Patterns in Nature: Dynamic (10 credit points)

Course Times & Enrolment

This course is currently unavailable.

Course Summary

This course will enable you to research and develop a body of work based on ideas about group animal behaviour on land, sea or in air. A combination of sketchbook research and secondary sources such as patterns of migration and weather will be employed to visualise concepts of time, space and movement. During the course, you will be encouraged to think about the natural world as a dynamic global cycle. The mixed media approach employed will enable you to create subtle changes in methodology towards work that conveys variations of focus and a deeper engagement with naturally occurring phenomena. You will consider concepts of space, arrangement, perspective, repetition, flatness and light in composing the work produced. Demonstrations on materials and techniques will inform students of ways to be innovative in their approach to making art that is insightful and expresses an individual viewpoint.

Please note - this is a credit course and has an integrated digital component. All students enrolled on credit courses are required to matriculate through the university student system EUCLID. If you do not do so you will not be able to access information provided by your tutor nor will you be able to submit work for assessment. Please read our Studying for Credit Guide, Rules and Regulations for more information.

Course Details

Pre-requisites for enrolment

Some previous drawing and painting experience desirable.

Special Information

Materials and equipment provided for students as part of the course and included in course fee:
Access to studio space with easel, table and chair and drawing board.

Essential materials and equipment available for purchase by students during the course:

Essentials Materials and equipment students will need to provide themselves:
(Estimated cost: £20 - £50 depending on usage)

Pencils
Black Marker Pen
Willow /compressed Charcoal
Eraser
Scissors
Sketchbook (A2 or A3 or A4 size)
Masking tape
Different surfaced paper - Cartridge ,brown wrapping paper, bread and butter paper, one-sided card. Brown wrapping paper
Coloured pastels
Basic acrylic paint set (could include - lemon yellow, cadmium yellow, yellow ochre, cadmium red, crimson red, ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, burnt sienna, burnt umber, white)
Various paint brushes for acrylics (round paintbrush no. 6 size with smooth soft hair and good pointed tip and flat shape brushes)
Sponges, rags
Paint pallet
Ink (black or sepia acrylic ink), pen for ink

Other recommended materials and equipment students may wish to provide themselves:

Digital camera
Access to Photoshop and Google Earth

Content of Course

The course teaching is delivered over weekly class sessions totalling 27.5 hours. Depending on the specific timetable of the occurrence of the course, this will either be delivered over ten weeks of 2.75 hour class sessions, eleven weeks of 2.5 hour class sessions or five weeks of 5.5 hour class sessions. Over the weeks the course will cover:

Finding starting points- Automatic drawing and mappings
Create small test pieces fusing sections of drawings from wk 1 with cut out contours from some of following secondary source material- maps/isobar chart/sonar scanning etc
SEA: Drawing the sensation of the movement of marine mammal as they are tracked through the ocean.
AIR: Exploring Scale in mixed media drawing: using bird migration maps , land formation maps and isobar charts
LAND: Exploring colour and textures in land mammal migration using geological maps
Group discussion of work to date and scope for research and focus of personal project
Student begins personal project based of animal, maps or weather informed by work made in previous weeks
Personal project
Personal project
Completion of final series

Teaching method(s)

The teaching will be based and delivered in specialist art and design studios or workshops and will typically include a range of practical exercises, introductions to techniques, processes and concepts, and set projects which lead to more focused and personal exploration. Over the five days, students’ progress will be monitored and supported by the tutor. Teaching will include practical demonstrations, one to one tuition, group discussions and critiques.

For work required to be undertaken after the class hours are complete, the course tutor will set students a ‘directed study plan’ which can be undertaken without the need for specialist workshops or access to models.

Directed study will include research into a range of suggested artists or designers and their associated movements to engender a contextual awareness of the sculpted figure in visual culture. Students will be expected to demonstrate how the research has informed their work through annotated sketchbooks or visual journals and practical outcomes. The Directed Study Plan will include preparing evidence of research and practical work to form an appropriate presentation for assessment.

Learning outcomes

Transferable skills

RESEARCH (33.3%) Demonstrate a work ethic in the sketchbook that conveys personal interpretation of the scale and spectacle of natural phenomena in the natural world through dedicated self directed study.
PRACTICE (33.3%)
Employ a mixed media approach imaginatively, to produce a range of works that demonstrate subtle infusion of primary and secondary sources to good effect.
PRESENTATION (33.3%)
Develop and present a coherent series of related artworks which considers the potential of using abstract natural patterns as a vehicle of expression of movement and energy in the natural world.

using a sketchbook as an artist’s/designers’ tool
recording and developing visual ideas
effective use of drawing, painting and mixed media
ability to undertake research and reflective practice and apply these in the context of the sketchbook within visual culture

Sources

Core Readings

Essential

OCTOBER GALLERY a London gallery to exhibit cutting-edge contemporary art from around the planet (2014) Available at http://www.octobergallery.co.uk/artists/
http://www.christinehiebert.com/index.html
Duville Mattias Available at http://www.drawingcenter.org/viewingprogram/share_portfolio.cfm?pf=4736
Mehretru Julie available at http://drawingsandnotes.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Julie%20Mehretu
Wallis-Johnson Jason available at http://www.englandgallery.com/artist_work.php?mainId=22&groupId=none&_gnum=8&media=Drawings%20%26%20works%20on%20paper&_p=1

http://www.livescience.com/29781-animal-great-migration-gallery.html
http://www.oceantracks.csiro.au/
http://www.kora.ch/malme/06_map-centre/6_1_distribution-carnivores/bear/austria/bear-distribution-AT.htm
http://emilysilver.com/
http://notartomatic.wordpress.com/2010/06/15/merritt-johnson-at-grunt-gallery/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-seed/eve-ascheim_b_3420697.html
http://www.elisemahanfineart.com/
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/cornelia-parker-2358

Class Handouts

You will be provided with a Glossary of art terms used during course .

Assessment

Details of the Art and Design assessment requirements can be found on the short course website. Please click on the following link for more information: Submission and Assessment Information

Studying for Credit

If you choose to study for credit you will need to allocate significant time outwith classes for coursework and assessment preparation. Credit points gained from this course can count towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.