Drawing Fundamentals

Program Term 1 2024

Exhibitions of Kandinsky and Louise Bourgeois at the Art Gallery of NSW and Tacita Dean at the MCA are part of the Sydney International Art Series. We will use the work of these artists as  stimulus for developing drawing skills after starting the term with a series of still lifes.

WEEK 1
Still Life 1
Pencil

To start this term we will build the fundamentals of drawing as we do a series of Still Life drawings. The same still life arrangement will build in complexity each week. This week we will start with a few simple objects, drawing them with pencil, being aware of observational skills, composing your drawing, using shape and line and exploring the qualities of pencil.

WEEK 2
Still Life 2
Charcoal

We will explore the use of charcoal as we observe and draw the still life arrangement from last week, with additional more complex objects. We will become aware of light and shade revealing three dimensional form.

WEEK 3
Still Life 3
Ink

This week we will introduce ink to draw with. Our still life arrangement will be added to again with more objects. We will explore the qualities of ink, particularly the creation of line with a brush. We will create light and shade with ink wash.

WEEK 4
Kandinsky
Soft pastel

Vasily Kandinsky was one of the first to create abstract art. To introduce colour we will attempt Kandinsky inspired abstraction, using soft pastels to play with colour, shape, and line.

WEEK 5
Louise Bourgeois
Pencil, charcoal

Louise Bourgeois produced prodigious work in a wide range of media, during her long life. We will look at some of her diverse sculptures, using images of them to draw with pencil and charcoal. We will conclude with ‘Maman’ her giant spider sculpture!

WEEK 6
Tacita Dean
White on Black

Artist Tacita Dean has drawn spectacular monumental mountain landscapes, using white chalk on black chalkboards. We will investigate negative space as we play with drawing with white soft pastel on a black background doing individual drawings on paper, and collaboratively creating a dramatic mountain landscape together on a black chalk board, which we will then photograph for your own record.

MATERIALS & EQUIPMENT LIST

• Pencils, a range from 2B through to 6B
• Charcoal – willow, various thicknesses
• Soft Pastels (small set of range of colours)
• Putty Erasers and Hard Erasures
• Pencil sharpener or Stanley knife
• Paper, A3 drawing pad
• Apron (optional)
• Black ink and soft brush (no 4 size)