CLOUD 9 OFFERS
art Classes, Sketchbook Field Trips, on-demand art Videos & Travel Art Adventures!
Come join us for this fun online workshop, focused on exploring different art supplies, techniques, and styles while creating figure art!
Mondays 11am - 1pm (Pacific Time)
June 23 - August 25
Online using Zoom
Classes are recorded so if you can’t attend during class sessions, you won’t miss a thing!
Come join Charlene Collins Freeman in a goal to create 100 figures in 10 weeks. You will be free to move at your own pace as this isn’t about me setting a pace of unrealistic expectations. There is no such thing as falling short and getting behind. Ultimately, the goal of this workshop is to inspire each other for 10 weeks, share different ways of creating figure art and learning about styles and mediums.
Not only is this is a great way to practice figure drawing, painting and more but it will also push us to explore techniques, mediums, and styles. It will guide us towards finding our preferences and originality. It will help everyone develop a habit of pursuing a creative goal for 10 weeks while we share our ideas and inspiration with each other.
Each week, Charlene will share information about creating figures, we will share our work, and watch videos on various styles, techniques, or mediums. You will be encouraged to share your figures with the class as we learn and laugh our way through the challenge of creating 100 figures in 10 weeks.
Your work doesn’t need to be based on the information shared during our time together. You can use whatever mediums you prefer (and hopefully you’ll be inspired to use a wide variety - graphite, charcoal, ink, watercolor, acrylic, collage, digital art, fiber, mixed mediums, junk drawer finds and whatever you want to explore). You can experiment with different surfaces: mixed media paper, canvas, watercolor paper, sanded paper, mat board, fabric, colored papers, wood, sand, anything goes!
You can create the work from reference photos I provide each week, or from your own photos, from your imagination, from people who are willing to pose for you or from people who might not realize you are drawing them, or you can draw inspiration from work by the masters.
Some of the figures may come together in 5 minutes, some might take hours, or days to complete. It’s completely up to you. The idea is to keep creating!
As our workshop progress from week to week, you will find that you are making marks more confidently, and having more fun, and learning from each other. You might find that your proportions are getting more accurate, your figures more believable, or you might find that your approach gets looser, more abstract. You will find which mediums and styles you love.
We will have time in class to work on our figures and the only homework will be to create as many figures as you can each week. Come join me!
Week 1 Contour & Gesture Drawing
Week 2 Charcoal Drawing
Week 3 Watercolor Silhouettes
Week 4 Watercolor People
Week 5 Acrylic Figures Painting
Week 6 Values: Mapping Lights & Darks Supplies
Week 7 Articulated Paper Dolls Supplies
Week 8 Sketching People
Week 9 Proportions & Measurements
Week 10 Assemblage Art Doll Supplies
For more information and to register, click here.
Art classes
We offer online art classes for adults and teens in a wide range of media, skill levels, and schedules. Some classes are just for a few hours and others meet several days in a row, or meet weekly for a few weeks or months. We have something for everyone!
For information about our art classes, click here.
Sketchbook Field Trips
We offer a sketchbook field trip in the Seattle area every month. Led my Cloud 9 instructors, these field trips are an opportunity to get together with other sketchers and capture the world around us. Field trip leaders sketch side by side with particpants. Participants are welcome to wander off and find their own favorite spot to sketch. For the last 15 minutes of our field trip, we gather around and have a show and tell. These shares are not meant to be art competitions, but points of interaction and inspiration.
If you are new to sketching or are just curious about supplies, here is a video about our favorite sketching supplies.
For information about our sketchbook field trips, click here.
on-demand Videos
Instead of students having to participate in classes at a specific time, on-demand videos allow students to go through the course content when it is convenient for them, at their own speed. These are classes where students learn on their own schedule.
On-Demand video classes are made up of video demonstrations, PDFs and / or presentations, depending on the class and the instructor. Class content is provided by the teacher to students upon registration.
For information about our on-demand classes, click here.
Travel art Adventures
We have taken students to London, Paris, Venice and more!
Cloud 9 has partnered with World Tours Studio to offer tours, big and small, around the world. World Tours Studio was founded by a group of passionate travelers inspired to create peak experiences for others. Their experienced team of professionals have organized hundreds of travel programs for adventurous individuals, universities, international companies and groups of family & friends.
Whether you want to sign up for one of Cloud 9's scheduled tours or want us to create a trip tailored to your specific interests, group or family, Cloud 9 and World Tours Studio will be there for you every step of the way. We have created sketchbook tours, writing tours, fine dining and wining tours, and more.
Let us show you the world.
Come be inspired!
Not sure where to start at Cloud 9?
Cloud 9 offers art classes and travel art adventures for adults and teens.
To find the perfect class to get creative and spark joy, consider:
Your interests (drawing with pencil, pen & ink, watercolors, keeping a sketchbook, pastels, paper crafts, etc.)
Your skill level (beginner, intermediate, advanced)
Your schedule (weekdays, weekends, evenings)
Then check out our classes listed on the Art Classes page and on the On-Demand page.
Or hop over to Our Instructors Page
to see which teachers offer the classes at the skill levels you are looking for.
We are always adding new classes so check back often.
In addition to our Cloud 9 Art School Facebook page, where we announce new classes and Cloud 9 news, we also have the Cloud 9 Art Lounge Facebook group where students and instructors can share artwork, ask questions, explore answers, share info about favorite art topics and just hang out as a community of artists.
Come learn, explore, have fun and be inspired!
If you would like to receive a monthly newsletter about our upcoming art classes, subscribe by clicking here.
(Should you later change your mind, you will be able to "Unsubscribe" with just one click.)
Testimonials
“When I returned home yesterday, I told my husband that your class was the best one I have ever taken. I am very excited. It actually gave me goosebumps!”
“I’m so glad I took your drawing class. Looking back at my past work, the current work I’m creating is more accurate and my visual ability has improved. I’ve been drawing more and now tackling painting again. Thank you!”
“Both my wife and I have been taking sketching and painting classes from Charlene. I have to say that the quality of art education that I am receiving from Charlene is staggering. I have spent 3 years of my life learning art for an MFA degree at Academy of Art University San Francisco, and I must say that the education I am receiving at Cloud 9 is way superior to those years of my art education from a university. I highly recommend Charlene and her art school, Cloud 9, to anyone who wishes to get a strong foundation to their artistic skills and push themselves further to rediscover the joy of creativity and eliminate all fears while following their passion.”
Want to give the gift of art classes?
What a great idea!
Not sure which class you want to gift?
Check out the list of our current art classes on the Art Classes page or on the On-Demand Classes page. Then just contact the instructor listed for that class and they will set you up. For contact info for our instructors, please visit Our Instructors Page.
Best. Gift. Ever.