The Art Elements

Course in more detail

Class 1

Line and mark-making
You will understand line more deeply, increase the variety of line you use, and develop your sensitivity towards this most elusive of the art elements.

• • Materials: charcoal, graphite pencils

Class 2

Tone and Form
This is what makes drawings and paintings pack a punch.  Get is wrong and your art will look flat and boring.  You will learn how tone works within colour and monochrome artwork and discover how using Tone and Form correctly will create the illusion of space and convincing looking solid 3D objects.

• • Materials: compressed charcoal, willow charcoal, soft pastels, graphite pencils

Class 3

Creative project 1: Self-expressive line
Develop your newly learnt skills in using Line, Tone and Form within a creative drawing project that will boost your creative confidence and creativity.

• • Materials: graphite pencils, putty rubber, plastic rubber

Class 4

Colour
People react to colour first, so getting it right is vital. You  will increase your knowledge of how colour effects your drawing and painting and gain confidence in using colour effectively.

• • Materials: acrylic paints

Class 5

Creative project 2: Colour stories
Gain greater confidence in colour mixing and developing emotive and expressive colour stories within a creative painting project that will boost your creative confidence and creativity.

• • Materials: acrylic paints

Class 6

Texture
Texture adds a tactile quality to drawings and paintings which makes people engage in your art more easily.  You will learn the importance of rendering visual texture to develop contrast between objects and space.

• • Materials: graphite pencil, charcoal

Class 7

Shape and Pattern
Shape and Pattern holds drawings together, creates structure and simplifies complex objects.  Shape has many uses and functions. You will learn to understand shape in all its forms and learn how to arrange them to create strong compositions.

• • Materials: paper collage, soft pastels, charcoal pencils

Class 8

Creative project 3: 
Explore abstract art by putting your newly learnt composition skills into practice in a playful project about Shape, Pattern, Colour, and Texture using bold oil pastels that will help boost your creative confidence and creativity.

• • Materials: oil pastels, baby oil, graphite pencils, craft knife

Class 9

Composition
The eye is predominantly attracted to shape, tone and pattern.  Using it effectively when structuring a drawing or painting is crucial but can be tricky to get right.  This session explores the underlying structures found in paintings.

• • Materials: soft pastels, graphite pencils

Class 10

Creative project 4: Contemporary still life
Embrace pattern, colour, shape in this captivating and expressive acrylic and mixed-media project that enables you to apply all your newly learnt skills learnt during the Art Elements course. This project gives you the opportunity to embrace creativity and self-exploration to create a stunning semi-abstract contemporary artwork.

• • Materials: acrylic paint, oil pastels, graphite

By the end of the course…

You will go home with added creative confidence having learned about the fundamental building blocks of making art, exploring a variety of materials and techniques as well as discovering new styles of making art.  You will feel inspired ready to apply your new skills to projects at home knowing what you need to do to continually improve your art.