Unlock your artistic potential in this 8-week drawing course! Learn to observe and simplify forms, master pencil and charcoal techniques, understand perspective and proportion, and bring your drawings to life with texture, light, and shadow. Build strong compositions, gain confidence, and enjoy the mindful, creative process of drawing.

Course Outline:

Week 1: An Introduction & Observing Forms: Elements of Drawing -Line, Oval, Circle.
Week 2: Basic Pencil Techniques: Holding the pencil: grip and movement control- Line quality: contour, cross-contour, hatching, and scribbling
Week 3: Introduction to Charcoal: Types of charcoal-smudging, blending, lifting highlights
Week 4: Proportion and Perspective: measuring with pencil, using reference points. One-point and two perspective drawing (interior space or object).
Week 5: Value, Light & Shadow: Understanding light source and form shadows- Tonal value scale: from light to dark.
Week 6: Creating Texture: stippling, cross-hatching, blending and texture studies from real-life objects.
Week 7: Composition and Layout: Rule of thirds, focal point, balance
Week 8: Final Project & Drawing with Confidence: Review of all techniques learned

Learning Outcomes:

• How to observe and simplify forms for drawing
• Basic drawing techniques using pencil and charcoal
• Perspective and proportion for realistic drawings
• How to create texture, value, and light/shadow effects
• Stronger composition and layout skills
• How to build confidence and enjoy drawing mindfully

What to bring:

• Pencils: 2B & 4B (Recommended brand: Staedtler)
• Charcoal: Square sketch stick & soft charcoal stick
• Kneadable eraser
• A3 sketch pad for artists
• 20 loose sheets of premium newsprint paper

About the Tutor:

'Arafat Hosen is an artist and educator with over fifteen years of teaching experience in the Department of Fine Art and Graphic Design at Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology in Dhaka, Bangladesh. As an art practitioner, watercolour painting has become a personal and meditative journey of self-inquiry, where the blending of colours reflects movement and uncertainty, revealing new dimensions in visual narratives. Teaching has always been Arafat’s passion, especially the opportunity to meet new people and share stories. These interactions enrich his understanding of social and cultural ideologies, deepening the human experience through art. His work bridges traditional and contemporary practices, grounded in observation and a thoughtful exploration of form, colour, and meaning.'

Other Information:

• To ensure resources are ready for you at the start of your course, we ask you ideally enrol at least one week before the course commences.
• All courses need a minimum number of students to run ("we try our hardest to get those") . If your course does not have enough students it will be cancelled before the commencement and you will be informed.