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This course will enable students to develop a personal approach to portraiture through drawing and painting methods and techniques, providing a concentrated examination of the human head, character and anatomy. Students will explore how to work directly from the model using expressive drawing, painting and mixed media approaches. They will also be introduced to a range of historical and contemporary artists whose work features the portrait as the subject matter.
None.
Materials you will need to bring to the first class:
Sketchbook A3
A range of pencils-HB, 2 B, 4 B, 6B
Craft knife or sharpener
Graphite stick
Putty rubber
Masking tape
In addition to the course fee, students are expected to provide the following list of indicative tools, materials and equipment:
Willow charcoal, compressed charcoal, white chalk
Eraser
Fixative
Range of pencils - HB, 2B, 4B
A range or set of acrylic, oil or watercolour paints; (suggested colours: white, cadmium red, crimson, cerulean blue, ultramarine, lemon yellow, cadmium yellow, yellow ochre, viridian green, raw umber, burnt sienna)
A range of brushes suitable for chosen paints i.e. soft for watercolour, harder bristles for oil and acrylic paint
Plus one household paint brush - 2inch
Masking tape
Chalk pastels, oil pastels and oil bars (optional)
Black ink and or coloured inks
Nib and pen for ink
Water proof fine liner pen
A4/A3 sketchbook
Craft knife
Rags or kitchen roll
Sponge
Cartridge paper A2 or larger
Sugar paper-a range of colours A2 or larger
Palette
Protective apron
Heavy duty card or canvas to paint on if working in acrylic or oil paint
Turpentine-only if using oil paint.
Good quality watercolour paper if using watercolours.
Over the class sessions the course will cover:
1. Introduction, basic studio etiquette and a look at materials.
2. The portrait-what is it, who does it and why?
3. Make several exploratory studies of the model.
4. Using a range of hard and soft pencils to fully explore line and form to create drawings concentrating on proportion and structure of the head. Looking at artist Dryden Goodwin’s work.
5. Tonal work using willow charcoal, compressed charcoal, putty rubber and white chalk to create form and depth, to almost ' sculpt' the head using drawing materials.
6. Mixed media.
7. Creating character and expression using a variety of drawing and painting materials; e.g. pastels, inks, oil bars, charcoal, pencil and acrylic paints, watercolours. We will look at works by David Hockney and Jim Dine.
8. Painted portraits. Using paints, students will spend time learning how to mix colour for skin tones and working out composition in sketchbooks before moving on to scaling up onto card or canvas, blocking in areas of colour, building surface, adding detail, correcting and creating character.
9. Develop brushwork and paint mixing.
10. Self-portrait using a personal choice of materials and considering how other artists have approached this- e.g.Rubens, Rembrandt, Alice Neel and Lucien Freud.
11. Make page(s) of investigations in sketchbook or paper- concentrated looking at particular areas of the head- an eye, an ear, the area from nose to top lip-this will reinforce your understanding of the anatomy of any 'problem areas'.
12. Finish will informal group discussion and critique.
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 course, 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 and their associated movements to engender a contextual awareness. Students are expected to demonstrate how their research has informed their work through annotated sketchbooks, a visual digital journal and practical outcomes.
The Directed Study Plan will include preparing evidence of research and practical work to form an appropriate presentation for assessment.
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
Use a visual sketchbook / journal to research, record and reflect, showing a basic understanding of the proportion, form and anatomy of the human head, supported by contextual references.
Demonstrate an appropriate and confident approach in working with a range of drawing and painting materials to explore the form of the human head and portrait within a compositional framework.
Select, edit and present a coherent body of visual studies of drawings, paintings and mixed media works, which demonstrate an informed and individual response.
Recommended:
MARSH, R., 1970. Anatomy for artists: London, Dover.
HOCKNEY, D. 2006, Portraits. New Haven, CT:Yale University Press.
FREUD, L., 2012, Painting People. National Portrait Gallery, London
Journal and periodicals:
Modern Painters
Freize
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
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.
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.
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.