Painting from plants and flowers
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- Course Code: VH954
- Dates: 03/06/24 - 01/07/24
- Time: 10:00 - 13:00
- Taught: Mon, Daytime
- Duration: 5 sessions (over 5 weeks)
- Location: Keeley Street
- Tutor: Ro Sylvester
Course Code: VH954
Choose a start date
Duration: 5 sessions (over 5 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?
You will be introduced to a selection of different painting media and techniques to describe and observe plants and flowers through inventive mark-making, mixing colour and working to different scale. You will be encouraged to take an experimental approach taking inspiration from a variety of exciting contemporary artists.
What will we cover?
We will look at the history and techniques of painting flowers and plants working from a wide variety of materials including gouache and watercolour plus soft pastels and acrylic paint.
Each week we will look at different artist techniques to inspire a personal response.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Apply skills in observational study using paint.
- Use colour, tone, and texture to communicate different characteristics of natural forms
- Confidently select and simplify complex forms
- Develop personal compositions and interpretations
-mix colour
- make use of inventive mark making
- work on different scales.
- Work on a variety of coloured grounds and textures.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
Beginners are welcome but some experience of drawing or painting is useful.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Group and one to one tuition, demonstrations and looking at images from other artists. The course will be hands on, with a bit of discussion to facilitate understanding. The use of a sketchbook to record your thoughts and develop your work will be encouraged, and basic research methods discussed.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You are welcome to bring a plant or a bunch of flowers to share with the group.
All basic art materials will be provided.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
You can progress onto a variety of observational painting courses such as 'Painting 2' or any of the life painting courses, for example, 'Expressionist life painting' Alternatively, you may wish to explore working form the imagination on a course such as 'Painting and the creative imagination.
Ro Sylvester is a veteran of film and theatre, having made costume and props for productions such as ‘Hellraiser’ and ‘Legend’ back in the ‘80s. She ran a costume studio in Covent Garden for some time, supplying the Opera House and other West End Theatres with costumes and props. Ro also made many props and costumes for pop videos including Eddie Grant, Supertramp and New Order. From the early ‘90s, she worked in secondary and 6th form teaching, delivering exam courses in Design Technology, Textiles, Graphics, Computer Graphics and Model Making. Having retired from secondary teaching in 2017, Ro has worked to private commission in retail display, commercials and theatre. She has also worked as a tutor at City Lit, teaching; Model Making, Prop Making, Perspective, Pastel drawing and general creativity skills. She continues to create bespoke lightweight jewellery, window displays and props for theatre and film. Ro runs a lively and fast moving classroom, helping students to explore their potential and progress onto other courses where applicable. You can see much of her work and that of her students on her website.
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.