DRAWING FROM NATURE | EDEL CAMPBELL
Dates: Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th May
Times: 10am - 4pm
Location: Russborough
Skill Level: all levels welcome
Please see detailed workshop information below
If this course is fully booked or not currently scheduled, go ahead add your name to the waiting list HERE
Payment plans available contact us directly
aBOUT THE WORKSHOP
This weekend workshop offers time and space to explore drawing in the relaxed and beautiful setting of Russborough House working between the indoor studio and outdoors on the grounds, drawing from the landscape, plants, and natural forms.
The workshop will begin with an informal look at how different artists approach drawing from nature, setting the context for students own explorations. A key focus of the weekend is the idea of drawing as a way of paying attention—how the act of seeing and drawing can help us understand the world around us in a new way.
Throughout the weekend, we will work with a range of materials such as charcoal, pencil, and ink pen, and experiment with techniques including line drawing, shading, and different forms of mark-making. We will pay particular attention to the way that each approach brings its own qualities and possibilities.
Sessions will include simple warm-up exercises—gesture, movement, and expressive marks—to loosen up and become more responsive to what we see. Participants will work on both large and small scales, allowing time for slower studies as well as quick impressions.
As part of these exercises, students will make their own concertina sketchbooks to bring outdoors for a drawing walk, using them to gather observations directly from the environment capturing changes in pace, atmosphere, and attention.
We will finish the weekend with a short group discussion, offering a chance to share work, talk about process, and reflect on what has been learned over the course both days.
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· How to work confidently with materials such as charcoal, pencil, and ink pen, and how each can shape the character of a drawing
· A range of drawing techniques, including line work, shading, gesture drawing, and different forms of mark-making
· Approaches to warming up through movement-based and expressive drawing exercises
· How to work at both large and small scales, and how scale influences the pace and intention of drawing
· How to create and use a concertina sketchbook as both a portable recording tool and a way of telling the visual story of a walk or journey
· Ways of drawing outdoors - responding to changing light, weather, and surroundings
· How to gain insights into your own work through listening and responding to feedback in a constructive group discussion
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Willow charcoal
White chalk
Artist’s blending stumps (optional)
Ink pen (fine liner/artist’s pen)
Putty rubber
Pencil sharpener
Toned paper (grey or Tan) A3 approx 6 sheets
Pencils 2b 4b 6b
One pointed watercolour brush medium sized (approx 3-5mm thick)
Sketch pad - A3 watercolour 300/350 gm
Small jar with lid (for water)
Print-stick glue
Craft knife
Small portable chair/stool (optional)
