A deep and hands-on dive into the principles and practicalities of making figurative compositions.

This is an in person class held at the Royal Queensland Art Society, Brisbane

5x Core Saturdays :

5th October 2024

BREAK

19th October 2024

26th October 2024

2nd November 2024

BREAK

16th November 2024

Extension days:

7th December

14th December

Session 1: Fundamentals of Pictorial Composition 10:00am - 12:30pm

Lunch break

Session 2: Composing from the Life Model 1:30 - 4pm

How can we make figurative paintings that are beautiful, engaging and meaningful?

While this is deeply personal question, there are certain traditional principles and techniques for making pictures that have stood the test of time.

Once you understand these principles, a whole spectrum of possibilities opens up to you within the field of painting (and really for any visual art or design field). You will not be trapped in your habits but will have creative quesions to explore new possibilities.

After all, Leonardo, Caravaggio, Rembrandt and Andrew Wyeth (and many other lesser known names) have been there before, providing us with inspiration that we are free to recombine in our own ways to capture the elusive qualities and meanings that pull us towards making paintings.

Mornings Sessions: Fundamentals of Pictorial Design

During each of the 5 morning sessions we will go through some practical aspect of pictorial composition and strategies for applying this to your own creative practise. These principles, rules of thumb, and technical approaches make it that much more likely that your pictures will be arresting to your audience, as well as opening up the kind of joy that is to be found in composing once you you understand the parameters we are playing with. We will look at the traditional topics:

• linear design
• tonal design
• colour design (and basic colour theory)
• "meta-design" : Light, Atmosphere, Space, and Time
• methods for modelling complex scenes, and relating to design
• materials for composing and executing beautiful paintings
• considerations for finding meaning and poetry in

Afternoon Sessions: Composing from the Life Model

The model will hold one pose (after a few warm up poses) for the duration of the 2.5 hour session, and we will approach making a composition using one of 4 compositional frameworks: Narrative, Associative, Observational and Material Expressionist. The fifth of the five sessions will give you the chance to choose your favourite approach from the 4 and go that way with your final composition of the course.

What's included:

• Permanent access to my Guide to Composition as it continues to develop and even after it becomes a paid online course, full of practical diagrams and exercises
• Practical tuition - I will get you working with each of the concepts as quickly as possible in class - these are practical skills even as they are conceptually rich
• Life model fees are all included in your enrolment fees
• Feedback and support - before or after class, and by email

Details:

This is an in person class held in the upstairs studio at Royal Queensland Art Society, Brisbane 3/162 Petrie Terrace Brisbane (airconditioned and with lunch room with fridge)

Core program 5x Saturdays :

5th October 2024

BREAK

19th October 2024

26th October 2024

2nd November 2024

BREAK

16th November 2024

BREAK

Extension days:

7th December

14th December

Session 1: Fundamentals of Pictorial Composition 10:00am - 12:30pm

Lunch break

Session 2: Composing from the Life Model 1:30 - 4pm

Roma St train station is walking distance, there are cafes nearby and a Coles not far.

Parking is available under the RQAS on any days with parking restrictions from Suncorp Stadium events, and there is ample street parking on most days when there are not events

Enrolment options (choose option at right)

Full Core Course + 2 extension days $800

Ten sessions over 5 saturdays - the full integrated experience designed to take you to the next level with your picture-making PLUS 2 extra days to apply this knowledge further in a guided situation to develop your compositions and work more from the life model in a long pose

Full Core Course $600

Ten sessions over 5 saturdays - the full integrated experience designed to take you to the next level with your picture-making

Fundamentals of Pictorial Composition Only $370

Only 5 morning sessions

Composing from the Life Model

Only 5 afternoon sessions

Upstairs workshop space, Royal Queensland Art Society

Map for parking, schedule of topics and other details can be found here.

Drawing materials are not included, but I will have packs of good A2 drawing paper available for a few dollars (pay online or in class), and a few grades of graphite pencils are sufficient eg HB, 2B, 4B.

Student Discount

Students can send an image of their current student card to info@scottbreton.art to receive a discount code for 20% off the cost of the course.

Refund policy:

If you change your mind within 3 days of booking in for the course and prior to 2 weeks from the beginning of term, I’ll issue to a full refund. After this, I offer substantial discounts on the next term as follows:

In case of illness:

If you are unable to attend due to extended illness, please provide a doctor’s certificate and I’ll work out with you an appropriate discount on the following semester, up to 50% off.

In case of other circumstances:

If you miss four or more sessions I’ll give you a discount code for the following semester that will reduce the cost by 30%.

Also, I am always available prior to or after sessions (from 9:30am before or 4:30pm or earlier/later by appointment) to answer your questions, review homework or give other feedback that you might require. I can also field questions and provide critique over email info@scottbreton.art, so there is plenty of opportunity for you to make up any lost contact hours.

Please note that I am usually at capacity - I have these policies so that I don’t have unfilled spaces in the class that could have been filled by someone else. I attempt to keep my prices moderate relative to other artschools and tutors, and offer substantial discounts to tertiary students, and to do this I need to be firm with my refund policy.