Fine Art – Drawing & Painting – Painting Processes – Intermediate

This is and intermediate non-accredited course. Students will be exposed to painting in a contemporary art setting. This course is not suited to beginners students should have completed an introductory drawing/painting course with CEAD or another college of further education. Students with little painting experience but who have taken graphic design and drawing courses and those who have learnt watercolours would be suited to the course. The aim of the course is to equip students with the skills to paint pictures mindful of the contemporary art world.

The initial classes of the course include a revision of the properties of paint and the basic methods. As the course progresses, more complicated processes are added. Acrylic paint, and to a lesser extent, oil paint, is used. Watercolours are not covered. The course consists of a series of exercises and projects. In exercises, the tutor will give a demonstration of a technique. Projects are a time to put techniques to work while developing and realising a concept from the students sketchbook.

The techniques covered are glazing, alla prima,under and overpainting , washes, drybrush, impasto and sgraffito. The subject matter of projects is largely the students choice and topics such as aerial perspective, night scenes, abstraction of natural motifs and skin tones for portraiture are covered. Only a small part of the course will be painted from life. It is important that students use the sketchbook to observe their surroundings and gather an archive of sources that interest them. Students should also keep an open mind as to the outcome of the development of an idea and be prepared to experiment.