Life Drawing: Gesture, Form and Tone

This course is ideal for students and practicing artists interested in developing their life drawing skills. You will work directly from a range of models, both draped and undraped, exploring strategies for understanding and depicting the human form.

The course will begin with an introduction to key anatomical landmarks of the human body. Luke will detail how these can be used to orient your observation of the figure and be used as a building block for expressing a sense of gesture and rhythm in each pose.

From there you will begin to explore the relationship of form and tone by drawing the model under a range of lighting conditions. Emphasis will be placed on the balance between accuracy, feel, and compositional atmosphere.

As an artist predominantly working with the human form, Luke will also discuss the conceptual possibilities of figurative art. Through group discussions and individual guidance, you will be encouraged to consider your own personal approach to life drawing.

* 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.

• Small sketchbook – A5 or equivalent
• Graphite pencils – HB and 2B
• Charcoal pencil – Medium
• Stanley knife
• White plastic eraser
• 2 bulldog clips
• 1 stick of willow charcoal - large
• 1 stick of compressed charcoal
• 1 stick on Conte - sanguine
• Fixative spray
• 1 pad of A2 cartridge or bond paper
• 2 sheets of brown Craft paper (around 280gsm)
• 1 white pastel pencil or white charcoal pencil
• Enclosed footwear is essential in all studios on campus.

Experienced drawers are encouraged to bring their existing materials and paper preferences.

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. In 2026, Luke will be the artist in residence at the Glasshouse in Port Macquarie, ahead of a solo exhibition there in 2027.