.
• Articulate conceptual content in drawing: subject, theme, intention, and the relationship between formal choices and meaning.
• Engage thoughtfully and substantively in group critiques: making careful formal and conceptual observations; offering critical feedback; receiving and integrating critique into revision.
• Identify and discuss the work of historical and contemporary draftspersons across cultures and movements; place personal practice in dialogue with drawing traditions.
• Document and present finished work effectively: photographing drawings for portfolio; preparing a cohesive portfolio of advanced work suitable for BFA review or transfer.
• Maintain professional studio practices: organized workspace; safe handling of fixative and other materials; ventilation; care of work; archival considerations.

Optional Outcomes

• Engage with life drawing from extended pose (where life models are available).
• Engage with landscape drawing: en plein air observation; Florida-specific landscape (coast, wetland, urban).
• Engage with large-scale drawing: scale shifts, materials for large work, presentation considerations.
• Engage with experimental drawing media: mixed media, collage, drawing on unconventional surfaces.
• Engage with contemporary drawing discourse: the role of drawing in 21st-century art; the boundaries between drawing and other media.
• Conduct artist research: writing about a contemporary draftsperson and presenting on their practice.
• Engage with drawing as preparation for other media: drawing for painting, drawing for printmaking, drawing for sculpture, drawing for animation.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• Review and Extension of Drawing I Foundations: Observational drawing; proportion; basic perspective; value structure; edge handling.
• Advanced Value and Form: Full-value tonal drawing; describing form through nuanced value; the relationship between light, surface, and atmosphere.
• Advanced Composition: Figure-ground; visual hierarchy; multiple focal points; rhythm and movement; the role of negative space; format and scale decisions.
• Mark-Making and Line: The expressive range of marks; line weight and quality; gesture; the relationship between mark and form; the role of the hand in drawing.
• Expanded Drawing Media: Charcoal techniques (vine, compressed, willow); conté and chalk; pen and ink (line, hatching, washes); ink brush; pastel; introduction to color drawing media (colored pencil, soft pastel).
• Sustained Observational Drawing: Extended still-life setups; the long-pose study; rendering observed light and surface qualities over multiple sessions.
• Figure Drawing (Where Available): Gesture and quick poses; sustained anatomical study; proportion; the figure in space.
• Working from Imagination, Reference, and Combination: Using photo reference responsibly; working from sketches and studies; the relationship between observation, imagination, and memory.
• Personal Subject Development: Choosing personal subject matter; series-based development; sustained engagement with a subject across multiple drawings.
• Advanced Critique: Formal and conceptual analysis; offering substantive feedback; integrating critique into revision; learning to articulate one's own intentions.
• Historical and Contemporary Drawing Reference: Selected draftspersons from across periods (Renaissance through contemporary); examination of contemporary drawing practice.
• Documentation and Portfolio: Photographing drawings under proper light conditions; archival considerations (fixative, storage); building a cohesive portfolio.
• Studio Safety and Practice: Fixative use and ventilation; safe handling of charcoal dust; ergonomic considerations; care of work.

Optional Topics

• Life Drawing: Extended pose drawing from the live model (where available).
• Landscape Drawing: En plein air observation; Florida coastal, wetland, and urban subjects.
• Large-Scale Drawing: Scale shifts; mural-scale work; presentation of large drawings.
• Mixed Media and Experimental Drawing: Combining drawing with collage, painting elements, photographic transfers; drawing on unconventional surfaces.
• Color Drawing in Depth: Sustained colored-pencil work; pastel painting; mixed-media color.
• Contemporary Drawing Discourse: Drawing in 21st-century art practice; the expanded field of drawing.

