To help you answer the question,
“What level course is right for me?”
To help you decide what level course is best, you will see Teaching Levels on each of the course pages above the ‘Add to cart’ button.
Students will always benefit from clear instructions and lots of one-to-one tuition on all of my courses.
Level 1: Absolute-beginner
For those students who have never done any art or are returning to art after a very long break.
Teaching focuses on core skills with tutor-led exercises on use of materials and techniques
Level 2: Beginner + Improver
For those students who have done some art learning, draw or paint occasionally at home or attend an art group, and feel they need to gain a foundation in the basic techniques.
Teaching focuses on core skills, understanding and use of the Art Elements + Principles, materials + techniques, with tutor-led exercises and mini projects.
Level 3: Intermediate
For those students who have learnt the basic techniques, have gained some artistic confidence and are seeking to develop their skills further to create more complex work.
Teaching focuses on developing art skills, creative techniques and individual styles, students’ ability to self-assess their work, encouraging experimentation, with tutor-led exercises and time for extended projects with the benefit of group critiques.
Level 4: Experienced
For those students confident in their abilities and techniques, who are looking to challenge themselves further, to create a coherent body of work, possibly to exhibit and sell.
Teaching focuses on guiding students in developing their own ideas and self-directed practice, through enhancing personal skills and techniques and encouraging a deeper contextual awareness with the benefit of one-to-one tutorials.
The Creative Eye life drawing course
£375.00
Priced per course
The Creative Eye life drawing 4-day course teaches students essential insights into the creative process.
Drawing exercises help students achieve life drawings of integrity and clarity of vision.
Learn practical techniques to help avoid the difficulties faced by all life-drawers.
The course brings to life the unique teachings of Heather Spears from her book The Creative Eye.
Suitable for: Adults
Teaching Level: Beginners, Improvers, Intermediate, Experienced
Thursday – Sunday (4-day course)
Course Structure
Your tutor, Brian Raymond, will enable you to experience the life drawing insights of Denmark based Canadian artist, poet and novelist Heather Spears from her outstanding book The Creative Eye.
The Creative Eye is a new drawing instruction manual in the tradition of Kimon Nicolaides’ original 1941 masterpiece, The natural way to draw. The Creative Eye by Heather Spears, published in 2011, brings the understanding of the practice of life drawing into the 21st century. The Creative Eye extends the Nicolaides tradition and promotes a contemporary observational life drawing approach.
Why I teach Heather’s book
I was fortunate enough to benefit from Heather’s teaching when I first invited her to teach her book in my Ancoats studio in 2011. Over the following years, Heather taught the course on numerous occasions during which I was fortunate to have experienced her insightful teaching. I am now able to pass it on to new students.
Interviews with Heather Spears
Teaching methods
This is a fully taught and directed drawing course where students will be drawing directly from a variety of life models. Your tutor, Brian Raymond brings his own experience and knowledge to help bring to life the unique insights from the pages of Heather’s book The Creative Eye.
Intensive course
This intensive life drawing course of 20 learning-hours over 4 days, is fully taught and guided by the tutor. Students will be guided through a series of exercises and creative processes to enable them to understand and fully experience all the techniques and insights that Heather has written about in her book The Creative Eye. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the creative process, insights into why artists struggle with drawing from the model, and learn a wide variety of techniques and skills to enable them to draw more accurately and avoid many common drawing errors.
Through her writing, Heather encourages her students to stretch and develop their artistic abilities and your tutor Brian will do the same so you can understand every aspect of her book.
By the end of the course …
Students’ drawings will benefit from a deeper exploration of the processes of life drawing and gain a deeper understanding of creativity and visual perception. Students come away with a heightened passion and insight for life drawing together with a toolkit of new techniques that help them draw more accurately and avoid many common drawing errors.
Helpful info + Guidance
Please read carefully
Information here over-rides similar information in the ‘Course info’ tab.
Course information
Group size
Refreshments
Please read the Studio COVID-SECURE procedures: Click here >
__________________________________
Days: 4 days
Times: 10-4pm, all days
Materials: Includes all materials
Suitable for: Adults
Teaching Level: Beginners, Improvers, Intermediate
Attendance: Each exercise builds carefully on the next, so it is important to attend every session to avoid gaps in knowledge, although I will do my best to fill in the gaps if students do miss a session.
Group Size: Min 6 – Max 10
Your tutor: Brian Raymond biography >
Refreshments:
Course includes tea, coffee & biscuits. Please provide your own lunch on full day courses, workshops and classes.
All materials included
Optional items to bring
Cloth for cleaning your hands
Rag (old cloth) for smudging charcoal or paint
Wear old clothes or bring an apron
Pen and notebook for taking notes
To help you answer the question,
“What level course is right for me?”
To help you decide what level course is best, you will see Teaching Levels on each of the course pages above the ‘Add to cart’ button.
Students will always benefit from clear instructions and lots of one-to-one tuition on all of my courses.
Level 1: Absolute-beginner
For those students who have never done any art or are returning to art after a very long break.
Teaching focuses on core skills with tutor-led exercises on use of materials and techniques
Level 2: Beginner + Improver
For those students who have done some art learning, draw or paint occasionally at home or attend an art group, and feel they need to gain a foundation in the basic techniques.
Teaching focuses on core skills, understanding and use of the Art Elements + Principles, materials + techniques, with tutor-led exercises and mini projects.
Level 3: Intermediate
For those students who have learnt the basic techniques, have gained some artistic confidence and are seeking to develop their skills further to create more complex work.
Teaching focuses on developing art skills, creative techniques and individual styles, students’ ability to self-assess their work, encouraging experimentation, with tutor-led exercises and time for extended projects with the benefit of group critiques.
Level 4: Experienced
For those students confident in their abilities and techniques, who are looking to challenge themselves further, to create a coherent body of work, possibly to exhibit and sell.
Teaching focuses on guiding students in developing their own ideas and self-directed practice, through enhancing personal skills and techniques and encouraging a deeper contextual awareness with the benefit of one-to-one tutorials.
To help you answer the question,
“What course should I do next?”
There are 2 approaches to deciding what to do next.
Whichever approach you choose, remember to check the Teaching Levels (eg: Level 1, Level 2, or mixed ability).
Student Quotes
More reviews >
Waiting list
__________________________________________
Related products
Acrylic painting L1
£140.00 Select optionsBespoke lessons
£35.00 – £150.00 Select optionsAcrylic painting L2
£140.00 Select options