Drawing and Painting 101 - Andy Taylor

Perfect for beginners and those looking to return to the art, this course explores a variety of techniques

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About the course

All levels of expertise are welcome, from complete beginners to more advanced artists looking to improve their range of skills and techniques. The groups work in a wide variety of materials and methods.

Starting with drawing exercises and techniques to make your initial drawings crisp and accurate, we look at a variety of techniques including:

• Drawing from life
• The human form
• Landscape

In turn, you'll develop your skills to produce great images and build up to effective watercolour techniques.

Course Itinerary

1. A study drawn using the squaring up technique. One colour study in Indian ink. 2 weeks
2. A study drawn from life using the pencil/rule. Finishing up with Conte crayon. 2 weeks
3. An analysis of the human face and figure, breaking it down into geometric shapes for guidance. 2 weeks
4. A limited palette watercolour in two colours only. 2 weeks
5. A full colour palette watercolour in well balanced well mixed colours. 2 weeks

Recommended Materials

Week 1-6

• Set of Pencils HB, 2B, 4B
• A3 Paper, Daler yellow/red cover white Cartridge paper would be good,
• 12 inch ruler.
• Staedler white eraser, or putty rubber
• Windsor and Newton Black Indian ink,
• Windsor and Newton Pure Sable or Cotman brushes.
• 6mm Chisel, Daler Sable or Graduate range for a cheap alternative.
• No. 4 round brush (pointed shape), No.6 round brush

Week 7 onwards

• A set of Watercolours- Windsor and Newton Cotman set of 12,
• Quality Watercolour paper (A3) Hot pressed or Not (Cold Pressed)
• Langton, Cotman, Saunder Waterford or SAA practice paper, Not
• A slightly larger than A3 Drawing board (Artcoe recommended)
• Gumstrip for stretching paper onto board

About the Tutor

I have been involved in the teaching of Art and Design for many years. Some of this involved the delivery of courses at a number of FE colleges, mostly within the area of Graphic Design, but also more general Art and Design courses. I was course leader on the Foundation course at Cleveland College of Art and Design, based in Hartlepool.

For the last 12 years I have been teaching various Drawing and Painting courses around County Durham.The students vary in their abilities but have all benefitted from my challenging and effective approach towards Art. We have covered a great deal of ground within our classes and the student's work has improved greatly in terms of flexibilty and technique.

I always feel that you get out of a subject what you put in. Art can be a hard taskmaster in this way. I set the students challenging projects, stretching them as they pursue new techniques and skills. Many students have stayed with me a long time, growing and developing their skills in Drawing and Painting. Art is so diverse that an Artist is never the finished product, myself included.

Colour and Creation

I have always drawn from an early age, feeling quite natural picking up implements with which to make interesting marks. Later I became obsessed by the technical aspects of drawing and painting, an obsession that stays with me to this day.

I am always looking at different landscapes and an array of other subjects with an eye for how they could be rendered creatively.

I love to use light in a creative fashion within my paintings to set a mood and atmosphere. I try to make my paintings into dreamlike worlds, places where you can disappear into the imagination.

Looking at a subject may seem such a universal thing to do. Everybody has their own experiences and perceptions of the world. But we have only to look at how some of the greatest artists have responded to similar subjects and we can see that there are as many approaches to art as there are people.

Figurative Art, of a recognisable image is often dependent on the play of light on a subject and this can change your perception and the mood of the piece in an instant. Think of the same scene taken in the early morning and then early evening and the different qualities that it evokes. I like to look at what happens to a subject when you look almost directly at the light.

You notice unconventional bubbles of light and effects that change the colours and fray the edges of what you are looking at. The quality and angle of light can cast shadows and create hidden colours. I have heard the phrase ‘Looking at the music of painting’ which means simply the design of the piece when seen on the side or upside down. If a piece of work pleases the eye when not seen as a picture, but as a satisfying design containing colour, shape and tone then it makes for a more rich visual effect.

I have previously exhibited at the DLI museum in Durham and the Darlington Railway Museum. I am always looking to exhibit my paintings further and to hear from people regarding commissions of Artwork.