Draw a moody old lighthouse standing steadfast among rugged cliffs, the restless sea, and the open sky. Along the way, you’ll learn how to build up a complex subject using classical drawing techniques, simple measuring methods, shading, and values—while creating convincing architecture, waves, and atmosphere with graphite. A calm and immersive drawing experience, where the drawing gradually comes to life, layer by layer.

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There is something truly special about old lighthouses.

They stand steadfast between land and sea while the waves, wind, and weather constantly reshape the landscape around them. For centuries, they have guided people through the darkness and have become symbols of hope, direction, and strength—and it is precisely this atmosphere that forms the backdrop for this month’s drawing lesson.

Together, we’ll draw a beautiful old lighthouse, the iconic Nakashiratoko Lighthouse, standing proudly on a dramatic cliff with the waves crashing around it. It is a subject that combines the precision of architecture with the free movement of nature, giving us the opportunity to work with many of the classical drawing techniques that you can use again and again in future drawings.

Along the way, you’ll learn how to build up a complex subject step by step without becoming overwhelmed by the details. We’ll work with my Envelope Method, triangulation, and classical form drawing to create a solid foundation before moving on to contours, shading, and the use of light and shadow.

A large part of this lesson is also about learning to see your subject in a new way. Instead of thinking “lighthouse,” “cliffs,” or “waves,” you’ll train your eye to see shapes, angles, proportions, and values. This is one of the most important skills in classical drawing—and one that you can carry with you into countless other subjects.

At the same time, you’ll receive a thorough introduction to creating atmosphere and depth with graphite. We’ll work layer by layer with shading, blending, and different pencil grades, and I’ll show you how simple tools such as brushes, kneaded erasers, eraser pencils, and cotton pads can be used to shape the deepest shadows, the softest transitions, and the delicate highlights in the sea spray and the bright sky.