This in-depth course guides students through Rothko’s process of creating large, meditative colour paintings to encourage them to work on a larger scale to find their own style and colour palette whilst exploring different surfaces and tools. The course will cover composition, paint application, colour and surface to enable students to take their work bigger and bolder on a range of supports from paper to canvas and canvas board.

Participants will learn how to use colour relationships, layering, and scale to evoke emotion and depth. The course begins in the Rothko Room in Tate Modern looking at his Seagram murals series of paintings and aims to help understand Rothko’s aesthetic and philosophical approach. Students will gain confidence in working on large abstract compositions. They will have the opportunity to use a variety of techniques to evoke emotion and help them develop their own narrative.

You will be working from photos and printouts of your own work that you will bring along to upscale and project from. This energetic course is open to all levels of experience from near beginners through to practising artists. The course includes a one-hour creative immersion workshop focusing on colour, texture, light and music, both indoors and outdoors.

If you are a developing artist and have a yearning to paint, then come and unleash your imagination and explore a bigger sense of expression. Come and find the edge of who you are and engage with the language of you and your practice.

Please meet on the first morning at the Rothko Room at the Tate Modern Art Gallery.

Included

On this course the College will supply most of the materials required.

What students need to bring

Take good quality photographs of your work and print them out to upscale and work on during the course.

• Notebook and reference to artists you like
• Sketchbooks
• Basic tool kit, including 2B – 6B graphite pencils, charcoal, 4-inch-wide wallpaper brush, range of 6 decorator’s brushes, assorted wide flat brushes, assorted round paintbrushes
• Masking tape
• An apron (a disposable apron will be provided but you may prefer to bring your own)
• Coloured chalk pastels or crayons (optional)

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio.

Student registration: 10.30am - 11am
Course teaching: 11am – 5.15pm 
Morning session: 11am - 1pm
Lunch break: 1pm - 2pm (lunch is not included)
Afternoon session: 2pm - 5.15pm (15 minute break, 3.30pm–3.45pm)
Teaching finishes: 5.15pm  
 

Short courses are open to anyone aged 18 and over. The course fee covers tuition and materials where stated. You will need to bring all other items listed under the ‘Materials to bring’ section.

Refreshments

Coffee and tea are included in the course fee, but you will need to bring lunch with you to eat in the refreshments room. There are also plenty of other local venues to purchase food.

Access

If you have any specific access needs, we will need to know about your access requirements in advance. Please tell us about your needs in confidence by emailing: [email protected] This venue has steps to the front reception, with limited access via a side gate to the ground floor. There is a small lift to higher floors or stairs.

Safety

Short course students are required to sign a safety compliance form as part of West Dean Health and Safety regulations.

Refunds and cancellations

Please refer to our terms & conditions below.

Disclaimer

The information given is accurate at the time of publication. However, West Dean College reserves the right to cancel or amend courses if circumstances require.

Terms & Conditions