THINKING ABSTRACTION

This course is a guide to thinking, drawing and painting abstractly. Abstraction is born of experimentation and involves us thinking outside of our normal, habitual ways of perceiving and picturing the world around us.

 

We can learn to reveal meaning and expression using our sensory perception to tap into emotions and visual sensations instead of defaulting to the familiar and pictorial. 

 

This course begins with preset workshops, developed to provide an understanding of broad abstract concepts. It then progresses towards a more independent practice where students establish their own path going forward. 

 

In this course we will examine: 

• Why do so many artists have the desire to think and paint abstractly?

• Where do we start? 

• How to form ideas through practice.

• Demonstrations of how to draw and paint more intuitively. 

• How to convert sketches/drawings into abstract paintings.

• Historical models of abstract painting

• a variety of approaches to working abstractly: experimenting with gesture (mark-making techniques), colour, composition, texture and form.

 

Cover image: Sally Gabori detail courtesy Scott Lawrie Gallery