Students' comments
"I've
been
in need of glasses for the last five years,
and only recently got my prescription. It's
been one of the biggest changes in how I see
the world, second only to Noah's classes."
Alain Champagne
"Noah is an astonishing artist who we are incredibly
fortunate to have in our little community of
Victoria. Apart from actually being able to “do it”,
he’s able to demonstrate it in every class,
inspiring and instructing others in the
process. As a veteran of three colleges, two
art schools and having supported myself as a
commercial artist fairly handsomely over nearly half
a century, I think I’ve got the credentials to
support my incredibly high estimation of the man."
Laura Corsiglia
"I have taken both portrait painting and drawing
from Noah Layne and found him to be not only a
brilliant artist but an exceptional teacher. He is
both kind and patient but most importantly I have
noticed an improvement in my skill level. I intend
to take more classes from him."
Mary Conley
"Noah is an excellent
draughtsman and a caring and attentive teacher. I
studied drawing with Noah for a year and learned a
lot of techniques which greatly improved my
representational drawing. I highly recommend his
class to anyone looking to enhance their
observational skills-the knowledge will benefit
your artistic practice immensely!"
Melanie Furtado
"Your Cast Drawing
Program has been an immense boost to my artistic
skills!
Blocking in seems to come more naturally, and I am
now surprised that my initial lines are often
correct! I am far more aware of things to look for
in the form: proportions, relationships, where and
how different elements line up. I think the
biggest improvements for me is the understanding
of tonal values, and how our brain tricks us into
thinking an area is darker or lighter than it
really is, depending on what values are adjacent
to it. And how the slightest change in tone can
make a huge difference in the form being rendered.
Learning how light on a form works, with form
shadows, cast shadows and reflected light has
really helped me 'see' and understand what I am
looking at, and greatly improved my ability to
render whatever I want to render. I see my skills
improving in so many ways. I look at old drawings
and paintings I've done and see mistakes I had not
seen before.
"I signed up for the
first semester of Cast Drawing with some
hesitation, as it was a largish commitment of both
time and money, and I didn't really know what I
was in for. But when I saw how much I was
improving, I was hooked, and will complete the
three semester program, and more if offered. The
time in each class flies by in a supportive and
fun atmosphere. The individual attention you give;
coaching, guiding, giving suggestions is
invaluable. Even if I had the discipline to tackle
these projects at home, I would not be
learning half as much. I would and do
recommend your program to any artist wanting to
improve rendering skills. The highest quality
teaching, well worth the investment!"
Robin D
"Over the years Noah has honed remarkable skills
as an extremely competent and talented artist and
teacher. He strives to ensure that both of
these attributes along with a subtle sense of
humour are portrayed in every one of his most
enjoyable classes."
Grant Parker
Cast drawing student.
"Am loving this programme and look forward to the
next semester.
The classes have been a very different experience:
the studio set -up and the fact that we are each
working on different projects at different speeds
give a wonderful sense that 'it's you and the
subject' and the rest of the world melts
away. "Every drawing is a strange adventure
... you sit in front of something you are
supposedly familiar with and off you go,
discovering why things look the way they do and
how a skilled artist can bring it all onto the
paper, and how what you thought was familiar is
really not familiar at all. It's quite amazing! As
the skill grows, you can actually see more."
Geraldine
"I have taken portrait and figure drawing,
and portrait and still life oil
painting classes with Noah Layne. He is
not only a master of his art, but a great teacher
as well. He clearly explains the process to
complete a drawing or painting, and his
demonstrations are what I needed to tie his
teaching to my practice. Noah's
comments on your class practice is
invaluable. I have made great progress
since taking his classes, and plan to continue.
He is a teacher that anyone interested in
improving his or her art really should study from.
Thanks Noah!"
Jim Genovese
"I'm enjoying the cast drawing class and I think
you're a tremendous teacher!
I know that I've learned a lot so far and my
concentration and my ability to see has steadily
improved. Although I wish I were improving more
quickly I appreciate that I need to accept where
I'm at right now and to work slowly and steadily.
'Small steps lead to big changes.' "
Yvonka
"I have taken a
Portrait Drawing class and a Long Pose Figure
Drawing class with Noah. Noah is patient and
caring and provides ample individual attention to
each student. His classes are an asset to anyone
interested in representational art no matter what
their skill level. He provides excellent studio
conditions with a well lit model and a supportive
environment. These classes are an invaluable
opportunity to do long poses from life with
knowledgeable instruction."
Claudia Weiss
"J'ai suivi 2 classes
avec Noah, portrait et dessin avec modèle.
Apprendre avec Noah c'est élever votre niveau de
confort, de confiance et de compétence lors du
dessin de modèle vivant. Il nous guide pour
comprendre le corps humain en trois dimensions
afin de pouvoir reproduire la forme peu importe la
pose du modèle. Il devient facile
d'apprendre les techniques pour obtenir une
silhouette vivante et convaincante! Son
humour et son accueil chaleureux contribue à créer
une ambiance magique! Merci Noah pour ce moment
fantastique!"
(Translated)
I followed two classes with Noah, portrait and
model drawing. Noah helped me in three ways;
gaining confidence, feeling more comfortable and
being technically better at drawing. He guided me
in understanding the human body in a three
dimensional perspective, so I could be able to
reproduce the model no matter the pose. He is
great at teaching the techniques to draw a living
and convincing silhouette. His sense of humor and
his warmth contribute to create a magical
atmosphere! Thanks Noah for this fantastic moment!
Suzanne
"Noah is an encouraging
and kind teacher, and I have enjoyed taking his
portrait and life drawing classes. The
critiques are extremely helpful and my drawing
skills have improved substantially. I highly
recommend his classes and will continue to take
more."
Kim Thornber
"I am a working artist who has never taken any
formal art instruction, and was delighted
therefore to recently attend one of Noah Layne’s
life drawing classes. Having seen drawings and
paintings by Noah Layne in Artist Magazine as well
as online I was impressed by his precise technique
and cleanly creative style. Noah's
demonstration are very instructive, but he also
provides each student with specific help and
encouragement during the student drawing portion
of the class. For artists at any level I can say
without any hesitation that taking one of his
classes is a very rewarding experience."
Jerry Davidson
"I have had the
opportunity to take two of Noah's workshops. The
first was "Portrait Drawing" the other was
"Portrait Painting". I was very pleased with what
I learned in both classes. Noah is a wonderful
instructor, very well prepared and very generous
with his time and knowledge. I would highly
recommend Noah's classes and would definitely
consider taking another class in the
future."
Sharlene A. Stushnov
"Noah is a helpful and
gifted instructor. I enjoyed his outdoor painting
workshop and left feeling more confident about
direct painting outdoors. I highly recommend
Noah's classes."
Gerry Vaulkhard
"Noah is a teacher in the true sense. He
observes, appreciates and values where each of his
students are at, then offers suggestion and
direction appropriate to let the artistic lessons
he knows come naturally and internally to them,
rather than forcing exercises or instigating
reproductions. This sharp perception is
reflected in his own art, where flawless rendition
of form is matched by appreciation and portrayal
of a subject's inner magic. A fantastic
artist and teacher, I can't recommend Noah
enough."
Greg Horne
"Thank you so much for your wonderful class. It was
such a great experience. You are a terrific teacher
who has an ability to instill confidence in the
learner. I look forward to many more classes with
you"
Deborah Thoun |