I have recently relocated to London and decided to join a local Art Class. I have been lucky enough to find one of the best Art Schools in the area - with years and years of history, I have embarked on a journey with Putney School of Art & Design.
They have a lot of courses to choose from throughout the week: Painting, Drawing Life drawing, Portraiture, Watercolours, Oil Painting, Charcoals, Mixed Media...
I have chosen to take the course drawing and painting Portraits for 12 weeks on a Saturday. I was nervous the first week, it had been around 35 years since I had been in any Art class! The rain was pouring down and there was every excuse to bail out and decide not to go, but I put my hood up and walked a few streets with a bag, carrying some pencils and a couple of sketch pads.
The classroom felt homely, for me as an artist to be in a proper art studio with easels, a painty sink, oil paintings drying in racks on the wall and many pieces of student's art around the walls of the building - I was very comfortable from the moment I arrived.
My first week was back to basics and I did a pencil sketch of the model. The teacher was very helpful and I learned a lot about observation, light and shading already in the first week. I actually felt quite proud to leave school that evening and come home with a finished piece.
The class is a mixed bunch of ability with some people painting and some drawing. I was encouraged by the tutor to go outside of my comfort zone and as this model is with us for 3 weeks, I have decided to give Oil Painting a try. This is a media I have never used before, the finished sketch (from week one) and the midway oil painting are featured below (from week two) - I will come back and add the final oil painting when it's finished. I felt proud to place my piece on the oil painting drying rack and leave at the end of the lesson.
I have enjoyed trying out something new and may continue with oil paints for the course - watch this space!!!!
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