Painting Landscapes and Figures in Landscapes
with Nick Archer
This course explores a mixture of contemporary and traditional approaches to painting and will involve elements of drawing, printmaking, collage, and photography alongside painting to explore different approaches to image making. The starting point will be to create a transcription of a painting of your choice, a painting you love, preferably a landscape painting or a painting of figures in a landscape. The only stipulation being it is a painting that dates before the 20th Century. The final outcome will be to produce a painting which may include any of the mediums above using historical reference (your chosen painting) photographs, memory and drawing as reference material to create the work.
The course is divided into 3 x 4-week blocks.
This twelve week term is recommended for students interested in contemporary methods and for those seeking mentoring on their own projects: the course materials are a means to inspire and stimulate them in their work.
Course Details
Module One (9, 16, 23 & 30 January)
In the first block you will choose a painting to do a transcription of. Initially you will copy the painting. In doing so you will explore and learn about colour, composition, and techniques of paint application. Whilst exploring these techniques you will also be asked to analyse what drew you to the painting in the first place. What qualities does is have that appeal to you.
Students who wish to pursue their own projects may include the above as they wish, or they may continue to work in their own way with Nick mentoring as required.
Both Van Gogh and Gauguin were known to have copied Japanese prints and adopted what they had learnt into the language of their painting
Module Two (6, 13, 20 & 27 February)
In the second block you will be asked to make your own interpretation of the painting you have chosen. This will entail you not copying the painting but using the techniques you have learned in weeks 1 – 4 to create your own image using other reference you may introduce via photographs, drawings etc. You will be asked to explore what the painting means to you. Many artists do transcriptions of paintings and below are some examples including some of my own. Some of these paintings are close to the originals, others appear to have little similarity at first glance.
Students who wish to pursue their own projects may include the above as they wish, or they may continue to work in their own way with Nick mentoring as required.
Brueghel
Module Three (5, 12, 19 & 26 March)
Printmaking – The final block will focus on making a series of prints from the images you have created. With the use of the press, we will be using monoprinting, collography and dry point. You will learn the techniques needed for these processes and explore which process works best to create a series of prints from your final painting.
Students who wish to pursue their own projects may include the above as they wish, or they may continue to work in their own way with Nick mentoring as required.
Degas monotype
Rembrandt drypoint
Reviews for Nick Archer:
“Nick Archer is a very supportive and encouraging tutor, who guides each of us to develop his/her own style. However, far from letting us “run wild,” he is first-rate at ensuring we properly observe, analyse, see correctly, and learn, when relevant, to use colour and tone. All this applies equally to his life drawing and painting classes. Having appreciated that you have grasped the basics, Nick will help you branch out and run wild if you wish!”
— Alison R Noyes
“Nick Archer has a wealth of technical knowledge combined with an ability to stretch the boundaries of what is possible. Always supportive and willing to give constructive advice and feedback were required. I can't recommend his classes enough.”
—Helen Rawlinson
Nick Archer
Nick trained at the Royal Academy Schools in London (1996-1999) and is a BP Portrait Prize finalist. He was a member of the Royal Society of Portrait painters from 2000 – 2008. He has won several awards, including 1st at the Hunting Art Prize in 2001. He has exhibited extensively in the UK and Europe since 1999, including solo exhibitions with Louise Alexander Gallery (Porto Cervo, Italy), Sarah Myerscough Fine Art (London), Long and Ryle (London), Galerie Hug (Paris), Gowen Contemporary (Geneva) and with Christine Park (New York).
Nick is represented in London by Long and Ryle, in New York by Christine Park and in Geneva by Gowen Contemporary.
He is well established as an international artist and teacher, with a busy schedule of exhibitions and commissions.