Explore: painting and drawing – build your practice

About this course

Learners explore observation, line, tone, colour, composition, space and expressive mark making through a combination of structured exercises and more open-ended work. The course covers subjects including still life, plants, buildings, landscape and abstraction, alongside studies of form, anatomy and perspective. Participants develop ideas from initial studies into more resolved pieces, revisiting and refining their decisions. Sessions also consider artists and art movements, helping learners examine different approaches to seeing, thinking and making.

What you'll learn

• Apply drawing and painting techniques to investigate line, tone, colour and surface.
• Develop ideas through observation, experimentation and visual research.
• Use composition, perspective and visual structure when making work.
• Refine initial studies into more developed pieces through review and revision.
• Discuss creative decisions and reflect on the results using visual language.

Is this course right for you?

The course is intended for improver-level learners, which suggests an opportunity to develop beyond fundamental techniques without establishing a specific entry requirement. Participation combines guided activities with self-directed exploration, experimentation and reflection on developing work.

• Includes open-ended work where learners make and review their own creative choices.
• Reflection and discussion form part of the learning process.