Drawing and Painting on Location

About this course

Sessions use observational subjects encountered in museums, galleries, cafés, parks, churches, stations and other locations, with indoor venues used during winter. Participants explore how sketchbooks can be structured and used, including concertina, flexifold, found and scrapbook formats. Teaching combines demonstrations, contextual examples from artists’ sketchbooks, one-to-one discussion and feedback, followed by a short peer appraisal. Drawing approaches include sustained studies, rapidly collected visual information, notation and colour. Although the subject matter is figurative, the course also considers how sketchbook work can contribute to the development of abstract ideas and wider creative practice.

What you'll learn

• Experiment with different sketchbook formats, page structures and media.
• Make observational studies using both sustained drawing and quickly gathered visual information.
• Apply notation and colour as part of sketchbook practice.
• Examine artists’ sketchbooks and relate figurative observation to the development of abstract ideas.
• Evaluate sketchbook work through individual feedback and group appraisal.

Is this course right for you?

The course is suitable for complete beginners because no previous knowledge or experience is required. Mixed-ability teaching includes individual guidance, while each session also ends with a short group discussion and appraisal. Work is based on figurative observation in changing off-site locations.

• Teaching is adapted through one-to-one discussion within the class.
• Sessions take place in a range of indoor and outdoor locations.
• Participants discuss and review work with the wider group at the end of each session.

Before you go

• Participants need an A4 sketchbook.
• Participants need a selection of pencils between 9H and 9B, rather than necessarily the complete range.
• Participants need one or two pens, an eraser and a pencil sharpener; other preferred drawing tools may also be used.