How do I register for a session?
Visit Robostrar to create an account and register for sessions.
Can I use one of my tickets to admit a friend or family member?
No, tickets are non-transferrable. Guests must sign up through Robostrar and purchase their own session tickets.
Can I purchase a ticket or gift card for my friend or family member?
No, Basic Inquiry does not have a gift card option, and tickets are non-transferrable. However, if your friend has a Robostrar account, you may pay for their tickets securely using your own credit or debit card when they check out.
Can I get a receipt?
To generate a receipt for your purchase, log in to Robostrar and click the ‘History’ tab at the top of the menu. This will show all of your recent activity within Robostrar.
Using the dates on the left, determine which order you want to generate a receipt for. It will read “You paid for order #1234”, where the order number represents your unique order.
Click the blue order number to generate a receipt in a new tab.
To print to a PDF or printer, press Ctrl+P to open the print dialog menu.
What do I need to bring to the studio with me, first time I come?
We provide easels and drawing horses, drawing boards and clips, and we usually —though not always—have a stash of newsprint from which you can help yourself to a few sheets. Please bring your own mark-making material and your preferred paper or canvas; count on us for drawing boards and furniture. Note: if you’re painting, we allow only odour-free solvents in the studio.
What are the formats of Gesture, Regular, and Long Pose sessions?
All sessions are three-hours with several breaks.
- A Gesture session is composed of many short, dynamic poses. This session is great for fast anatomy study and repetitive drawing exercise.
- A Long Pose session is composed of only one pose, to which the model returns after each break. This is great for paintings or more detailed and developed studies.
- Regular sessions mix poses of varying lengths—some short, some fast.
Is there any guided instruction during the sessions?
Our main sessions are uninstructed, so there is no formal guidance. Usually attendance is about 10 – 20 people per session, in a mix of new and experienced artists, as well as of newcomers to our studio and long-standing regular attendees. The environment is pretty supportive and while you should not count on formal guidance of course you are welcome to ask questions at break of other artists whose work you admire. Though drawing happens in silence, the breaks are usually pretty energetic, and a good time to meet people.
Basic Inquiry does offer occasional workshops run by members of the society. The cost of these will vary by instructor. The best way to learn about these special events is by subscribing to our social media feed @basicinquiry on Facebook and Instagram, or visiting the studio and looking for event posters.
Do you have advice for creating and submitting a formal portfolio?
At any point in time, some good fraction of our participants are pursuing exactly this quest. We are an excellent place to practice for, and ultimately develop, portfolio pieces, but institutionally, we do not provide suggestions or help with you in thinking about the overall editorial composition of any portfolio you might be preparing. It’s not unlikely you could meet someone at Basic who would have ideas about that, and who may be willing to offer them either out of friendship or for a fee, but that is not any part of our services or sessions.
Is there a minimum age requirement to attend a session?
We have no age restrictions – we are open to aspiring artists of all ages. If you are serious in your intent you are welcome here. We do require that participants follow our code of conduct. And in order to register for a session, you will need to acquire tickets, which requires both an account on our online system and a credit card with which to purchase tickets.