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Join artist and illustrator Louise O’Reilly to investigate how drawing can vividly convey ideas about three-dimensional form using line, tone, texture and colour.

For sculptors, the practice of drawing is an active investigation into three-dimensional form that relates dynamically to their sculptural work. The conversation between 2D and 3D space in sculptors’ drawings lends them a particular energy in relation for form, volume and space.

During this four week course students study sculptors’ drawings from the Prints and Drawings Collection at Tate Britain, make their own studies from sculptural works within the galleries and create studies from life in the studio. Each session includes drawing exercises, independent research, sketching in the gallery, individual work in the studio and group discussion. Students develop skills working with structural line, tone, texture and colour.

The course is for students of all levels of experience.

Students make a series of studies from sculptors’ drawings in the Print Collection including works by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Naum Gabo, Louise Bourgeois, Anish Kapoor and Donald Judd. Students experiment with a range of drawing techniques learning to create structure with line, form with tone, materiality with texture and emotion with colour. Students go on to use the techniques observed and explored in this session to create a range of studies throughout the course.

By looking at natural forms and the human figure, students focus on drawing with line and tone using charcoal, pencil, chalks and washes. Taking inspiration from 20th century figurative masters including Eric Gill, Sir Jacob Epstein, Henri Gaudier Brzeska and Elizabeth Frink the session allows students to make studies based within the gallery and from life in the studio.

Exploring the move into abstraction and bold use of colour in mid-20th century British sculpture, students study works by artists including Ben Nicolson, Antony Caro and Mary Martin. Students create studies in the galleries and the studio - working with line and block colour using pastels, coloured pencils, cut outs and collage.

Focusing on texture and materials made from natural, synthetic and found materials by artists such as Richard Long, Richard Deacon and Damien Hirst, students experiment with creating drawings that emphasise materials. Students also work from studies in the Prints and Drawing Collection and works in the gallery.  At this stage in the course students may opt to further develop particular studies and techniques of their own.

Louise O’Reilly is an artist, illustrator and teacher. Her creative practice includes drawing, painting, artists’ books, prints and surface design. She studied History of Art at Winchester School of Art and Birkbeck College before training in illustration at Oxford and Cherwell College and the Society of Botanical Illustrators.