William Downs

Experimental Landscape Drawing

July 26 - 31, 2026

Intermediate

2D, Painting, Drawing

Overview

This workshop challenges traditional perspectives of landscape drawing by asking: what is a landscape? Students will explore both traditional and non-traditional methods of creating a "landscape" through a variety of mediums, including colored pencils, pen, watercolor, gouache, and collage. This workshop will encourage students to develop imagery using experimental forms of mark-making and implement resist techniques to build atmospheric compositions. Students will also learn alternative drawing techniques and create mixed-media drawings that combine both abstract and non-abstract imagery. This course is for intermediate-level artists who want to broaden their understanding of drawing and expand their skills in automatic drawing, spontaneous compositions, and creating imagined landscapes.

Course Fee : $760.00

Download The Materials List

Scholarships & Material Fees

Need help covering workshop costs? Arrowmont offers financial aid opportunities to broaden access to our arts and craft programs. We believe a diverse community enriches the learning experience for all.

Material fees are not included in our national workshop costs, but are included with the cost of our winter short workshops. A material list with estimated costs will be emailed about 30 days before the national workshop begins.

TUITION & FEES

SCHOLARSHIPS

Cost Breakdown

Registration Fee

$50.00

One Week Workshop Tuition

$760.00

Estimated Cost*
*Fees exclude housing and meal plans

$810.00

VIEW HOUSING & MEAL PLAN COSTS

Artist Bio

William Downs

William Downs was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina and lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia. In Downs’ practice, mediums vary from drawing, painting, murals and printmaking to experimenting with installation and three-dimensional studies. The line is his current notable element which he considers paradoxically fundamental and surreal based on its infinite capabilities. His work expresses truth in common forms turned ambiguous. His use of repetition distorts what one expects to be or be true. Are his forms containers or do they find themselves contained by culture? Time and certainty lose their structure when one looks at figures that reform and deform simultaneously. Downs has taught drawing workshops at Anderson Ranch and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and was a professor of Drawing and Painting at The Cooper Union and Maryland Institute College of Art.

Artist Website

Explore the 2D Arts Studio

Located in the historic West Building, the 2D Studio is a bright, multi-use room for all 2D related workshops at Arrowmont. Ideal for our printmaking, bookmaking, and painting or drawing classes, there’s plenty of room for groups of up to 20. A small outdoor courtyard offers a shaded place of respite or an extended outdoor instruction space.

Explore the 2D Arts Studio