Drawing: Beginners to Intermediate
Always wanted to know how to draw? Well why not join this fun, relaxed course? We will cover many topics including basic shapes, shading and drawing from subjects including a Life Model. This course provides an introduction to a range of drawing skills and materials required to produce representational drawings. Fun and challenging exercises will encourage students to develop their skills and personal style in a supportive learning environment.
Students will draw from still-life arrangements in the studio to tune their observation skills, establish proportions, explore tone and shading, create mood and investigate ways to create the illusion of space in their drawings. Fun and relaxing, this drawing course for beginners is accessible to anyone wanting to explore their creative potential.
Course Outline:
- Drawing basic shapes
- Using shading
- Drawing from an assembled still life
- Drawing subjects: Flora and Fauna
- Drawing with perspective: Bring along a photograph of a street at your favourite holiday destination, or an image of an interesting building
- Drawing people and portraits: Participants will discuss the rules of proportion of the human body and begin to look at features of the face, ending in a complete portrait study from a photo of their choice
- Life drawing: Towards the end of the course you will be able to put your newly found skills to the test by drawing a life model
What to Bring:
Participants need to bring the following materials to their first class of this drawing course:
- Drawing pads (A3 size).
- A range of pencils: HB, 2B 4B, 6B and a pencil sharpener.
- White hard Staedtler erasers.
In addition to these materials you will need to bring along some photographs to use as subject matter:
- A sample of plants or flowers, either real or photographs.
- Photographs of animals and birds or favourite pets.
- Photographs of buildings, streetscapes, favourite holiday destinations, anything that shows a building in perspective.
- Photographs of people, family members or ancestors.
- Additional materials / other media will be discussed the first day.
If you are unable to source all of the items please do not worry. Bring along what you can to the first session and John can help you source any items you could not find/purchase. Black or White watercolour paints are not needed.
Please Note: NBMC is not liable to for any loss incurred if a class is cancelled please check with the college by calling 02) 9970 1000 or emailing enquiries@nbMc.nsw.edu.au before purchasing materials.
Recommended Art Suppliers
Local Suppliers
Eckersley's Arts and Craft Brookvale
1/648 Pittwater Rd, Brookvale
Ph: 02 8058 9491
The Art Shop
12/20 Bungan St, Mona Vale
Ph: 02 9979 6559
Manly Art Supplies
8 Belgrave St, Manly
Ph: 02 9977 4107
Riot Arts and Crafts
Westfield Warringah Mall, Brookvale
Ph: 02 9905 0910
About the Tutor:
John Wells
John Wells has a Foundation and Pre Diploma from the Rochester College of Art, a Diploma in Art and Design (First Class Honours) from Brighton College of Art and Design and a Master of Fine Art Degree from Reading University. John is a professional artist, and produces murals and works in trompe l’oeil for clients as diverse as Meriton Apartments and Fox Studios. John has extensive teaching experience in the adult education sector.
Mark Kingston
Mark’s education includes a Bachelor of Visual Art degree from Sydney University and a Master of Art degree from the University of New South Wales. His teaching experience includes lecturing at TAFE as part of the Visual Art program and at JMC Academy as part of a Bachelor of Creative Arts degree.
Mark is one of Australia’s most talented realist oil painters. His attention to detail, exquisite painting technique and love of colour has made his work popular with art collectors and the general public. With over 40 group and solo shows across Australia, his paintings have been acquired by corporate collections such as the Roche Group and White Lotus.
His work has been featured in ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’, ‘The Sun Herald’ and ‘The Daily Telegraph’ newspapers. His work has repeatedly been showcased on the cover of and as a feature article in the ‘Australian Artist Magazine’. He has also had articles written about his work in ‘Belle Magazine’, ‘Australian Road Rider Magazine’, ‘Peninsula Magazine’ and ‘24 Hours Magazine’.
Mark has been chosen as a finalist in an impressive list of prestigious art prizes, including the Mortimer Art Prize, Hills Grammar Art Award, ANL Maritime Art Prize and as one of ten finalists exhibited on the Museum of Contemporary Arts online gallery.
<p>Always wanted to know how to draw? Well why not join this fun, relaxed course? We will cover many topics including basic shapes, shading and drawing from subjects including a Life Model. This
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Course testimonials:
- Friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Loved the structure of the course. Short introduction to the basics. Time to put theory into practise. Lots of warm support and help. Just brilliant! Thank you
- John, Did a fantastic job, he is a great teacher and obviously a very proficient artist with an excellent sense of humour and very helpful. I found the course extremely rewarding and beneficial for me and my increasing talent as an artist. I will definitely come back next year and do the water colour course with him. So overall very happy, you could not employ a better teacher for art than John, well done Northern Beaches College. Kind Regards Steve
- Great teacher. Well taught with simple to understand methodology. Good facilities.
- John Wells is a very personable, experienced and knowledgeable artist/teacher. He is extremely generous with his knowledge and his classes were very enjoyable. I learnt a lot. Thank you.
- This is a great foundation course, going from basic techniques to portrait and life drawing. As you learn to draw, you might then want to go on with the course in watercolours, also led by John Wells.
- I love learning. John is an excellent teacher. He has such a wealth of knowledge and experience. He's an amazing talented man and I feel privileged and very lucky to be one of his students.
- I actually produced some drawings from class 1! I was surprised and very pleased by how competent they seemed given I am a person who has always said "I can't draw."
- John Wells was an excellent trainer, knowledgeable, helpful and best of all great fun.
- Using the techniques I was taught I am now much more confident about drawing and happy to show the end result to family and friends.
- After a very long time of not having art in my life ,it's just great to be back drawing again. To be guided by a competent teacher who enjoys his vocation. I am hopeful that my tuition will re start next term.