Anatomical drawing
Weekend-long practical course
29 September 2018 10.30am - 5.30pm30 September 2018 10.30am - 5.30pm
The Life Room, Royal Academy Schools
£420. Includes all materials, lunch, and wine reception.
Terms and conditions
Artist, writer and broadcaster Dr Sarah Simblet will lead a detailed examination of the human body, explored through the eyes of the artist. With particular reference to physicality and aesthetic beauty, Sarah Simblet will make use of works from the RA’s historic teaching collection, as well as life models, to explore this complex subject matter.
“The study of human anatomy is so much more than the naming of parts and the understanding of their function; it is a celebration of our wondrous physicality in the word. The biological complexity of the body can be weighed against its aesthetic beauty, so that the life that drives us is seen to ripple and pulse above and below the boundary of skin. Art is the perfect tool for revealing such knowledge. Throughout history, artists have used their trained eyes to look deep into our lives and into our very existence. They have given much to the history of medicine and they have also removed the taboo from seeing too much.
The body has always been a core subject for the artist, be it to honour God, or to question and doubt the very nature of humanity itself. Artists and anatomists have for centuries shared their views and have contributed equally to our knowledge. The excitement and sense of achievement evident in learning about the body is always a palpable delight; to gain the ability with a pencil or pen to catch the perfection of form and reveal its magnificent machinery is highly rewarding. Anatomy is a very potent subject and the subject is us.”
Abstract taken from Anatomy for the Artist by Dr Sarah Simblet, published by Dorling Kindersley (2001).
£420. Includes all materials, lunch, and wine reception.
Terms and conditions
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About the course
This two-day intensive anatomical drawing course with artist and writer Dr Sarah Simblet will be held in the historic Life Room of the RA Schools.
Practical drawing sessions using life models and skeletons will be combined with short anatomical demonstrations focused upon bone structure and the most essential groups of muscles in the head and neck, torso and limbs, contributing to surface form.
There will be an exclusive visit to the Royal Academy's Archive and Library to view books and historical drawings from the RA's Collection.
This course is suitable for all levels, preferably with some prior experience of drawing, painting or creative practice in general.
This course is for you if:
• You have some prior knowledge of drawing and/or painting and would like to extend your skills in the practice of working from both perception and direct observation.
• You would like a new perspective in your approach to life drawing, specifically anatomical drawing.
• You would like the opportunity to develop your skills and ideas in a small group setting in the historical setting of the RA’s Life Room.
• You have no prior experience of life drawing but an interest in the history, theory and practice of art more widely.
Minimum age 18
The number of participants is strictly limited to enable detailed feedback from the course tutor.
Price: £420
Saturday 3 - Sunday 4 March 2018
10.30am – 5.30pm on both days
Includes:
• An introduction to the Academy with particular reference to relevant works in the Collection
• The opportunity to work from different life models on each day
• An exclusive tour of the Royal Academy's Archive and Library, including the opportunity to view relevant works from the Collection
• All practical materials
• Lunch and refreshments
• A drinks reception at the end of the first day
• A certificate of participation upon course completion
About the space
The Life Room
The Royal Academy’s historic Life Room sits at the heart of the RA Schools. Usually closed to the public, this unique and significant space was designed in the 1860s, when the galleries and art school first moved to Burlington Gardens.
The semi-circular seating arrangement, based on an ancient design, traces its British history back to Hogarth’s Academy in St Martin’s Lane, c.1730. Directional light is used to enhance the delineation of the model’s musculature and aid life drawing, which has been practised in this room by generations of Royal Academy artists and students.
About the tutor
Sarah Simblet
Dr Sarah Simblet is a fine artist, writer, broadcaster and anatomist, whose work explores the relationship between science, history and art. The author of Anatomy for the Artist (2001), The Drawing Book (2005), Botany for the Artist (2010) and co-author of The New Sylva (2014), Sarah is dedicated to sharing and encouraging visual intelligence in others through her drawings, teaching and broadcasting worldwide. She is also the Tutor in Anatomy at the Ruskin School of Art (BFA).
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