Observational Drawing Class Teaches Students to Illustrate Photos

New class at Highland Community Center helps teens and adults turn meaningful photos into expressive drawings.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 12:00am

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A high-contrast, silkscreen-style illustration featuring a repeating grid of art supplies like a sketchbook, pencil, and camera, rendered in a bold, neon color palette that captures the vibrant, creative energy of the observational drawing class.An artistic class that encourages students to transform their personal photos into expressive drawings, celebrating the creative process.Highland Today

A new observational drawing class at the Highland Community Center is teaching students how to carefully study their own photo references and translate what they see into strong, expressive artwork. Through guided instruction and demonstrations, students will build skills in understanding proportion, value, composition, and visual storytelling while working from images they already connect with. The class is designed to be encouraging and empowering, helping students trust their observations, strengthen their technical skills, and gain confidence in their ability to create artwork from their own sources.

Why it matters

This class provides an opportunity for both teens and adults to develop their drawing skills and artistic confidence by working from personal photo references. By translating meaningful photographs into drawings, students can explore visual storytelling and build technical abilities in a supportive environment.

The details

The observational drawing class will use pencils, markers, and colored pencils to create drawings, with the option for students to work in their own favorite drawing medium. Students are encouraged to bring meaningful photo references of their own choosing, but the instructor will also have a collection of interesting photos for those who do not bring their own. The class is taught by Addie Vawdrey, an instructor at the Visual Art Institute.

  • The observational drawing class will take place at the Highland Community Center in Highland, Utah.
  • The class is scheduled to begin on March 30, 2026.

The players

Addie Vawdrey

The instructor for the observational drawing class, who teaches at the Visual Art Institute.

Highland Community Center

The location where the observational drawing class will be held, located in Highland, Utah.

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What they’re saying

“This class is designed to be encouraging and empowering, helping students trust their observations, strengthen their technical skills, and gain confidence in their ability to create artwork from their own sources.”

— Addie Vawdrey, Instructor

What’s next

The observational drawing class is open for registration, and interested students can sign up through the Visual Art Institute's website or by calling their main office.

The takeaway

This observational drawing class provides a unique opportunity for both teens and adults to develop their artistic skills and confidence by translating their own personal photo references into expressive drawings. The supportive, skill-building environment can help students trust their observations and find their unique creative voices.