The Fundamentals of Drawing - Summer Term

with Sophie Newnham

This course introduces and develops essential drawing skills through a series of focused projects. Students will explore the fundamentals of observation, proportion, tone, and composition while working from still life, portrait, and landscape subjects. Using a range of materials including pencil, inks, charcoal, chalk, and pastels, participants will learn how to create depth, texture, and expressive form in their drawings. The course encourages both technical development and personal interpretation, building confidence through guided exercises and completed studies.

Beginners to Intermediate

Booking page

Course Dates Summer Term

Wednesdays 12:45-3:15pm

22, 29 April

6, 13, 20 May

(Half Term 27 May)

3, 10, 17, 24 June

1, 8, 15 July

Course Programme

Still Life (22 April - 13 May)

Focus: Observation, composition, and understanding form through still life arrangements. Referencing work by Morandi and Schjerfbeck.

Materials: Sketchbooks, graphite, charcoal and coloured pencils.

Week 1: Introduction to observation - capturing shape and proportion.

Week 2: Building volume through tone - shading techniques in pencil to give form and depth to natural forms.

Week 3: Exploring composition - drawing objects within a still life;

Week 4: Negative space and relationships between forms- developing a finished still life composition using mixed media.

Students will develop skills in observation, proportion, volume, and composition, learning to see and draw objects in space with balance and expression. We will learn how to build tone and introduce colour.

Morandi

The Human Form and character of the sitter (20 May - 17 June)

Focus: Using colour and line to create mood and give character to the sitter. Referencing work by Schjerfbeck and and Schiele.

Materials: Sketchbooks, graphite, coloured pencils, pastels.

Week 1 – Exploring basic body proportions and identifying the central axis of the figure. Students will block in a simple standing clothed figure using clear, structural shapes.

Week 2 – Focus on how clothing sits on the body and follows its underlying form. We will observe shapes and folds while maintaining a strong sense of structure.

Week 3 – Looking at posture and weight distribution, introducing more character through stance and gesture. Students will explore how colour can influence mood and atmosphere within the figure.

Week 4 –Thoughtfully adding colour to create mood and strengthen the presence and character of the clothed human form.

Schjerfbeck

Architecture & Landscapes (24 June - 15 July)

Materials: Sketchbooks, graphite, coloured pencils, pastels. Inspiration: Hammershoi & Diebenkorn

Week 1 – Interior Space & Light- pencil studies exploring simple interior spaces, focusing on angles, doorways, and the way light falls into a room. Inspired by Hammershøi, students will consider how subtle tonal shifts create atmosphere.

Week 2 – Angles, Space & Colour- developing confidence in observing the angles within a room and arranging them into a balanced composition. Colour will be used to suggest depth and quiet mood within architectural space.

Week 3 – Landscape, Planes & Horizon- we’ll explore landscape through simplified planes of colour and strong horizon lines. Looking to Richard Diebenkorn, we consider how structure and layered colour define space.

Week 4 – Built Form in the Landscape- combining architecture and landscape in a resolved composition. Emphasis is placed on using colour and spatial awareness to create light, depth, and a clear sense of place.