Attending A Drawing Workshop With John Martin

Vanessa Skildum, Staff Writer

The Beloit Art Center, located at 530 E. Grand Avenue in downtown Beloit, held a free drawing workshop with John Martin on Saturday, February 3 from 10:00 a.m. to noon.

John Martin has been an artist his whole life. He started drawing when he was little with a crayon on the wall. As he grew older, he began working at the Rock County police department as a “paper pusher” and a coffee-getter for the chief. One day, the chief saw his drawings and recommended he go to a forensic sketch workshop to become a forensic sketch artist. And so he did. Today, he hosts workshops for the Beloit community.  

The workshop I attended was full of artists of all styles, mediums, and ages. The focus of the workshop was on shading and faces. Reference sheets, as well as packets of outlines and tips, were handed out, but you were allowed to work on anything you wished. 

Ben Henthorn, Beloit Art Center board member, daytime volunteer, and artist, was also there as a helping hand. Both he and Martin walked around, providing an opportunity for one-on-one advice and improvement of techniques. 

Another artist, Andrew Norman, was present, and he was giving away prints of his latest sketches. All three artists share the thought to just keep practicing. “It’s consistency,” says Martin, “You have to keep drawing and sketching otherwise your talent won’t grow.” 

“I started with just tracing bottle caps or coins and built off of those initial circles. I just kept at it until my style appeared,” says Henthorn. The workshop highlighted that everyone has different talents when it comes to art. It’s about finding a style that works for you. 

As someone who doesn’t draw much, the environment was warm and inviting. Everyone was eager to see everyone’s sketches and meet one another. Multiple people had been to similar workshops before, but there was no divide based on skill level. The two hours flew by, and I ended up with two completed sketches. 

Ellie Repinski’27, a first-year student at Beloit College, also attended the workshop. “It was insightful and it was nice to see everyone’s personal artistic style show through,” she says. “If the art center held another workshop, I would go back.” 

John Martin doesn’t just hold workshops at the Art Center. He has also held some at Beloit College and The Beloit Public Library. He hopes to hold more workshops in the future and connect with more young artists. “The more we can collaborate and learn from each other the more exciting art becomes,” he says. 

The Beloit Art Center is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Mondays and Saturdays. They hold other classes and workshops periodically, and host gallery receptions each month. More information can be found at beloitartcenter.com. John Martin can also be connected with on Facebook.