Gwinnett Daily Post

CUMMING - Got an itch to draw, but don't know how or want to improve your skills?

Starting in September, you can begin to learn from a master.

Bill Stevens, a local artist with a heralded exhibit at the Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for the Arts in Duluth, will lead two art classes this fall.

Stevens, whose exhibit "Black, White and Color" has been extended until Saturday, will teach art classes at Paint Soiree in Cumming from September to October.

A basic drawing class will be held Mondays from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 8 to Oct. 27. The cost is $200. This class is geared toward learning and developing a better way to draw with pencil and charcoal. Fundamentals are emphasized using basic tools and subject matter. The last class will be an introduction to watercolor.

Participants are asked to bring an 18-inch by 24-inch spiral-bound Strathmore watercolor pad, a kneaded eraser, soft vine charcoal sticks, four "B" graphite drawing pencils, a Prang watercolor tin and a 1-inch wide watercolor brush.

Stevens will also teach a creative drawing and painting class Mondays from 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 8 to Oct. 27. The cost is $200. Various techniques will be applied using pencil, charcoal and watercolor.

The required supplied list is the same as the basic drawing class with the addition of one bottle of art masking fluid for white watercolor and wax resistant sticks.

Register on the Web at paintsoiree.com/home.html. Paint Soiree is located at 14250 Cumming Highway in the Ducktown/Freehome enclave.

Stevens' 75-piece exhibit at the Hudgens Center for the Arts - which features a variety of mediums, including graphite pencil, pen, ink and watercolor - has been lauded for its richness and imagination.

Stevens is an advertising design graduate from Auburn University with national, international and local awards from the Chicago Art Director's Club, the Birmingham Art Director's Club, and the Society of Technical Writers and Publishers.