An introduction to art history: form and materials
Time: 11:00 - 13:00
Location: Keeley Street
This course has now started
- Course Code: VB985
- Dates: 04/10/24 - 29/11/24
- Time: 11:00 - 13:00
- Taught: Fri, Daytime
- Duration: 8 sessions (over 9 weeks)
- Location: Keeley Street
- Tutor: Elizabeth Eyres
Course Code: VB985
Duration: 8 sessions (over 9 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
On this course you will analyse selected artworks in terms of their various formal elements and the choices artists and sculptors made when producing these pieces. We will look at the materials, techniques and processes used by artists and sculptors, and the visual elements that are used collectively in a work to create a finished piece: composition, pictorial space and perspective (creating an illusion of depth), the choice of colour palette, use of light and tone (value), shape and form, the use of line, the creation of texture, use of pattern, and how artists create a sense of movement in their artworks.
You will discover how paint and other art materials are made and how the choice of medium affects the appearance of a piece of art. You will learn about colour theory and discover how this has influenced artists both in their choice of palette and how they juxtapose colour. You will examine artworks to discover how artists create emphasis and balance or disharmony through the way they compose images. You will discover how artists can create and illusion of space and depth on a flat surface. We shall also look at how prints are made and how different techniques, such as relief printing, etching, engraving and lithography, affect the appearance of prints.
What will we cover?
• You will learn to analyse selected artworks in terms of their various formal elements
• You will discover how the choice of paint types and other media affect the appearance of a piece of art
• You will discover how artists compose images, and how they can create an illusion of space and depth on a flat surface
• We shall investigate what governs that visual qualities of sculpture and prints.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
· Analyse any artwork in terms of its formal elements
· Describe how key artworks were made
· Identify the materials, techniques and processes used in key artworks and explain how they affect the appearance of the finished piec.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for all levels.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information. You will be invited to take part in group discussion.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught with lecture, slide presentations, activities and group discussions. You will also carry out practical activities on provided photocopies of artworks. Handouts will be provided by your tutor to support your learning on the course; these handouts will be available online/digitally for download via the college’s Google Classroom. You will be sent an invitation to join Google Classroom within a week of the course start date. Please note: the tutor is unable to send documents via email because of copyright and data protection restrictions.
This course includes a visit to the National Gallery in the final week. Further information related to this visit will be discussed in class. Please note that museum/gallery-based courses take place during public access hours. Tutors are not able to control sound levels or behaviours of visitors outside of the course group. Unless you are a wheelchair user, and have confirmed access details with us (as levels of access can vary between galleries), you will need to be able to walk between exhibits and stand for some time while looking at them (you may bring your own portable stool if you have one, but we cannot guarantee access to any gallery stools.) If you feel you may be impacted by these environmental variations, please inform the department on humanities@citylit.ac.uk before the course begins, to discuss reasonable accommodations we can make to assist your learning in the museum space.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Please bring a 30cm ruler and something to write with. You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list provided.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Textiles: an international history
A day at the V&A: an introduction to the collections
Ways into advanced art history: beauty and form.
Liz Keevill Eyres worked as a textile designer in the fashion industry for four years and then as a magazine journalist specializing in interior design for 13 years. Her first degree was at Camberwell School of Art which she did at the same time as completing a degree in History and Art History with the Open University. Liz studied and has taught at Kingston University, where she lead modules and lectured in history of art, design history and architecture for ten years and ran study visits both at home and abroad. Liz has researched into English Modernist textile design of the 1950s and the professional practice of the provincial Edwardian architect, in particular Norwich-based architect George Skipper.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.