Welcome to Drawing Matters, We are nearly at the end of January and if you are thinking you'd like to do something different this year there are a few places left on the residential course in August 2012, although both London courses are now full. If you are disappointed do make me sure you contact me to go on a waiting list and to go on my email mailing list who always receive first notification of new dates. In addition 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 Courses Details of courses in 2012

  • Placing the Features Some tips on sighting the features in a portrait.

  • Forthcoming Exhibitions Details of forthcoming exhibitions in London which have just opened booking.

  • We're on Facebook Learn to Draw Right now has a page on Facebook

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


If your computer only allows you to view a text only version of this newsletter you can see the colour version with colour images here

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 2012

If you've always wanted to learn to draw, Dr. Betty Edwards' Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain 5-day intensive course is a proven technique for teaching drawing - particularly to those people who swear they could never be taught to draw! This course is taught in the UK by Anna Black, certified and licensed by Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Inc.


Courses take place in central London (Little Venice), which are non-residential, and North Wales, near Bangor, (residential). The course lasts for 5 days and includes 35 hours of teaching and The Drawing Portfolio (RRP over £80).

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.



LONDON: Monday 2nd April to Friday 6th April 2012
This Course is now full please contact me to go on the waiting list.

WHERE? Amadeus Centre, Shirland Road, Little Venice, London W9
HOW MUCH? £495

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT £50 off
Special Course Fee price of £445 if you book and pay in full before 18th December 2011

Course fee includes:
  • 35 Hours of teaching
  • The Drawing Portfolio (RRP Over £80)*see note below.
This course is now full. Please contact me if you'd like to go on a waiting list in case a place becomes available




LONDON: Monday 4th June to Friday 8th June 2012
This course is now full please contact me to go on the waiting list.

WHERE? Amadeus Centre, Shirland Road, Little Venice, London W9
HOW MUCH? £495

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT £50 off
Special Course Fee price of £445 if you book and pay in full before 1st February 2012

Course fee includes:
  • 35 Hours of teaching
  • The Drawing Portfolio (RRP Over £80)
    You can find out more about the contents of the Drawing Portfolio below
    This course is now full. Please contact me if you'd like to go on a waiting list in case a place becomes available






NORTH WALES: Saturday 11th August to Thursday 16th August 2012 This course is residential

WHERE? Trigonos, Nantlle, North Wales (nearest train station is Bangor)
HOW MUCH? £495 plus accommodation and full board

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT £50 off
Special Course Fee price of £445 if you book and pay in full before 1st March 2012

Course fee includes:
  • 35 Hours of teaching
  • The Drawing Portfolio (RRP Over £80).
    *see note below


ACCOMMODATION & BOARD COSTS
The Course Fee does not include accommodation or full board. There is an additional cost for this which varies depending on the room type. (£370 for 5 nights full board for single ensuite to £305 for 5 nights full board single with shared facilities plus twin rooms at reduced cost subject to availability).


THE DRAWING PORTFOLIO
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. You can find out more about the contents of the Portfolio

here



UNITED STATES
If you are interested in purchasing the portfolio separately or for courses in the United States with Brian Bomeisler, follow the link at the bottom of the page.

MAILING LIST
If you would like to be among the first to hear about new course dates in the UK as soon as they are announced please contact me to be added to the mailing list.



View a slideshow of student drawings and class photos
If you are interested in booking for next year but you are still sceptical that you will really learn the basic skills of drawing in just five days, why don't you view a slideshow showing some drawings done by participants on the course here (a new window will open)

(on Trigonos)"Can't begin to say how much I learnt. The course more than met my expectations... the food and venue excellent."

You can also read some participant feedback and a more indepth account of one participant's experience here (a new window will open)

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)



PLACING THE FEATURES

Last month I said that in drawing there is no magic formula. Everything you need to know is right in front of you if you look. Every shape and line is connected in some way to another shape or line – vertically and horizontally. Every object (or feature) has a relationship to another – it is wider, narrower, longer, shorter, bigger, smaller. Everything can be compared to something else. Understanding this is crucial as it gives you a roadmap for your drawing. How can we apply this understanding to placing the features in a portrait?
  • When I’m setting up my composition ie. The size and position of the head on my paper, I use the relationship from the centre of the eye to the chin to get the position of the top of the head. Check on your subject and, assuming the head is directly facing, the distance between the eye and the chin is equal to that of the eye to the highest point of the head.
  • Once you have the position of an eye you work out where to position the ears and indeed any feature by sighting relationships. For example, sighting the distance between the eye and the chin and using that measurement, find out where the position of the right ear is for example. Is it the same distance, half the distance, a third – or maybe a bit more?
  • Sighting may seem complicated but actually once you understand the principle it is straightforward as long as you follow some key rules:

    • Always lock your elbow to keep the scale constant.
    • Always stand in the same position to keep the scale constant
    • Always keep your head in the same place to keep the viewpoint constant
    • When sighting smaller distances use something that is a comparable size as your reference.
    • If a distance feels too small to sight then you just have to feel it. Place your pencil on the paper lightly and just look at the distance you want to draw and with your eye on the subject and your pencil on the paper very slowly feel the distance. It’s not as hard as you might think to do this accurately.
    • Closing one eye is always helpful when sighting
    • Be as accurate as you can be but at the same time you also have to make a leap of faith and just do it.
    All the time you can check features against each other – lining them up horizontally and vertically to check whether they are placed correctly. Keep lines light and then you can adjust and move things as you need to. Drawing is about constant adjustment and personally, I like to see the lines that show how a drawing has been created.




    Forthcoming Exhibitions

    There are some great exhibitions coming to London in 2012 and booking is now open but demand is high so if you want to be sure to get a ticket don't leave it too late:

    LUCIEN FREUD at the National Portrait Gallery

    Find out more here

    DAVID HOCKNEY at the Royal Academy
    Find out more here



    Visit Learn to Draw Right on Facebook

    Visit Learn to Draw Right on Facebook here
    You can keep in touch by just becoming a Fan by clicking on the relevant button.

    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. here


    Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain USA

    To find out about Betty Edwards' Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain courses run by Brian Bomeisler in the USA visit www.drawright.com


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    www.learn-to-draw-right.com
    Anna Black
    London, UK

    Contact Anna here