Course Overview
Gain a new appreciation of creativity and the process of looking + seeing (perception). Students will learn practical tips and techniques to help avoid common drawing mistakes and establish strong foundations to a new way of drawing that can foster increased creativity, drawing accuracy, and greater artistic-confidence. Students will draw a variety of still-life arrangements designed to inspire and support my teaching.
All images are students work completed on the course
Student Review
“Loved it! you’ve shown me a different way to approach art and my creativity. I feel as if you’ve opened up in me a new way of seeing things. I loved experimenting and exploring ways of doing things.” Donna B
Course Structure
The course is structured around 2 x 2.5 hour drawing sessions per day drawing from a variety of still life arrangements in the studio. There is plenty of time for drawing practice, reflection, and feedback, with time for students to ask questions, recap ideas, and theories covered during the sessions.
Gain a new appreciation of creativity and the process of looking + seeing (perception). Students will learn practical tips and techniques to help avoid common drawing mistakes while understanding why we make them in the first place. Students will learn the foundations to a new way of drawing that can foster increased creativity, drawing accuracy, and greater artistic-confidence.
The Essential Drawing Foundations course teaches essential foundational drawing and perception skills inspired by key ideas developed by internationally renowned artist and author Heather Spears in her book The Creative Eye.
Read my review> of The Creative Eye book and check it out on Amazon>>
Expressive drawing
Session 1
Students will improve their drawing by learning how to increase the variety of expressive marks. Increasing the quality and kinds of marks, textures and smudges students use in their drawings is crucial in creating exciting and visually stunning drawings.
Return to innocence
Session 2
Students will learn to draw with inventiveness, purity and artistic honesty. Picasso stated that, ‘It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.’ Students are offered the experience of ‘returning to innocence’ in order to discover ways of producing fresh, personal and unique drawings.
The sculptural quality of drawing
Session 3
Students will learn how to improve their drawing by observing shape and proportion more accurately and draw shapes with volume and weight. The sculptor chisels stone or carves clay to create 3D form. Students will learn to draw like a sculptor using charcoal to create convincing 3D shapes with form, volume and structure.
The nature of line
Session 4
Learning about line helps students draw more freely and intuitively giving their drawings more energy and liveliness. It is only when we truly know something that we can harness its full potential. This session helps to unlock the full expressive ability of line.
Beyond the named
Session 5
Closely observing detail and drawing what we ‘see’, not what we think we know is a vital skill to draw well. Creativity is increasingly stifled the more artists name, label, and categorise things. Students will learn ways to help them through this barrier to seeing more accurately.
Paying attention
Session 6
Students will learn to leave their ‘critical self’ behind and harness their creativity and inventiveness to create inspiring drawings. Creativity requires both intensive concentration and playfulness. Resolving this contradiction into one creative experience is how artists access the ‘creative zone’ where personal creativity can flourish.
By the end of the course…
Students will go home having taken their drawing beyond the predictable and drawn free from inhibition and clichés. Feel rejuvenated and energised to continue drawing at home.
Student Quotes
“This course has helped me to see how to approach drawing any object and I think I’ve lost the fear of the blank page and making mistakes. It really does feel like a good foundation to keep exploring and adding to my skills.” Carlotta D
“I enjoyed learning with, and watching [learning from] others. I will now do more and think less… Fun, interesting, thought provoking.” Lawrence G
Chris –
I took away some new tools and a different approach to my drawing process, but the best thing was the release from the constraint in making a drawing. The freedom to create an image that I felt was more expressive. Thanks Brian
Susan Scurlock –
I spent a lot of time looking for a course that would help me move my drawing on – Brian did an excellent job of doing just that and would heartily recommend this to anyone looking to bring more heart into their drawing practice!