Drawing with all Senses

Engage your five senses in the act of drawing and experience a fresh and lived approach to artmaking. Artist-educator Toshiko Oiyama leads you through guided experiments and playful exercises, from unexpected ways of holding pencils to using the sense of touch in focused seeing. Hearing, sight, smell and taste also will be mobilised for enhanced observation and personal response.

Throughout the course, key concepts such as scale, space and composition will be discussed, while mark-making, layering, and materiality will be explored. The course will integrate both traditional and non-traditional media, materials and techniques, within a primarily monochromatic palette. Experience the art of using your whole being when you draw, and discover fresh, personal and perceptive pathways into drawing.

* Short courses are open to students of ages 16 years and over.

* Drawing and painting short courses may be held in upstairs studios. If access to stairs is not suitable, please contact us at short.courses@nas.edu.au

* What to bring? Please refer to the list of required materials in the Art Materials field below.

Students must supply their own art materials, please refer to the list below.

• Hahnemuhle paper for etching: 300 gsm, 53 x 78 cm, 3 sheets of Warm White
• Cartridge paper, 110 gsm. A1 size x 10 sheets
• Black drawing ink, small bottle
• 6 pencils with a combination from B to 8B
• Box of Willow charcoal, medium thickness
• Small box of crayons
• Masking tape (25 mm width), knife, kneadable eraser, plastic eraser
• Wide brush (around 8 cm) or a large new kitchen sponge
• Large plastic container (1 kg yoghurt container or equivalent)
• 6 small disposable plastic food containers, about 8cm in diameter 4cm height, or similar
• 1 roll of paper towels
• 1 flat sheet of Styrofoam, 2cm thick, about A4 size or bigger. Old packing material - find them on a garbage collection day.
• 2 large corrugated cardboard boxes (clean, from recycle bins)
• Apron and disposable plastic gloves, if desired
• Additional paper can be purchased at Parkers Art Supplies at NAS if required throughout the course.
• Enclosed footwear is essential in all studios on campus.
  

Dr Toshiko Oiyama’s art practice revolves around drawing, where she explores the transient nature of all things, both physical and philosophical. The inspirations for her art practice, equally derive from the outback of Australia and the ancient pilgrimage trails of Japan, her country of origin, and various histories she has lived through. Her background includes a long and successful career in graphic design in Europe, the USA and Asia. Arriving in Australia in 2001, she turned to fine art and obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree and a PhD from the University of New South Wales.

Dr Toshiko has undertaken an artist’s residency in Paris and was awarded the Tim Olsen Drawing Prize; she was a finalist in the Dobell Drawing Prize, Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing, Hazelhurst Art on Paper and Kedumba Drawing Award. Toshiko taught drawing for many years at University of NSW, College of Fine Arts, and joined the National Art School Drawing Department as a sessional lecturer in 2020.