Tonight was the start of another Essential Drawing Foundations course. I only teach this twice a year at the moment, so I always look forward to it arriving. The course content is largely based on Heather Spears’s book ‘The Creative Eye’ which is a kind of training manual to help you change your approach to […]
Course Diary Another wonderful weekend in my studio with a group of enthusiastic students. With rain pouring outside we were happy to be in the nice warm studio focusing on learning how to draw and getting a glimpse of a wide range of drawing and painting materials on the Begin to draw and paint course […]
Another sun-filled weekend in my studio teaching the very first Creative drawing: next steps course with 6 students. We enjoyed a very full weekend learning about ‘road maps’ to drawing, how to develop compositions, drawing exercises to improve how we ‘see’ objects more accurately, playing and experimenting with materials and the value of doing preparatory […]
Manchester was buzzing this weekend with the non-stop sunshine, Manchester Day Parade this Sunday, and Take That playing up the road at the Etihad stadium. So too were we in my studio in Ancoats overlooking the city – playing, experimenting and exploring ways of making textures to incorporate into our drawings and paintings on my […]
We started another 6 weeks of the Art Elements course last week. This course has a really interesting mix of students ranging from in age from retired, to those in their 20s – 30s working in an eclectic mix of professions, from a variety of backgrounds and nationalities – it’s what makes teaching in a […]
What a fabulous time I had last weekend teaching my Creative Sketchbooks course. A group of adult students all attending creative courses with the Open College of the Arts (OCA) had received feedback from their course tutors that they needed to improve their creative sketchbook course and so they decided to do something about it – […]
I spent a beautiful weekend teaching the Begin to draw + paint course in my studio. Sun was filtering through the 2 large windows and we had a fab view over the Manchester skyline to the Cheshire hills beyond. Shame we could not have been outside, but what better place to be and having the […]
Begin to draw + paint: 22-23 April 2017 A wonderful weekend in Manchester. Sunshine through the 2 studio windows filling our work-space with light. It was a joy to teach the 11 students enrolled on this Begin to draw + paint course. We worked really hard – in a relaxed kind of way – learnt […]
What did the students learn?The Drawing techniques evening course allows students the opportunity to explore and learn ways of developing their drawing skills in a fine art approach to making art. The course questions creativity and why we often struggle to draw what we see in front of us – why is the simple […]
Creative sketchbooks Diary: 11 – 12 February 2017 Student Quotes “I loved every second and didn’t want to leave. The activities were inspiring and there was no need to worry about being a good or bad artist as Brian made everything seem so easy and accessible. It was also fascinating to see everyone else’s work. Something you […]
Begin to draw + paint: 21 – 22 January 2017 Another wonderful weekend teaching the Begin to draw + paint course. A full studio once again with a wonderful group of students looking to learn the basics to enable them to begin their journey towards becoming independent artists. Read on to find out what some […]
Begin to draw + paint: 14 – 15 January 2017 The begin to draw + paint course this weekend was great fun. Loads of information, both practical and a bit of theory kept us really busy, but we still had time for a lot of chatting and making new friends, sharing stories about each of […]
Mixed media Diary: 26-27 Nov 2016 The Mixed media: textures course this weekend was a really fun filled weekend of experimentation, exploration and a lot of interaction between the students comparing results, sharing ideas and techniques and learning from each other. I did lots of technique demonstrations for the students which them enabled them to go […]
The Art Elements Diary: Nov-Dec 2016 This course introduces students to all the Art Elements. It is based on my 20 years of teaching adults and realizing that there are certain things that are commonly overlooked or misunderstood about using line, tone, colour, shape, form, and pattern. This course tries to address the basics and ‘open the […]
Abstract Art Diary: 12-13 Nov 2016 The Abstract Art 2-day course this weekend was a vibrant, exciting and fun filled weekend of creativity and learning. I taught students the language of abstract art, understanding how all the art elements come together to create dynamic and exciting compositions. The Abstract Art weekend really is an exploration, a […]
