The course is over two days and aims at encouraging an expressive and individual approach to life drawing while working with movement observation, structure, shape and composition. Our first day will give you the chance to work from short and long poses and figure composition. The following day we have the rare opportunity to work with a wonderful dancer where you will be helped to gain confidence in finding ways to express movement through feeling, construction and composition. You will be encouraged to work with a variety of media and approaches to drawing and painting. You will be encouraged to show and discuss your work with other members of the class and consider the relevance of our practice to our daily lives and vice versa.
Course aim
The course aims at helping students to develop an expressive and individual approach to life drawing while developing empathy, observational skills and structure in drawing.
Do I need any particular skills or experience?
- This course is suitable for beginners and improvers
- Some experience of observational drawing would be desirable but no experience of life drawing is necessary.
By the end of the course I should be able to:
- Make a drawing demonstrating structure and form
- Demonstrate the use of a variety of materials
- Construct a figure composition
- Demonstrate movement in your drawing or painting
- Show and discuss your work with the rest of the class.
How will I be taught?
- The WEA tutor will use a range of different teaching and learning methods and encourage you and the group to be actively involved in your learning
- You may be asked to undertake additional work in your own time to support your learning
- You may be asked to undertake a short research project in your own time to be discussed with the class.
What kind of feedback can I expect?
- A range of informal activities will be used by the tutor to see what you are learning which may include quizzes, question and answer, small projects and discussion
- You will have opportunities to discuss your progress with your tutor
- You will be encouraged to share your work with the group and discuss your learning
- You will be encouraged to consider other students work and give your opinions and suggestions
- A file of work will be kept which will help to record your progress
What else do I need to know?
- Please bring an easel, an A 1 or A 2 drawing board and drawing and painting materials e.g. pencils, charcoal, pastels, acrylic or oil paint. Some A 1 size paper white cartridge paper will be provided.
Pre-course work, reading and information sources
- No pre reading is required but research on the subject on the internet or in the library may be helpful
What can I do next?
- Progress to another WEA course
- Progress to a course with another provider
- Become involved with the WEA in a range of voluntary work and other activities including campaigning as a WEA member
- Become involved as a volunteer for a WEA partner or another organisation
- You could progress to Higher Education courses. Follow link to the PEARL website for information http://pearl.open.ac.uk/
- Access the WEA What Next? booklet here http://www.wea.org.uk/learn-wea/what-can-i-do-next
Download full course information sheet







