Short Courses

The Slade School of Fine Art runs non-degree short courses that take place in the studios at Woburn Square. The courses are taught by practising artists, many of whom studied at the Slade and also teach on the Slade Summer School. Courses are designed to enable students to develop a set of criteria which will enable further possibilities and developments within the wider remit of their own practise after completing the course. Two courses run simultaneously on Monday evenings and on Saturdays in the autumn and spring terms and for one intensive week at Easter. There is a lively, creative dialogue between the students and tutors across the different courses. Evening courses run for eight weeks, Saturdays courses run for five weeks and Easter classes last five consecutive days.

Download a copy of the Short Course application form.

SPRING TERM 2010

Evening Courses

Drawing - COURSE FULL
Monday 6.00pm - 8.30pm  £260
18 January - 8 March 2010
Daniel Preece, Ian Rowlands

This course gives students the opportunity to explore many aspects of drawing. The emphasis of the course is to explore drawing as a means of articulating form and as a tool for thinking, to encourage students to explore and nurture ideas through drawing and as a feeder for ideas into their own art practice. The eight sessions will explore light and tone, materials and surface, movement and line, composition, measurement and proportion and drawing systems such as perspective. Students will draw from a model for four of the eight sessions. They will experiment with a variety of techniques and materials including pencil, ink, white chalk, willow and compressed charcoal. This course suits a cross-section of experiences from complete beginners to those who are more experienced but would like to explore the underpinnings and process of drawing.

Painting - COURSE FULL
Mondays 6.00pm - 8.30pm  £275
18 January - 8 March 2010
Daniel Preece, Ian Rowlands

This course offers students the opportunity to explore the first principles of painting. The emphasis is to look at painting as a means for articulating form and as a tool for expression and creative imagination. The course explores the idea of perception as the starting point for visual enquiry and includes working from objects, the human figure, memory and secondary sources. It is our aim that students leave the course with a set of criteria helping them not only to explore ways of representing perceived objects but also allowing further possibilities within the wider remit of painting to be questioned in their own time. Weekly sessions will be devoted to contemplating a particular set of formal issues underpinning the nature of painting. Special attention is placed on colour and composition. The course includes two sessions of painting from the model. Students can work with oils or acrylic. The course is suitable for beginners and more experienced painters alike although we do recommend that students have a rudimentary knowledge of drawing in order to obtain maximum benefit from the course.

Saturday Courses

Life Drawing
Saturdays 10.00am - 4.00pm  £315
23 January - 20 February 2010
Atul Vohora, Adele Wagstaff

This course of drawing from the model is open to students of all levels. It is designed to extend students' powers of perception, to look closely, critically and selectively. The course will explore movement, weight, scale and the spatial qualities of the human form through a selection of long and short poses and encourage students to develop their drawing skills. The course concludes with a group crit and an individual tutorial to review the body of work each student has created. Students will primarily use pencil, but there will be some work with ink, charcoal and paint.

Painting - COURSE FULL
Saturdays 10.00am - 4.00pm  £330
23 January - 20 February 2010
Daniel Preece, Sandra Smith

This course is aimed at students who are interested in working from their own ideas and preparatory material. It would suit students with a broad range of experience, the main criteria being that they come with ideas to work from. As such, students are encouraged to develop their own practical and aesthetic interests by setting up an individual studio-based enquiry from the first day. There will be the option of joining a series of morning workshops which aim to explore strategies used by painters to develop work, or for students to work from their own motivation. The course works essentially as a space for developing ideas and personal practise, led by close tutorial support, as distinct from structured teaching. Slide shows of tutors' work and group critiques supplement the studio work. The tutors represent a wide spectrum of professional practice in terms of style and subject matter.

Easter Courses

Life Painting - COURSE FULL
Monday - Friday 10.00am - 4.00pm  £320
12 April - 16 April 2010
Ian Rowlands

This course allows students the opportunity to work from the model in a sustained pose. Through intense looking, students are encouraged to consider their process of working with and emphasis on developing a method though experimentation, reassessment and revision, using oil paint. The course is open to students of all levels although we recommend that students have a rudimentary knowledge of drawing.

The Expanded Field of Drawing - COURSE FULL
Monday - Friday 10.00am - 4.00pm £315
12 April - 16 April 2010
Jim Hobbs

This course is aimed at students who have experience of drawing and who are interested in experimenting and extending their skills and knowledge. (It is not suitable for beginners.) It provides the opportunity to study, in depth, the activity of drawing both as a way of thinking - how we think through drawing - and as a way to develop personal research. Working from observation will only be a small part of the course; instead, the main focus will be on experimenting with various forms of drawing within contemporary art practices. The course will be constructed around various projects which explore the formal and practical ideas of what drawing might be, for example; the subject may be observed, found, recalled, imagined, felt or constructed. There will be an emphasis on the materiality of drawing, placement/situation of the drawn image and the use of various, non-traditional materials to create new work. Each day will build on the previous day, as we explore different concepts and approaches to making. Students will be encouraged to develop their own methods of translating ideas into form as a way to generate questions. The core of the course will focus on the the varied and experimental forms of drawing and students will be encouraged to use a wide variety of material, working both inside and outside the studio. Throughout the week there will be informal discussions, slide talks and regular critiques to discuss ideas and methods.

General Information and Terms and Conditions

Booking
To book, please complete and return the application form, with your course fee.

Applicants
Courses are open to anyone aged seventeen and over.

Location
The courses take place at the Slade Studios, Woburn Square, London, WC1H 0AB. Nearest tubes are Goodge Street (Northern Line) and Euston (Northern and Victoria Lines).

Course fee
The course fee covers tuition, provision of an easel, palette and drawing board, where appropriate, and studio space. The course fee does not include materials except drawing supplies for the first session of each course. The fees for the Painting courses include a levy of £15 to cover materials for supports and grounds and some painting mediums. The Life Painting course fee includes a £5 levy which covers a supply of supports and grounds for studies but not your final canvas. You must supply all other materials yourself.

Before you start
Further course details, a materials list and map will be sent to you before the course begins.

Refunds and cancellations
Cancellations are permitted up to one month before the start of a course, subject to a £25 cancellation fee. Refunds will not be made for cancellations less than one calendar month before the start of a course. Students who do not attend due to illness, personal or professional commitments do not have the right to a refund. For this reason we recommend that students take out personal insurance against any unforeseeable circumstances before the start of their course.

Access
The building may be difficult for students with physical disabilities.  It is essential that students with special needs discuss their requirements with the Administrator before making an application.

Refreshments
Tea and coffee are provided.

Further Information
Please contact the Slade on 020 7679 1384/7042 or email slade.enquiries@ucl.ac.uk.

Disclaimer
The information given above is accurate at the time of publication. However, the Slade School of Fine Art reserves the right to cancel or amend courses if circumstances require it.