Live Online Classical Drawing Course
Learn to draw from the famous nineteenth-century Bargue drawings and unlock the secrets of Old Master techniques. Embark on a journey to learn to draw from masterful portrayals of classical sculpture, and discover the backbone to drawing that serves all artistic disciplines.
Nichola is a classically trained, professional artist who has studied for number a of years at renowned ateliers in Italy, France and America to learn traditional methods that originate from the Renaissance masters. She has also taught for many years and is now offering a new live online course to teach the fundamentals principles of drawing from a selection of Bargue Plates, geometric shapes handouts and concept exercises. A course designed to dramatically improve your drawing skills in depicting the human form, the portrait, as well as any subject you are interested in portraying.
Since the Renaissance, classically trained art students would start the learning process by drawing from accomplished drawings and then move onto depicting classical sculpture and finally progress to drawing and painting the life model. Following this tradition, Nichola has designed this course to complement her V&A workshops.
Interesting Facts
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Charles Bargue (c. 1826/1827 – April 6, 1883) was a French painter and lithographer noted for devising an influential drawing course with his teacher Jean Leon Gerome (11 May 1824 – 10 January 1904). Gerome made the orginal drawings and Bargue created lithographs from the drawings.
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Jean Leon Gerome was a French painter and sculptor in the style now known as academicism. He produced many famous works including 'The Cock Fight', 1846, d'Orsay, Paris..
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The Bargue lithographs are still used today by many academies and ateliers which focus on classical realism.
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Among the artists whose work is based on the study of Bargue's plate work are Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh, who copied the complete set.
What does the course offer?
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Max 4 Students - small classes providing plenty of 1-1 guidance
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Lessons are on live online via Zoom on Saturday Mornings at 10.30 - 12.30 pm
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Pay-as-you-go or flexible block-booking drop-in options. Pay-as-you-go offers the opportunity to try the introductory class and return to do further classes in the future. For discounted block bookings, select and pay for the start date and then choose your course timetable and drop-in on a convenient Saturday. Use four lessons in two months and 6 lessons in three months to learn at your pace.
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For adults and children of 12+. All levels of drawing experience, including the complete beginner.
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Learn the fundamental principles of drawing; line, shape, proportion, light theory, value, shading, form modelling, edges and composition.
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Learn Nichola's step-by-step approach to learn the vital stages of traditional drawing through nineteenth-century Bargue Plates of classical sculpture, geometric shapes, and Nichola's light theory, planes and composition exercise documents. Lessons start with human features, progress to appendages and then onto harder classical sculptures including how to draw a bust, a torso or a horse sculpture. You will also receive additional exercises and assignments to complement the lessons to fully understand each concept. If you are a more advance student, Nichola can design as programme of Bargue Plates and images of real classical sculpture bespoke to you.
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Receive lectures, demonstrations, guidance reference, Bargue Plates, complementary handbooks, receive 1-1 guidance throughout each lesson, homework assignments and assignment critiques.
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Structured and bespoke tuition with Nichola who trained at Charles H. Cecil Studios, Florence, Italy; Studio Escalier, Paris and Argenton, Loire Valley, France; L' Ecole Albert Defois, Les Cerqeux-Sous- Passvant, Loire Valley, France; Ryan Wurmser, Westlake, California, USA and JSS Civita, Civita Italy.
Young students
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For young students in school or college, this course will also offer an opportunity to strengthen your portfolio.
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Students in full-time education will receive a student 10% discount. To claim your 10% discount, please enter this code at checkout: student discount
How do the live online lessons work?
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All you need is an internet connection for your smart device and essential materials and equipment including an easel (an inexpensive, portable and foldable tripod easel works well or even a table easel), drawing board, art clips, drawing paper, graphite pencils, putty rubber and a sharpener. A flexible arm device for your mobile is also helpful for Nichola to monitor your technique and progress through the class. Please see the material list in the footer at the bottom of each page.
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You can attend the lesson on your tablet or laptop and a mobile. All you need is the Zoom link, meeting ID and password which you will receive in your booking confirmation.
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Nichola recommends using two devices for your lesson. Use your tablet or laptop so Nichola can send you information and share her screen during the lesson and use your mobile with a flexible arm so that you can point the camera directly at your paper during the lesson or to take images of your work to send to Nichola during the class. You can attach the arm to the back of a chair or a side of a table or a tripod light stand. The mobile camera will allow Nichola to see you draw and provide optimal 1-1 guidance throughout the lesson.
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You will also receive an additional link and password to Nichola's instructional handbook in your booking confirmation to access the information on materials and equipment required for the course. You will also receive information on how to set-up, a link to the first Bargue plates to printed plus additional information.
Please see the image below, to view the straightforward home workspace set-up.
Clare Roberts, October 27, 2020
"While I had done some drawing as a hobby prior to joining Nichola's online Bargue drawing classes, I had been stuck in a rut with my drawing and felt that I didn't have the necessary technical skills to improve. I found Nichola's classes to be well thought out and thoroughly enjoyable, and my drawing has improved immensely over the course of the classes. I have learnt an invaluable range of skills, all clearly explained by Nichola during the classes and via instructional handouts and feel confident that I can now apply what I've learnt to my drawing. Nichola is a patient and encouraging teacher and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her classes to beginners or the more advanced looking to improve their drawing skills."