Life Drawing

In this course you will work directly from the nude figure to explore and develop observational skills and perceptual awareness, and understand the balance between observed figuration and abstract formal qualities.

All fundamental drawing elements are considered, including compositional issues of the human form, space and structure. Special attention will be given to dynamic and gestural expression of the figure.

Evan Salmon will be mindful of each student’s abilities and understanding of drawing, allowing for a personal growth path to emerge with greater understanding and awareness of both formal and expressive qualities.

* Please note: The course is not held on Saturday 5 September due to the NAS Open Day. The course will continue the following Saturday. You are welcome to attend the NAS Open Day with friends, family and colleagues.

* NAS Short Courses are open to students of ages 16 years and over. The NAS Art Club is open to students between 15 - 17 years of age.

* 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.

• Willow charcoal (various sizes), compressed charcoal and a range of lead pencils (2B–6B)
• Hard eraser
• 2 bulldog clips
• Masking tape
• Block of cartridge paper – A1 size
• Enclosed footwear is essential in all studios on campus.

Other papers will be purchased throughout the course, available from Parker's Art Supplies on campus.

Evan Salmon is an artist who works in the mediums of painting, drawing and printmaking and is known for his landscape paintings, portraits and still life. He has exhibited extensively in Australia for over thirty years, including at Watters Gallery. Across his career he has held 28 solo exhibitions and been included in numerous group exhibitions. His portraits have been selected for the Salon des Refuses at the S.H. Ervin Gallery 12 times between 2012 and 2025. Evan was highly commended in the 2024 Kedumba Drawing Award. He was awarded the NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize in 2015 and was a finalist in the Sulman Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2006.

Evan’s work is held in the collections of the National Art School, National Gallery of Australia, NSW State Parliament, State Library of New South Wales, Artbank, University of Technology Sydney, Maitland Regional Art Gallery, University of Wollongong Art Collection, University of Wollongong in Dubai, Wollongong Art Gallery and private collections both in Australia and overseas.

He received a Diploma from the National Art School in 1991 and completed a Master of Fine Art (Research) at the College of Fine Arts, University of NSW in 2002. Evan has been a Lecturer in Drawing at the National Art School since 2017 and previously taught painting and drawing to Diploma students at various TAFE colleges between 2002 and 2016.