Life Drawing
Begin your exploration into drawing the human form, involving both figure and portrait set in a supporting and encouraging environment. Undraped models. 18+ years.
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Sun 06 Jul
- $93.00 incl. GST
Please note there is NO refund or transfer if you cancel less than 5 working days in advance of a class starting. Our refund policy can be read in full here.
Description
Begin your exploration into drawing the human form, involving both figure and portrait set in a supporting and encouraging environment. A fun workshop developed for both beginners and advanced students to recognise proportions, gestures, light sources, mark making, and identifying masses and planes that underlay the human form. You will learn to train your mind, eye and hand coordination through a series of quick spontaneous exercises, as well as longer, more considered poses to deliver quality studies through personal instruction. Students are encouraged to work with both dry and wet media. All sessions work with undraped models.
Who should attend?
18+. Beginners and experienced artists looking to improve life drawing.
Expected learning outcomes
- Be able to use techniques for measuring proportions, and angels of the body.
- Know a variety of essential drawing exercises that help you approach the figure in a spontaneous and unique way.
- Be able to use techniques for identifying negative space around and through the body, tools that assist with proportion and perspective, and activation of the figure in space.
- Understand different forms of mark making, by experimenting with multiple mediums, and understand how each medium responds, to create tone and form, and to illuminate light and shade on the figure.
What to bring
Your lunch (you'll take a 30 minute break during the workshop) and water bottle. We'll provide tea and coffee in the staffroom. All materials are supplied within your course fee including the model fee.
About your tutor, Rachael
Rachael is an artist and art educator from Tāmaki Makaurau. She teaches life drawing at Lakehouse Arts, and visual art at Māpura Studios, a creative space providing programmes in visual arts practice, creative expression, dance-movement, music and art therapy for people living with disability and diversity. She completed a Fine Art degree with (Honors) at Whitecliffe College of Art and Design in 2021.
"For me, art is the oxygen of society, and I get a great deal of joy nurturing and encouraging creative expression. I really enjoy connecting with people, exchanging ideas, and sharing knowledge through my years of study and ongoing art practice.
This class is for anyone who wants to approach the figure in a variety of ways. This life drawing class is less about getting everything anatomically perfect, and more about learning to let go of analytical thought, through a series of fun and spontaneous exercises that allow you to draw with less fear and more creative expression." Rachael Burke
Testimonials
Hello Anne,
As you know, I have taken a variety of the applied art classes on offer through the Selwyn Community Education program in an attempt to "kick start" an art practice. Having studied art many, many years ago I had intended to pick it up again "later". Later is now. Lucky for me Selwyn offers a wide range of applied art classes. To get started I took a Basic Drawing class which dealt with basic techniques, materials and design. It was quite elementary and a good way to get started.
Drawing Birds with Soft Pastels was a very fun and lively class suitable for all. The tutor was welcoming and encouraging to all levels of experience and ability.
The Life Drawing class gave an introduction to several different approaches to drawing the human form. It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to draw from a live model.
Abstraction and Pattern provided an opportunity to get a feel for using acrylic paints. After exercises using music to get a feel for patterns as expressed through the music, students were encouraged to jump right in and paint.
The Abstract Painting Workshop took a different approach. Some initial instruction regarding colour values and composition led to the hands-on portion of the class. Again, all levels of ability and experience were welcomed.
Flowers in Watercolour was fun but more challenging than I had expected. To achieve something that looks light and right is more difficult that it looks! However watercolour painting is more conducive to to pursuing at home as it can be done in a more limited space. I'll keep trying!
I'm looking forward to the upcoming Oil Painting Essentials to complete my reintroduction to various medium. Now its up to me. I am thankful that the Selwyn Community Education program has afforded me this opportunity to investigate and experiment with so many different approaches.
Helene T November 2023
