Cast Drawing

This course is suitable for beginners and can be studied alone or in conjunction with Portraiture in Clay on Friday afternoons,…

This course is suitable for beginners and can be studied alone or in conjunction with Portraiture in Clay on Friday afternoons, 1.15pm - 3.45pm, or Life/Portrait Drawing and Painting on Saturday mornings, 10am-12.30pm.

Cast Drawing (also known as 'Drawing from the Antique') is a foundational practice in classical art training. Plaster casts provide a simplified and idealised form from which the student can build an understanding of proportion, form and structure from its clear and simplified forms, without the distractions of colour or complex textures.

The monochromatic nature of a plaster cast allows the student to observe, study and understand how light interacts with the form. This practice will give the student the ability to create the illusion of depth and bring a  three- dimensionality to their work.

Carefully engaging with the plaster casts via observation and analysis allows the student to develop a simplified understanding of proportions and anatomy. The student can then transfer this knowledge when drawing from life. This makes visual problem solving easier, and will help when translating three-dimensions into two-dimensions in a drawing.

Building technical skills from observation, hand eye coordination and material handling, cast drawing has been historically a core fundamental study and practice. The student connects to a long artistic tradition and through its practice into their individual philosophy/ideas on beauty, balance and simplicity.