Weekend Art Club
with John Murphy-Woolford
The opportunity to make art is special, fun and very rewarding. Knowing some techniques makes it easier and more enjoyable. This course is designed to give the complete beginner the tools and confidence to begin their own art journey, helping students discover what kind of materials they like to use and the art they want to make.
A relaxed introduction to drawing, painting, portraiture and more…
We cover the very basics of materials, different types of painting and drawing approaches, the fundamental things to think about when making a painting or drawing and how to be creative and inventive. We mix experimentation with basic skills, fun with knowledge and creativity.
Students will learn about colour, tone, shape and composition and how to use these when making images. We will also look at basic skills of observation and how to recording what we see, together with loose and intuitive painting and drawing techniques. There is something for everyone in this introduction course.
Any painting, drawing and collage art materials are suitable for this class. Your experienced tutor will provide you with the knowledge and techniques needed to have fun and work with confidence. Please see the materials list for suggestions
Materials
Materials are completely open to students’ personal preferences.
These may include: Oil or acrylic paint. Mixing palette, brushes. Odorless solvent (for oil paint) Empty jam jar. Tissue. Oil / acrylic paper for painting. Canvas board. Cartridge paper. Graphite pencils. Coloured pencils. Pastels. Charcoal, willow or compressed. Eraser. Masking tape. Fixative or hairspray.
The lecturer may advice on any missing material relevant for a student’s project as necessary.
Undecided? Book a taster session, with the option of joining the regular group afterwards subject to space. Or dive in and book the term now!
Autumn Term 2024: Course Programme
Weeks 1 & 2: How to copy an image
Working from your own images or from those provided, we look at how to make paintings or drawings from source material.
Weeks 3 & 4: How to use colour.
We look at colour theory, how to mix colours, and how to create paintings or drawings using colour expressively and Matisse will be our example and guide.
Weeks 5 & 6: How to make a still life painting or drawing
We will learn some art history, ideas of composition and tone and how to translate what we have in front of us into exciting images.
Weeks 7 & 8: How to paint or draw a portrait
Using images provided, we explore the different ways a portrait can be made either with Charcoal, pencil or a simplified colour palette.
Weeks 9 & 10: How to paint an abstract painting
What is abstract painting? We explore this exciting area of art, remove traditional subject matters and let the materials themselves take centre stage.
Weeks 11 & 12: Personal project
This free two-week conclusion to the course enables students to make their own decision on what they would like to make as a final piece for the term.