“Drawing is the root of everything.” – Vincent Van Gogh

A level  Art students in Year 12 and 13 have been joining our weekly evening life drawing classes, an opportunity which comes around twice a year.

Many universities and higher educational institutes which deliver courses in art-based disciplines now require experience in life drawing; it is seen as an essential skill. Life drawing, or drawing from the figure, is a demanding but vital skill that visual artists should master and it is of great benefit for students to understand the form of the human figure.  

Life drawing takes many different forms, from full-length nude poses to partially clothed stances. St Mary's classes provide a professional and experienced female model and artist who provided a range of poses. Students have been developing a series of sketches using a variety of media ranging from watercolour and inks, to graphite and charcoal.

The classes were hosted in Studio 47 and led by the Head of Art, Susan Conroy:

"Whilst the students found life drawing challenging, they enjoyed the experience of learning traditionally taught, classic drawing methods."

Gallery of students' life drawings

Studying A level Fine Art at St Mary's