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Write and Draw Brooklyn with Samantha Dion Baker and Ruthie Ackerman
Friday, October 24th, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Creatively Wild Art Studios in DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY—98 Water Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
About the Workshop:
Join Samantha Dion Baker and Ruthie Ackerman in the heart of DUMBO, Brooklyn, for a day of immersing ourselves in our creative minds through writing, scribbling and drawing. This workshop is perfect for writers and artists of all levels who want to play in the sandbox of their creativity and use writing combined with artmaking as a way to follow their curiosity and observe the world around them.
We’ll explore the sweeping cityscapes as well as the sensory landscape all around us through both words and art. You'll also learn how to incorporate storytelling into your sketches, focusing on capturing small, meaningful urban moments that bring your artwork to life.
What to Bring:
Sketchbook/Notebook
Pencils for sketching
Colored pencils
Neocolor watersoluble pastels
Watercolors and brushes
Fine line permanent pens
Schedule (this is a rough plan—a more detailed breakdown of the day will come by email closer to the event, and sent to everyone who registers):
10:00 AM: Introduction & warm-up exercises
10:30 AM - 1:00PM: Drawing and painting lessons simplifying shapes, and identifying a focus that interests you. Writing exercises on still lives, using our senses on the page and writing from photographs.
1 PM - 1:45 PM: Lunch break (while there are many restaurants and take-away places around the building to shop for food, it would be preferable if you bring your own lunch with you in the morning so we can begin right on time.)
1:45 PM - 2:30 PM: An outdoor walk which could include sketching and/or writing various scenes in the area such as the famous Manhattan Bridge spot to views of the Brooklyn Bridge seen on a walk in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Samantha will demo layering various drawings and writing on one page and share how the most unexpected things can interact visually. Ruthie will show how to bring conversations/sounds overheard on the street as well as your own internal chatter onto the page. She will also talk about how to capture both the external and internal 360 of the world around you.
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM: Adding color, textures, and finishing touches while creating a cohesive story across your page. Techniques for storytelling so you can find and highlight small, meaningful moments.
3:30-4:00 PM: Final "throw-down" share and discussion, and goodbyes.
Registration: Space is limited, so secure your spot early!
We can’t wait to create alongside you in this vibrant and inspiring urban setting!
Cancellations: These events require so much planning and work, we hope you understand that if you have to cancel, we can only refund you if we have another person to take over your spot. Usually there is a waiting list, but every event is different so we cannot guarantee that there will be someone waiting to take your spot. Please plan accordingly!
About Your Teachers
An award-winning journalist, Ruthie Ackerman’s writing has been published in Vogue, Glamour, O Magazine, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Salon, Slate, Newsweek, and more. Her Modern Love essay for the New York Times became the launching point for her memoir, The Mother Code: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Myths That Shape Us. Ruthie launched The Ignite Writers Collective in 2019 and since then has become an in-demand book coach and developmental editor. Her client wins include a USA Today bestseller, book deals with Big 5 publishers, representation by buzzy book agents, and essays in prestigious outlets. She has a Master's in Journalism from New York University and lives in Brooklyn with her family.
Samantha Dion Baker is originally from Philadelphia, where she grew up in a family of artists. She graduated from The Cooper Union in New York City and spent over twenty years working as a graphic designer. Now a full-time illustrator and artist, her favorite thing to do is wander the city streets and travel with her family, drawing all of the things she does, eats, and sees in the pages of her sketch journal. She lives and works in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons. She is the author of Draw Your Day, The Draw Your Day Sketchbook, Draw Your World, Draw Your Day For Kids!, and Draw Your Adventures.