1. Most sessions started with several short "warm-up" exercise drawing and rubbing down, in most cases using charcoal, until we had something we were happy with, and could work this into a final picture. In most cases we worked on an A1 size sheet of paper.
2. We looked at various ways of measuring the figure, and how to approach this through the concept of a space frame. If the measurements indicated something was wrong with your drawing you would rub-down the problem area and re-draw...don't try and get away with leaving something in the drawing that you know to be not quite right... e.g. under emphasising the foreshortening.
3. Squinting to better understand the tonal qualities of what we where seeing was encouraged..however black and white pastel was only introduced at the end stage... Last twenty minutes of a 3 hour session.
4. Rubber used as a positive drawing tool to carve out highlights from the support that was often completely covered with charcoal due the numerous warm up sketches and re workings.
A2
5. Had to consider placement of the figure on the paper and be conscious not only of the figure but also of the composition.
6. The drawings should not the hide the process from which they have been created, evidence of re-worked areas in final piece may work in the pictures favour.
7. Later half of the course we worked with layers of ink washes over both initial pencil and or charcoal drawings of the figure.
8. Life drawing but the figure works better when the setting /background are included/defined . Give the work a feel of being complete (as opposed to a figure floating in space), again helps with the composition.
9. Paint used to pick out the highlights of the mattress and in some cases highlights and dark tones where mapped rather than completed blocked-in...another visual language which helped pull out areas that may have become flattened as the drawing evolved
A0
10. Also worked on two drawings at the same time, switching between the two. Can time spend on one drawing help to inform how you continue with the other, and or stop you obsessing over one detail in one picture.
11. Also encouraged to look at other students work and comment on what works, initially the good points, followed by what would the drawing benefit from. (e.g. less or more detail in the background).
A0
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