About this Event
From Line to pattern: Creating Character in Interior Drawings
Join Susan Greenstein for a workshop focused on using a wide range of marks to create value, rhythm, depth, and pattern while drawing the beautiful interiors of the home of Amanda Kavanagh - a graphic designer and member of NYC Urban Sketchers. Amanda resides in a beautiful Victorian house in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, also known as Ditmas Park.
The address is , Brooklyn, NY 11218. The nearest subway stop is the Q to Beverley Rd station, which is 2.5 blocks from the house.
Using the simplest of tools - a Micron pen, your favorite fountain pen, or a brush pen - you will explore patterns, textures, and line variations to develop drawings full of character and energy.
The workshop will begin by Susan sharing some of her own drawings of interiors, as well as a look at the work of David Hockney and Vincent Van Gogh for examples of mark making. This will be followed by some warm-up exercises to loosen up the hand and expand our visual vocabulary. And participants will spend a few minutes creating thumbnail sketches to explore different compositions before moving on to a larger drawing. Susan will demonstrate how she begins and gradually “builds” her drawings through layers of marks.
Then everyone will begin a large drawing. Susan will circulate to offer guidance, suggestions, and individual feedback. Participants will be encouraged to develop two or three drawings during the session. There will be enough time for each participant to create 3 - 40 min drawings or two 60 min drawings.
At the end of the workshop you will gather for a group discussion, sharing the day’s work and reflecting on discoveries, challenges, and creative solutions that emerged through the process.
What participants will learn:
1. Develop mark-making techniques by experimenting with a variety of line qualities, patterns, and textures to create value, rhythm, and depth in interior drawings.
2. Strengthen compositional skills through the use of thumbnail sketches and observational strategies to thoughtfully interpret and structure interior spaces.
3. Build layered, expressive drawings by applying a process-based approach, starting with foundational marks and progressively developing complexity, character, and visual energy.
Suggested supplies:
Each artist should bring the materials they enjoy working with. The following are suggestions:
- Micron pens - these work very well for this type of drawing. Susan’s favorite size is an 08. Some people prefer a smaller tip, such as an 05. You do want a pen that can make a thick enough line so that you will be able to have a range of values. You may want to bring a few sizes. Susan will have some different pens available for you to try.
- A brush pen, as an alternative to or in addition to a Micron pen - Susan’s prefers a brush pen makes a fairly large mark, like the Kuretake Zig Cambio Large Brush. Many other brush pens are available.
- Sketchbook with 70- 80 lb paper
- A sketching stool
Legion Paper is a sponsor for this workshop. @legionpaper
Please Note: There will be no refunds or exchanges on this workshop.
155 Argyle Road was designed by George Showers in 1906. It has an open as well as an enclosed porch, a New England style gambrel roof and a corner tower.
About the Instructor: Susan Greenstein
When painting or drawing on site, Susan Greenstein’s work becomes a visual diary of cityscapes, landscapes, street views, gardens, intimate vistas, and interiors. Though her subjects vary, they are united by a search for pattern and rhythm found in stonework, flowers, rooflines, windows, and café tables.
Greenstein is deeply drawn to painting interiors, where she focuses on light and its effect on form and space, drawing with pen and ink or brush and ink, particularly when capturing cafés and other intimate spaces.
Greenstein studied painting and drawing at Pratt Institute and spent many years doing illustrations for magazines, newspapers, and children’s books. She now teaches adults at all levels, supporting both beginners and artists seeking to deepen an established practice. She spent two weeks painting and drawing across Morocco in 2025, taught a workshop in Rovinj, Croatia, in spring of 2026, and will be leading a workshop tour in Oaxaca, Mexico, in 2027. She has been a member of 440 Gallery in Park Slope, Brooklyn, for over fifteen years and regularly exhibits her work there as well as across the United States.
For examples of her work see https://susangreenstein.com/
or @susangreensteinart on Instagram.
Tickets for this event are not refundable or exchangeable.
Event venue & nearby stays
155 Argyle Rd, 155 Argyle Road, Brooklyn, United States
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