Tonal Drawing: The Art of Light and Shadow

Explore the representational, atmospheric, and emotive possibilities of tonal drawing. Working from set ups and life models, you will learn to perceive and convey lights and darks in your work.

In a friendly and supportive environment, Luke Thurgate will teach you how to organise tonal values in your drawings and will introduce materials and techniques to express what you see.

Through demonstrations, examples and group discussions, students will also be encouraged to explore the way artists have used lights and darks to add drama, and tension to their work.

* NAS Short Courses are open to students of ages 16 years and over. The NAS Art Club is open to students from ages 15 years and over.

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

Luke Thurgate is an artist living and working on Gadigal Land (Sydney). He teaches drawing and painting at the National Art School, where he graduated in 2021 with a Master of Fine Art. Luke’s exhibition history includes recent projects at Grafton Regional Gallery, Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Backwoods Gallery, Burra Regional Art Gallery, National Art School and Adelaide Central Gallery. He has been a finalist multiple times in the Dobell Drawing Prize, the Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award, and in 2020 was a finalist in the Tom Bass Figurative Sculpture Prize.

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

• 4 sticks of willow charcoal (medium/large)
• 1 stick of compressed charcoal
• 1 stick of white pastel
• 2 compressed charcoal pencils (2B and 4B)
• White plastic eraser and/or kneadable putty eraser
• Blending stump
• A hog-hair brush, round no 10
• Small journal/sketchbook (approx. A4)
• 6 sheets of A1 cartridge paper
  

Additional materials and surfaces will be discussed during the course

Enclosed footwear is essential in all studios on campus.