Westerfield Artworks: Art Classes and Nature Photography Workshops

Beginning Ink Illustration

Learn how to bring pen and paper to life in this 5-session course!

Ink illustration can be used in a variety of exciting ways This beginner group class makes it easy to dive into this versatile medium. Whether you're making illustrations to advertise events, portraits of family members or pets, or just making artistic drawings - there are many possibilities of what you can create with a simple pen and some paper. Our goal is to help artists to get the most out of this medium and use it to create striking illustrations and artworks expressing your unique visions.

Our focus will include, but not be limited to the following basics of illustration standards;

shading techniques (cross-hatching and stippling, gesture lines)
contouring and shaping of forms and spaces within compositions
creating textures and patterns within characters, backgrounds, objects, and scenery
controlling line weight, consistently applying the ink to achieve the desired effect
Balance of line application, incorporating negative spaces, included to balance a heavily worked area of composition

This class is flexible, so feel free to address any skills you are interested in working on. Our goal is that by the end of the class, you have built skills and techniches to produce art and designs that you're proud of.

Saturdays August 22nd- Sept. 26th (no class Sept 12th) 2-4pm

Materials:

Graphite pencil

Erasers (kneaded and soild )

Drawing pens in black ink (Sakura Micron are good)

-Variety of tip sizes, #.5 #1, #3

8x10 OR 11x14 Bristol board paper

Animal Portrait Workshop

In this one-day workshop you will learn about different ways of drawing animal portraits and choose from a variety of styles to illustrate your animal. You'll learn anatomy, shaping, and shading techniques and leave with a finished illustrated animal portrait at the end of the day. You'll learn how to bring character and personality into your portrait and how to harness a unique style of your own.

We will focus primarily on black ink, but participants are welcome to bring colored pens, pencils or paint markers.

Materials:

Graphite pencil

Eraser

Drawing pens in black ink, variety of tip sizes (Sakura recommended)

11x14 Bristol board

$80 per workshop

Next workshop: 1pm-5pm October 3rd

Location: Barn 5400, 5400 Old Redwood Hwy N, Petaluma

Questions? Contact us

Poster Workshop

This four hour workshop will be focused on the layout and creation of an illustrated event poster. We will be using a variety of techniques, and utilizing your own style and characters to tell your story. These skills and techniques can be easily traslated into many other ventures, such as album and book covers, cards, cloths, logos, etc.

Kip's poster techniques lean heavily into character interaction and story telling. His focus will be on layout techniques, composition, and markmaking similar to 1960's underground comics and imagery from R. Crumb and the many poster artists in the West Coast rock music poster and comic industry.

Together we will be creating dynamic scenes in black and white, intended for posters, comics, book covers, or illustrations focused on storytelling, You can learn to illustrate in this simple crosshatching style, and incorporate these moves into your own skills and style to your poster, and bring your work to life.

In this workshop we will cover illustration techniques, balanced composition, and layout We will explore lettering styles, and character creation. begin or create a fully finished poster by the end of the workshop to take home. Posters will be done in black ink using a variety of shading techniques.

Materials:

*Graphite pencil

*Eraser

*Drawing pens in black ink, variety of tip sizes

(Micron black ink recommended). have a variety of tip sizes, from fine working towards thick. at least 3 sizes od tips

*11x14 Bristol board

$80 per workshop

Next workshop: 1-5 October 10th Location: Barn 5400, 5400 Old Redwood Hwy N, Petaluma

Questions: Contact us

Nature Photography & Field Ecology

This unique 6-session course is taught by a certified California Naturalist and professional photographer, combining ecology and naturalist education with nature photography. During ths course, Vanessa will teach you how to use a DSLR camera, lenses and accessories. She will teach you how to get the most out of your gear, then guide you on hikes around Sonoma County where you'll put it all into practice. During the field trips, you will learn about what kinds of ecosystems you are photographing in, including what plants, insects and wildlife you come across. You'll learn some ways to look for signs of wildlife nearby and all kinds of amazing details about plants, fungi, trees, insects, rocks and more. You'll be able to open your eyes to the natural world in a new way, and gain a deeper appreciation for the features that fill your frames. Photography is one of the most important ways we can influence others to care about nature, and with this course you will be able to use your camera to create beautifully inspirational landscapes, plant portraits, and wildlife photography.

You will need to already own or be able to rent a DSLR for this course and at least one lens- preferably a standard range zoom if you only have one lens.

Next course August 22nd- September 26th

Classes are Saturdays from 4-7pm (we will be aiming to capture the best afternoon light on our field trips)

$275

*Private lessons available, contact me for inquiries

Locations: First two sessions are online, then we have 4 field trips. Our hikes will be for ALL skill levels so don't worry if you don't feel you are a good hiker. We will be moving slowly and making a lot of stops to take photographs.

Questions? Contact us

Eco Explorers Photography for Preteens

This unique course offers a chance for kids younger than high school to dive into photography and ecology all at once! Kids aged 11-13 often express an interest in photography, yet there are not typically photography courses available to this age group. Learning nature photography teaches kids how to see differently and opens up a whole new world of exploration and discovery in nature. Students will learn how to best use their cameras to capture a variety of landscapes, wildflowers, insects, trees, fungi and anything else we come across of field trips. They will learn what species they are photographing, and what their roles in the ecosystem are. They will learn some plant identification and be able to identify some signs of wildlife like scat, footprints and burrows. They will learn how photography can be a vital tool for conservation and will complete a project that focuses on the conservation of their favorite subject.

Materials:

DSLR

One standard zoom lens

Macro lens optional

Telephoto lens optional

Next course projected to begin Spring 2027- Registration NOT open yet- sign up for emails for announcements or contact us to inquire

Classes are Saturdays from 4-7pm

$275 per 6-week course

Location: Online and in-person at various outdoor locations around Sonoma County

Questions? Contact us

Private Lessons

Private photography lessons and basic Adobe Lightroom editing lessons are available upon request. Please contact Vanessa Westerfield for inquiries.