Life Drawing with Derek Batty

Class Feedback

July 2016

 

BEST THINGS ABOUT THE CLASS

General

Loosens up your drawing skills

Excellent atmosphere: both fun and serious  //

I get to draw

I like so much: the method, the teacher, the space and colleagues.

Everything is great

Lots of space

Lovely group of people

Exciting

Stimulating, rewarding, relaxing, fun//

Free flowing, relaxed.

 

Techniques

Watercolour and sequence exercise.

More in different mediums

Variety of topics

 

Models and poses

Good models /////

Varied poses

Two models ///

Prone poses

Variety of models

Quick sketches

 

Tutor and tuition

Derek going off topic!

Stimulating ideas and sound advice eg measuring, negative space etc

Demonstrations //

Close tuition. Helpful advice //

Teaching sheets

Final critique

Tuition ///

Brilliant teacher, huge amount of work put into weekly notes //

Derek forces me out of my comfort zone.  Always trying new techniques

Derek makes it very entertaining.

 

Techniques

Light and dark

Distressed paper

Sticking with one medium for several weeks

Wacky techniques, eg distressed paper

Looking at different styles, eg Les Fauves

Back up materials eg books and life drawing histories

 

WHAT WOULD MAKE THE CLASS BETTER?

In General

Nothing needs to be changed.

Couldn’t be better //

Change the biscuits

More of everything

More time

More social events

Summer events

Days out painting

Easels already set up

A summer outdoor sketching group so we can keep our eye in.

 

Poses and Models

More longer poses – 2 per term  ////

More short / fast poses //

More laying down poses

More variety in poses (furniture?)

Simpler poses.

Variety of model size:  larger, thinner, older  ///

Hats

 

Topics

A topical theme eg tour de France – bicycle, Wimbledon – racket  //

Add some props //

A quick brief at the beginning so that we are clear what we will be doing during the session.

More demonstrations of material use and technique

A bit more technique for beginners

More portraits

Colour combinations

 

 

WHAT TOPICS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE NEXT TERM?

Poses

Male and female models interacting //

Laying down, twisted poses

Study of individual parts of the body to help understand body structure, details //

Continuous motion quickies. Drawing people moving and to music  ////

 

Techniques

Negative space

Bending perspective

More on perspective and tone.

Foreshortening  //

Pencil drawing

Portraits //

Abstraction

Pastels

Oils

Close direction on drawing skills

Distressed paper

Composition

How to use colour and tone, combining the two.

Form rather than shape.