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 students to new drawing techniques developing essential observational skills and learning about form, tone & rendering styles. Materials used will include graphite, charcoal, conte, pastels, and ink.

Students will be guided through various drawing techniques to improve their drawing skills and gain confidence.

Theme:
Contours and Negative Spaces

During this term we will be using the contour line as a starting point allowing students to explore positive and negative space, drawing using different techniques and media to explore ways of opening us to seeing. 

A range of artist’s works including The Dobell Drawing Prize 2022, The Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing 2022, will be referenced to show the endless possibilities of the medium of drawing.

WEEK 1: CONTOUR LINES AND SPACE

Using a variety of media we will explore ways of expressing the contour lines of various forms as they meet the surrounding space.

WEEK 2: CONTOUR LINES AND NEGATIVE SPACES

Using a variety of media we will explore how the observation of the negative space helps us to see and find the contour line to the positive form.

WEEK 3: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SPACES

Using a variety of media we will explore drawing positive and negative spaces to develop a drawing and will introduce colour.

WEEK 4: ERASURE DRAWING

Using a variety of techniques we will investigate seeing various forms via the process of erasure. 

WEEK 5: COMPOSITION

We will play with composition this session using various objects to create a more complex mixed media drawing based on some of the previous concepts from this term.

WEEK 6: COMPOSITION

If desired, students may work on a self-directed project or there will be an organised still life for those who would prefer a more structured approach to this second week of composition.

Materials & Equipment List

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