Resources & Tools

• Common reference texts: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards (Penguin); The Natural Way to Draw by Kimon Nicolaides (Houghton Mifflin); Drawing: A Contemporary Approach by Sale and Betti (Cengage); The Drawing Book by Sarah Simblet (DK); Vitamin D: New Perspectives in Drawing series (Phaidon) — for contemporary drawing reference. Most institutions do not require a single fixed textbook for ART1301C.
• Open-access references: Smarthistory; the Met Museum's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History; the Drawing Center (drawingcenter.org); MoMA Learning; the artist websites of major contemporary draftspersons.
• Required supplies: Continuation of the Drawing I supply list, plus expanded media. Typical supply costs run $100–250 per semester at the Drawing II level. Common supplies include: graphite pencils (full hardness range, 4H to 6B); charcoal (vine, compressed, willow); charcoal and graphite pencils; conté crayons; pen and ink; ink brush; erasers (kneaded, plastic, gum); blending stumps; fixative spray; drawing pads in multiple sizes (sketchbook, 18×24, 24×30); newsprint pad for gestural work; quality drawing paper for finished work; mat board or backing for transport.
• Studio facilities: Drawing studio with adequate space and easels; still-life setup space and lighting; (at well-equipped institutions) life-drawing room with model stand and lighting; storage for student work in progress; gallery or critique space.
• Florida cultural references: The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art (Sarasota — extensive drawing collection in the print and drawing study room); the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM); the Norton Museum of Art (West Palm Beach); the Salvador Dalí Museum (St. Petersburg); the Cummer Museum (Jacksonville); the Harn Museum at UF (Gainesville).
• Tutoring and support: Institution drawing studio open hours (essential — extended studio time outside class is the primary work mode); peer studio support; visiting artist programs.

Career Pathways

• Studio Artist (Drawing, Painting, Printmaking) — pathway through Florida BFA programs (UF, FSU, USF, FAU, FIU, UCF, FGCU, New World School of the Arts, Ringling College of Art and Design Sarasota); MFA programs at FSU, USF, UF, and FIU.
• Illustrator / Concept Artist — Florida game-development sector (EA Tiburon Orlando, indie studios); editorial illustration; book illustration; medical/scientific illustration.
• Theme-Park Visual Development Artist — Walt Disney Imagineering, Universal Creative, SeaWorld Parks; storyboard artists and concept designers are needed in Florida's substantial theme-park industry.
• Animator / Storyboard Artist — Florida animation studios; FullSail University Orlando area animation pipeline.
• Graphic Designer / Visual Communicator — Florida design firms.
• Comic and Graphic-Novel Artist — independent and commercial publishing.
• Portrait Artist / Commissioned Artist — independent practice.
• Fashion Illustrator / Designer — Florida fashion industry (Miami).
• Tattoo Artist — independent practice in Florida's substantial tattoo market.
• Art Educator (K–12 or Higher Education) — pathway through Florida art education programs.
• Architect / Architectural Designer — pathway through Florida architecture programs; drawing skill is foundational.

Special Information

Articulation and Transfer

ART1301C articulates to all Florida SUS institutions and is the standard intermediate drawing course in the studio-art curriculum. A grade of C or higher is typically required at most institutions for the course to satisfy major prerequisites. ART1301C is required for entry to upper-division drawing, painting, and printmaking pathways at most Florida BFA programs.

Prerequisites

The standard prerequisite is ART1300C (Drawing I) with a minimum grade of C. Some institutions also expect prior or concurrent ART1201C (Two-Dimensional Design); specific requirements vary by institution.

Position in the Foundation Sequence

ART1301C is part of the standard foundation studio-art sequence at most Florida institutions:

• ART1201C — Two-Dimensional Design
• ART1203C — Three-Dimensional Design
• ART1300C — Drawing I
• ART1301C — Drawing II
• ART2330C — Drawing III / Life Drawing (at some institutions)

The drawing sequence is typically required for entry to upper-division painting (ART2500C, ART2501C, ART3504C+), printmaking, and illustration pathways.

Course Format and Workload

ART1301C is typically a 3-credit integrated lecture-and-studio course with 6 hours of class time per week (the standard 2:1 studio-to-credit ratio). Expect 5–8 major drawings across the semester (each completed across 2–3 weeks with continuous critique), regular sketchbook development with weekly drawings, and a final portfolio review. Out-of-class studio time is essential and typically runs 6–10 hours per week — drawings cannot be completed in class time alone. Dedicated home studio space or institutional studio access is strongly advised.

Course Code Variations

Florida institutions consistently use ART1301C for this course, titled "Drawing II" or "Intermediate Drawing." Some institutions offer specialized intermediate drawing courses (ART2330C Life Drawing, ART2401C Intermediate Drawing) as alternatives or follow-ons; consult the institution's catalog for specific pathway requirements.