Painting Birds with Soft Pastels
Learn basic drawing skills and how to paint beautiful birds that fly off the page. You’ll learn how to work with pastels and be taught simple drawing techniques to create vibrant paintings of our feathered friends.
Interested in attending any future dates of this course?
Register your interest now
Description
Anyone can draw and have fun doing it! If you would like to learn basic drawing skills and how to paint beautiful birds that fly off the page, this is the course for you. You’ll learn about basic bird anatomy and how to work with pastels. You’ll also be taught drawing techniques such as ‘quality of line’, negative space, and how erasing can add to your artwork. If you like bright colours and don’t mind getting a bit messy, you’ll have fun creating vibrant paintings of your favourite feathered friends. You'll also learn about working with pastels.
Who should attend this course?
Peter believes anyone can draw. If you want to improve your basic skills, like bright colours and don’t mind getting a bit messy this course is for you. And fun, did we mention fun?
Expected learning outcomes
- Improve basic drawing skill
- A basic understanding of creating with pastels
- How to layer and add depth to your art
- An appreciation of your practice
What to bring
Pastels stain, so we recommend that you wear a painting smock or old shirt and old clothes. The pastels also create a little dust so you may wish to wear a mask if you are sensitive. Gloves optional - hands will get dirty but pastels do wash off skin with hot soapy water. In the second week, you can bring some images that inspire you, for reference. These could be photos, prints, photocopies, book/magazine pictures. We'll give you your own set of pastels and paper for the course. All materials are included within your course fee ($60).
About Peter Force
My mother sent me to my first life drawing class when I was sixteen. I’ve worked as an illustrator, T-shirt designer, advertising creative and artist. I love the immediacy and colour of soft pastels.
Testimonials
Hello Anne,
As you know, I have taken a variety of the applied art classes on offer through the Selwyn Community Education program in an attempt to "kick start" an art practice. Having studied art many, many years ago I had intended to pick it up again "later". Later is now. Lucky for me Selwyn offers a wide range of applied art classes. To get started I took a Basic Drawing class which dealt with basic techniques, materials and design. It was quite elementary and a good way to get started.
Drawing Birds with Soft Pastels was a very fun and lively class suitable for all. The tutor was welcoming and encouraging to all levels of experience and ability.
The Life Drawing class gave an introduction to several different approaches to drawing the human form. It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to draw from a live model.
Abstraction and Pattern provided an opportunity to get a feel for using acrylic paints. After exercises using music to get a feel for patterns as expressed through the music, students were encouraged to jump right in and paint.
The Abstract Painting Workshop took a different approach. Some initial instruction regarding colour values and composition led to the hands-on portion of the class. Again, all levels of ability and experience were welcomed.
Flowers in Watercolour was fun but more challenging than I had expected. To achieve something that looks light and right is more difficult that it looks! However watercolour painting is more conducive to to pursuing at home as it can be done in a more limited space. I'll keep trying!
I'm looking forward to the upcoming Oil Painting Essentials to complete my reintroduction to various medium. Now its up to me. I am thankful that the Selwyn Community Education program has afforded me this opportunity to investigate and experiment with so many different approaches.
Helene T November 2023
