Painting and drawing dialogues: material properties of the medium

What is the course about?

Giving yourself over to a medium can lead you to unexpected and fertile creative territory. By exploring the essential qualities of drawing and painting materials and how to work between these to maximise their effect, you will create depictions that are influenced as much by the medium, as the world you observe.

What will we cover?

• Use direct and indirect observation to explore abstract marks, gesture and composition.
• Create an open-ended working dialogue between each medium.
• Reflect on the medium of light in relation to visual perception.
• Establish a tool kit to progress from group workshops to explorations of more individual subject matter.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

• Expand the possibilities of each medium by utilising the contrasts in the material qualities and processes.
• Utilise each medium to “think through making.”
• Use drawing as a means of decision-making and problem-solving.
• Make use of possible affinities and distinctions between painted and drawn marks, how this offers a different perspective on each practice.
• Discuss and evaluate the progress of your work.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This is an intermediate level course, intended for those with some painting or drawing experience (e.g. Painting 2, Drawing 2) or those who wish to explore the relationship between the two disciplines.

You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion. You should be able to use numbers and be able to do simple measurements and calculations.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Each session workshops a distinct aspect of the dialogue between painting and drawing, creating an atmosphere to support shared experimentation and discussion. The individual strands of thought arising, will be increasingly drawn together, but you will also be encouraged to make your own links between workshops.
The course offers:
• Practical structured projects
• Group discussion and evaluations
• One to one guidance
• Presentations on the work of selected artists

This course is supported by Google Classroom as a Virtual Learning Environment, where you will be able to access course material, presentations, and handouts etc.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

All materials required are provided.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

This is one of a suite of Painting and Drawing Dialogues courses. Taking further modules will expand your experience and confidence with cross-disciplinary working and prepare you for higher level study in the City Lit’s Advanced Practice area.