Group introductions – there are some people I know from courses last year – but will know all very well by end of this year no doubt.

Introductory stuff from Chris Hough. Idea of individual artist working alone isn’t a real one –  collaborating and sharing is what it should be about.

Drawing tutor Tony Hall calls the next 6 weeks ‘drawing boot camp’. Says we need to be slow and strategic, producing art not to do with passion of moment. Importance of critiquing each others’ work – finding a language for how things work visually, how an image works both in terms of meaning and aesthetically. (Certainly I’ve got a long way to go on that.)

First drawing is on huge board – 2 x A1 stuck together. Tony adds one object at a time till it seems like entire contents of City Lit props cupboard are out. Enjoy spending a whole day on one drawing. Feel like stuff I’ve done in summer has helped – just drawing/painting different things, succeeding, failing.

1. We do a simple line drawing, one object added at a time, no measuring.

2. Then we’re asked to measure – using horizontal and vertical lines to check position and relationship of things. Then to measure using a paintbrush to check relative scale of things using one central object as a basis. This takes a long time as so many objects. Then to check elipses – by measuring relative heights within objects ie relationship of depth of ellipse to depth of object. Also drawing box round objects can help to check angles of elipses. Tony stresses using negative spaces between objects to check and balance relationships.  Also foreshortened objects eg the bone which cause me lots of problems – dividing into thirds and seeing bow much is occupied by particular features. All of which very helpful. Not all new to me but revisiting it and working through it on this big drawing really helpful. Helps to have a framework to solve problems that crop up all the time.

3. We work with a partner to find weakest part of drawing and we’re then allowed to use tone on that part of the picture. Very enjoyable. Would like to have done more but it is end of day.

People have done some great drawings, all different.