A vibrant four day course of discovery and inspiration in drawing and painting designed to give you space to inspire, grow and reshape your practice and help you find your creative energy. It will also encourage you to discover and to look deeper into your own style and narrative behind your work whilst participating in the rich daily life of an arts school community.

On this in-depth course you will look at lightness and dark in art through the practice of chiaroscuro - looking at the dramatic contrast between light and dark areas to create depth, volume, and a sense of drama.

You will engage with artists using chiaroscuro technique; Artemisia Gentileschi, Caravaggio, Diego Velázquez , Martin Creed, Bridget Riley. You will explore this technique, popularised during the Renaissance to emphasize certain elements and create a focal point, drawing the viewers eye to specific areas of the artwork.

Learn how the interplay of light and shadow can also evoke mood and symbolism, representing concepts like good versus evil, knowledge versus ignorance, or the passage of time.

This course dives into the immersive depths of drawing, sketchbook work and painting. With guidance and support from your experienced tutor, enjoy the mindful experience of drawing and painting

By the end of the course you will have created at least 2 large scale canvases and many smaller sketches and experiments. You will also have a deeper understanding of the theme of lightness and dark in your work.

Included

On this course the College will supply most of the materials, including a 100cm x 100cm canvas (which should fit in your car, but please check), 80cm x 80cm canvas and some thick cartridge paper (300gsm) and graphite stick, plus some ink, red household paint and some basic acrylic paints to share amongst the group.

What students need to bring

• Sketchbooks
• Four jam jars
• Basic tool kit including - pencils, charcoal, 4-inch-wide wallpaper brush, range of six decorator’s brushes, assorted wide flat brushes, assorted round paintbrushes
• A palette
• Acrylic paints in the following colours: Red, Yellow, Blue, Black, Paynes Grey, White, Burnt Sienna

Available to buy

A good variety of art and craft materials are available to buy in the Gardens Gatehouse Shop.

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes).

Arrival day - first date of course
Residential students can arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm for registration  
Student welcome, followed by dinner: 6.45pm (dinner included)
Teaching session: 8pm-9pm (attendance is essential)

Daily timetable
Course teaching: 9.15am-5pm  
Morning session: 9.15am-12.45pm including coffee/tea break  
Lunch break: 12.45pm-2pm (lunch included)  
Afternoon session: 2pm-5pm including coffee/tea break  
Teaching finishes: 5pm    
Evening working: students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with permission from the tutor and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed.

Departure day - last date of course
Course teaching: 9.15am-3pm (lunch included)  
Teaching finishes: 3pm  

Residential students will need to check out of rooms by 10am.
Please note, the tutor may make slight variations to the daily timetable as required.

Terms & Conditions