“It makes you think in a different way about drawing.” Vicky P It was a joy teaching the Essential Drawing Foundations course as it always allows me to revisit the inspirational teachings of Heather Spears, in this course that I have adapted from her book The Creative Eye. When I read her book in 2011 […]
I have learnt to ‘free up’ my brain and experiment, but in a directed/focused way Caroline I The Experimental drawing course resulted in an exciting weekend of experimentation, open mindedness, fun and drawings full of self expression. Our exploration of non-representational mark-making was embraced by a studio full of students with a willingness to let […]
“I had fun” Amy J What better way to sum up the Youth-teenage Sunday art class this week than by Amy’s statement above. Students turned their attention to a classic A-level art project this week. At some point in everyone’s art education there is a need to slice vegetables in half and draw the fascinating […]
Abstract Art Course diary I had been really looking forward to the Abstract Art course I taught in early March this year. As a tutor I am always looking for ways to improve my teaching and this course was a great example of how the feedback and comments students give me – help me to […]
Creative drawing: introduction What a fabulous course this was to teach this weekend – with a full studio of enthusiastic students from a wide variety of backgrounds and ages, we all shared our experiences and stories which made the weekend that much richer and interesting. It’s what I love about teaching adults – everyone has […]
Begin to draw + paint Last weekend I taught the first course for 2018 – and thoroughly enjoyed getting back into the studio to teach. Ten enthusiastic beginners greeted me for the start of the Begin to draw + paint course. We all worked hard throughout the weekend – and enjoyed ourselves along the way. […]
Last weekend I enjoyed a fantastic weekend with a full studio radiating energy, enthusiasm and creativity. We began by exploring mark-making and delving deeper into the artistic mark-making process. Creativity, playfulness and the willingness to play were the essential ingredients this weekend. It was heartwarming that 2 students traveled from Glasgow to attend my courses. […]
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 […]
Essential Drawing Foundations Discover what the students got up to during this course. The exercises, the experimentation, the finished drawings. This course enabled all 7 students to learn how to improve their creativity and drawing skills. The course is exciting, challenging and fun. Each week offers a different experience and teaches students practical techniques to […]
Essential Drawing Foundations: June-July 2016 Discover what the students got up to during this course. The exercises, the experimentation, the finished drawings. This course enabled students to learn how to improve their creativity and drawing skills. Each week teaches students practical techniques to help them draw more expressively, improve inventiveness, and interpretation by developing a […]
Week 4 Time to re-enforce the process of observational drawing – well the way I think is best – and I guess all teachers have ‘their way’ of doing things. But – I always tell students to take what I’m teaching and find ways to make it their own – ways to incorporate the techniques […]
Week 3 Through all the years I have taught adults life drawing one of the most common things people struggle with is how to represent the 3D human form with structure and depth on paper. So drawings often look flat and lack substance – as if there’s no skeleton or muscles. The human form is […]
Week 2: This session was all about the mainstay of good observational life drawing – how to measure. Daunting for some, hated by others and loved by the few. Whichever way you look at it it’s the only way you can check to see if proportions and angles are correct. The eyes do funny things […]
Week 1: The start of this course got off to a great start with Gesture drawing. My all time favourite drawing exercise to help students, and artists alike, learn to get a feel for the pose, feel the sense of movement inherent in all poses (even seated) and try to capture the real essence of […]
Week 5 Wow – What a way to complete the 5-session course! I’m so impressed by how my students tackled the processes during this session, held their nerve and arrived at their completed drawings. It was a tough session and everyone worked really hard – but I really believe that’s the only way to enjoy […]
