Drawing Fundamentals

Having good basic drawing skills is the foundation to most art disciplines and anyone can learn to draw. This class is suitable for beginners to intermediate students wanting to discover their hidden drawing skills or develop their own technique further using a variety of drawing mediums. Each session will introduce the student to new drawing techniques developing essential observational skills and learning about form, tone & rendering styles using graphite, charcoal, conte, pastels, ink, & coloured pencils.

Students will be guided through various drawing techniques to improve their drawing skills, gaining more confidence as they find their self expression. The course will cover still life, landscape, plein air sketching, figurative, portrait & loose expressive drawing.

PROGRAM TERM 1: EXPLORATION OF MATERIALS

Making a mark, the essential element of drawing, can be done with a myriad of materials, traditional and less conventional. We will explore the material qualities and techniques of using of 3 traditional drawing materials: Graphite pencil, charcoal and soft pastel, referencing works from the Dobell Drawing Prize and Real Worlds: Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial 2020 to see how other artists are using these materials in their drawing practices. Each student will spend the last 2 weeks on a larger scale finished drawing individually planned and developed from the earlier material explorations.

Week 1: Graphite Pencil

Through a series of exercises we will explore the expressive and technical breadth and potential of this medium.

Week 2: Charcoal

Through a series of exercises we will explore the expressive and technical breadth and potential of this medium.

Week 3: Soft Pastel

Through a series of exercises we will explore the expressive and technical breadth and potential of this medium. Significantly the use of colour is central to using soft pastels.

Week 4: 2 week project

Plan and start larger scale finished drawing. With guidance and based on the material explorations of earlier weeks, each student will choose their medium as well as their subject.

Week 5: 2 week project

Continue and complete larger scale finished drawing. With guidance and based on the material explorations of earlier weeks, each student will choose their medium as well as their subject.

nas.edu.au/dobell-prize-22

Real Worlds: Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial 2020
www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/real-worlds

Materials & Equipment List

• Pencils, a range from H, HB – 2B through to 6B
• Charcoal, sticks and charcoal pencils,
• Conte crayons
• Coloured Pencil
• Pastels (small set of range of colours)
• India Ink
• Blending stumps (thick & thin)
• Putty Erasers and Hard Erasures
• Pencil sharpener or Stanley knife
• Paper, A3 drawing pad
• Apron (optional)