Overview
Learn and apply the skills and technical knowledge of the artists who trained and worked in the time of Leonardo da Vinci. Over the six sessions you will obtain the essential skills and theoretical understanding which enables Renaissance artists to practice their craft. By combining the dynamic and creative approach of the masters with the foundational theory of Renaissance art and design, you will develop the ability to draw more confidently and achieve greater artistic proficiency and discipline. This course introduces and explains how Renaissance artists drew the human figure and head in proportion and how they understood the intrinsic design of the human form. You will gain this knowledge to be better able to draw from life and to design from your own intuition. You will also learn the principles of perspective, light and dark, and the application of varying linear qualities to represent the likeness of a subject with sensitivity.
You will learn:
- The proportions and design of the human head and face
- The proportions and design of the human figure
- How to draw hands and feet
- How to use and apply linear perspective
- The principles 0f chiaroscuro: the dynamics of shadow and light
- How to draw with linear sensitivity
Course Structure
Class 1 – Drawing the Human Head and Face: the design of the features and the proportions of the head
Class 2 – Drawing the Human Figure: the parts and their proportion within the whole
Class 3 – Hands and Feet: their structure and design
Class 4 – Chiaroscuro: giving substance and relief to a form
Class 5 – Shapes and Forms in Perspective: representing three dimensions and space
Class 6 – The Dynamic Figure: naturalism and beauty in the expressive body
Suitability
This course introduces the essential skills of Renaissance drawing and is suitable for both people with drawing experience who wish to bring an historical, Renaissance grounding into their approach, and people with little or no experience. The course covers a the elemental topics which are essential to an understanding of how the Renaissance masters drew and will inform and inspire positive creative development for anyone seeking to imbue their drawing with the same principles enacted in the work of artists like Leonardo. As the second course in the Discover Renaissance Drawing category, it is the recommended course for those seeking to learn more about Renaissance design theory and if you are seeking an introductory course in drawing.
You Will Need:
Pencils (F, HB) or a Silverpoint Stylus (with paper prepared for silverpoint or a boxwood tablet)
White or off-white paper and tinted paper (your preferred colours)
