Painting and drawing dialogues: performance and the body

What is the course about?

Your body leaves unique imprints of its movement in drawn and painted surfaces which are registered in distinct ways. Becoming more conscious of how your physical gestures impact your use of different materials will give you access to expanded methods of creating work, through group workshops to explorations of more individual subject matter.

What will we cover?

• How you can change the relationship to your work by becoming more conscious of your physical gestures.
• Exploring pace, duration and scale in painting and drawing to heighten the ‘performance’ of making.
• Using moving image, you will be invited to draw ‘with’ and ‘to’ camera, to choreograph your body’s movement when drawing or painting.

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

• Expand the creative possibilities of painting and drawing by utilising the performative act of making.
• Make use of the natural velocity of mark making and how changes in scale alter how the body is used when you draw and paint.
• Utilise ‘seeing’ as a self-consciously bodily act and understand how this affects your relationship with drawing and painting.
• Unpick the archaeology of a painted/drawn surface as an alternative way of responding to images.
• Discuss and evaluate the progress of your work.

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

This is an intermediate course, intended for those with some painting or drawing experience, or those who wish to explore the relationship between the two disciplines.

You should be able to follow verbal and written instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information. You may be encouraged to take short written notes for your own use and take part in group discussions.

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.