Welcome to this month's newsletter. All the 2010 classes are now full but I do run waiting lists in case anyone drops out so do get in touch if you'd like to go on this - or be added to my mailing list so you hear about new dates as soon as they are announced. In this month's newsletter you will find:

• Information about the content 5-day Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain course, devised by Dr. Betty Edwards. This includes links for viewing a slideshow of participants' work and reading course feedback.


• UK Course Dates for 2010 and one in North Wales. Contact me to go on the waiting lists


• Setting up a Self Portrait: Things to consider


• Exhibitions Update: Find out more about two outstanding exhbitions opening in London in 2010 that you won't want to miss.


• We're on Facebook Learn to Draw Right now has a page on Facebook so drop and see what's there...


• Drawing Matters Facebook Group has now been created so why not join it and keep in touch with fellow artists around the world...
  
  

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I hope you will find Drawing Matters interesting and I'd love to hear any comments or suggestions from you. Please feel free to forward it to anyone who you think might be interested. There is a link at the bottom of the page where they can subscribe.
You can contact me here

Anna Black
Certified Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain instructor, operating under license from Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (www.drawright.com)

Course Dates 2010

• 35 Hours of teaching
• The Drawing Portfolio (RRP over £70).
  The contents of the Drawing Portfolio were designed by Dr Betty Edwards and Brian Bomeisler. It includes all the materials you will need for the course, including drawing tools unique to Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. These unique tools were developed by Brian Bomeisler based on those used by the Old Masters. The Portfolio and its contents are yours to take home and keep.

• 35 Hours of teaching
• The Drawing Portfolio (RRP Over £70).
  The contents of the Drawing Portfolio were designed by Dr Betty Edwards and Brian Bomeisler. It includes all the materials you will need for the course, including drawing tools unique to Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. These unique tools were developed by Brian Bomeisler based on those used by the Old Masters. The Portfolio and its contents are yours to take home and keep.

• 35 Hours of teaching
• The Drawing Portfolio (RRP Over £70).
  The contents of the Drawing Portfolio were designed by Dr Betty Edwards and Brian Bomeisler. It includes all the materials you will need for the course, including drawing tools unique to Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. These unique tools were developed by Brian Bomeisler based on those used by the Old Masters. The Portfolio and its contents are yours to take home and keep.
• The Course Fee does not include accommodation or full board. There is an additional cost for this which varies depending on the room.

Find out more and how to book here

To find out more about how the course is structured and what you will learn, click here

For further information and a booking form, click here


Read what the media and other people have thought of Betty Edwards' Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain course here ( a new window will open)

SETTING UP A SELF PORTRAIT:

• Set yourself up with care. Using an adjustable reading lamp or similar, arrange directional lighting to cast strong light / shadow shapes. This not only creates mood and drama (think Rembrandt’s chiaroscuro…) but having well-defined light/shadow areas will make it easier to get a sense of three-dimension when you are drawing. You may want to darken the room to increase the impact.
• Consider your pose. You have two options for a self portrait – full frontal or three-quarter view. If you are drawing a three-quarter view you will need to be vigilant about holding your pose throughout your drawing as it is very easy for the head to creep round without you noticing.
• Consider the tilt of your head – it can be tilted forward or backwards (both of these poses have implications in terms of distortion) or your head can be tilted sideways. If you do want a tilt draw the angle of the tilt in lightly early on in the drawing at the top of the head, eye level, mouth, chin and shoulders to keep consistency throughout the whole drawing.
• Consider how much of the head you want to fill the frame. It is an artistic choice on how you want to crop your image – consider what type of effect and mood you want to create. A closely-cropped detail of a face will have a very different feel to a full-face portrait filling the paper.
• If you are including background in your composition, don’t ignore it! Consider how you want to treat it in terms of light / shade and work it up along with the rest of the drawing.
• Don’t forget to include the neck and some sense of the shoulders in your pose otherwise your head may be left floating in space.
• Using removable tape mark where the feet of your chair rest on the floor so if you get up to have a cup of tea you can adjust your seat correctly.
• Before you start drawing take several minutes to just sit and look at yourself. Get to know the pose, the angle of the head, perhaps even drawing it in the air so the body gets a sense of what you are seeing.
• Finally, keep the whole drawing moving along at the same stage all the time – don’t get lost in focusing on the eyes for example to the detriment of the rest. If one area of the drawing is more heavily worked than elsewhere, that is where the viewer’s eye is going to rest.

London Exhibitions in 2010

The frustration of the exhibition are the crowds - particularly as the letters are so small it's hard to get up close and see them. Still if you can get there on a quiet day I'd highly recommend it. Find out more here

FRA ANGELICO TO LEONARDO: RENAISSANCE DRAWINGS
22 April to 25 July 2010 at the British Museum, London
This exhibition is a unique collaboration between the Uffizi in Florence and the British Museum.

Over 100 exquisite drawings by Italian Renaissance artists including Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Verrocchio among others will be on show. A rare opportunity indeed to see drawings from two major collections.

"This exhibition is a unique opportunity to discover the evolution of drawing which laid the foundations of the High Renaissance style of Michelangelo and Raphael."

Find out more here

Visit Learn to Draw Right on Facebook

Also, there is now a DRAWING MATTERS FACEBOOK GROUP page you can join. This is interactive and like any group is only as good as its contributors so this is the place you can ask questions, answer other people's questions, share tips etc etc.

The group is in its infancy so don't be shy... Facebook is free to join and you can visit the group here

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain USA

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