This course starts off with a short experimental drawing workshop to loosen things up. We then take a quick dive through the history of landscape painting and landscape art with a short slide presentation. This will be followed by a virtual walking tour in which you will sketch your way through an unfolding sequence of images. The drawings created during these two morning exercises can then become the basis for more developed works created over the course of the afternoon and the following day.

The aims of the course are:

• To give you the opportunity to re-evaluate your own relationship with landscapes, both real and fictional, by making work which doesn’t conform to the normal principles of landscape composition. The approaches will hopefully create a discursive atmosphere in which all participants can share their experiences about landscapes and places that are meaningful to them
• To give you a basic understanding of the historical context of landscape art whilst encouraging you to challenge these traditional principles in the work you make during the course. We will discuss concepts such as the Picturesque, the Sublime and other ideas associated with the landscape genre before looking at how these permeate our visual culture to this day
• To give you the chance to try making work in a range of media, with particular focus on layering imagery to create more complex and unpredictable compositions

You can leave aside any inhibitions about making abstract or representational work; you will be using representational source images as starting points, but you can take the work in a variety of directions thereafter.

The outcomes are to give you the chance to create unconventional compositions and intriguing images which give you the opportunity to try new media and techniques in diverse ways.

Included

The College will provide some paper for you to work on, masking tape and a soft graphite stick.

What students need to bring

Any drawing or water-based media you are keen to work with. This could include pencils, crayons, markers, inks, watercolour paint, gouache paint, acrylic paint, coloured paper and glue for collage. Your own brushes and painting equipment such as palette knives and mixing pots (plastic tray palettes are available for you to use).

Non-water-based paint (i.e. oil paint) can be used but may not be suitable for all aspects of this course. If working in oil-based paint, you should bring your own paint, brushes and mediums (only studio safe solvent is permitted such as Zest-it).

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes).

Daily Timetable

Course teaching 11am–5.15pm
Students arrive 10.30am-11am (coffee optional)  
Morning teaching 11am-1pm
Lunch break between 1pm-2pm (lunch is not included)
Afternoon teaching 2pm-5.15pm (15 minute break, 3.30pm–3.45pm)
Teaching finishes 5.15pm  
 

Short courses are open to anyone aged 18 and over. The course fee covers tuition and materials where stated. You will need to bring all other items listed under the ‘Materials to bring’ section.

Refreshments

Coffee and tea are included in the course fee, but you will need to bring lunch with you to eat in the refreshments room. There are also plenty of other local venues to purchase food.

Access

If you have any specific access needs, we will need to know about your access requirements in advance. Please tell us about your needs in confidence by emailing: [email protected] This venue has steps to the front reception, with limited access via a side gate to the ground floor. There is a small lift to higher floors or stairs.

Safety

Short course students are required to sign a safety compliance form as part of West Dean Health and Safety regulations.

Refunds and cancellations

Please refer to our terms & conditions below.

Disclaimer

The information given is accurate at the time of publication. However, West Dean College reserves the right to cancel or amend courses if circumstances require.

Terms & Conditions