In the winter of 2016, Scott Noel was the juror for the UNC Asheville Drawing Discourse art show. He did a pastel drawing demo as part of the weekend's events. I attended and took notes and I still use them! Here are 16 takeaways from that day:

1. Start with large masses- then eventually develop small units of detail
2. Have an appetite for sculptural form.
3. High contrast to low contrast makes space.
4. Use experience and intuition at the same time.
5. Get the spatial event to resonate with the size of the paper.
6. The wall behind the figure (the background) is an actor in the drawing.
7. Resist the urge to rush into something that comforts you (details).
8. Don't go straight for the jugular- likeness of the model
9. Create a cloud.
10. Cross contour lines are a symbolic language like longitude and latitude.
11. Drawing is a matrix not a copy.
12. Never show fear- keep a straight face when dealing with frightening energy.
13. Turn the terrain of the knee into an event.
14. Not good to copy light and shadow to make planes. You must have form underneath the shadow
15. Get a feeling for the terrain like a blind man.
16. Court disaster.