Course via Zoom and a community platform
Dates - (2025) June 28, July 5, 12, 19 4x 2hour classes 1600-1800 London time
If you have purchased this course, please check your filtered mail for joining instructions which will be sent 14 days before the course start date.
Due to the popularity of the SHAPE Drawing course 2024, it is returning for 2025 with those same core concepts but different activities and references. So, if you want to learn to utilise shape in your drawing, this 4 week course will develop your awareness of its role for movement, form, mapping, composition and structure - the Gambrell way
The course is a focus on shape within my work and being able to identify, use and take control of it.
Shape is a key part of my drawing/painting as it allows me to build form, summarise elements and really manage aspects of a piece compositionally.
We'll look at adjusting reference to make interpretation more dynamic by looking at it at a more graphic level - and understanding its impact on the viewer.
NEW: FEEDBACK TIER students can now choose written feedback or schedule a 20 minute zoom call each week to share work and discuss progress.
Format: 4 x Zoom classes of 120 minutes with demos and Q&As and community forum on Discord
(all classes - Saturdays 1600-1800 GMT) - all classes recorded so you can catch up or watch again.
Class topics week by week:
Week 1 (June 28): Identifying
– seeing the shapes within objects such as faces, bodies and landscapes – learning to isolate structure. We ask ourselves – how do those shapes appear? Is it through colour, or perhaps negative space? I’ll be training you to ‘see’ shape.
Week 2 (July 5): Understanding
– using shapes to map out a composition, to be able to build larger shapes and their relationship to each other by using smaller shapes. We ask ourselves – how can the shapes of planes help me to understand the area an object occupies in a 3 dimensional space? And, how shapes can help you to replicate an object again from different angles using sculpting techniques.
Week 3 (July 12): Taking control
– looking at the power of shapes over composition. We will look at types of shapes and their placement and ask ourselves – how can we manipulate these to create tension, balance or movement? How can we dictate the journey of the viewer’s eye through our drawings?
Week 4 (July 19): Bringing it all together – seeing, understanding and having control over shapes allows us to lay the functional basis of our drawing and we can then ask ourselves – how can I apply texture, colour and mark-making to bring the finishing touch to our work? We will produce work mixing in media to finish your work and our ‘shape’ course.
Who is it for: Novice to intermediate artists
You must be over 18 years old
Materials: We'll be working with general art materials. - A4 and A3 paper and a good range of coloured pencils, pencils, markers, soft pastels etc.
Pricing:
Standard tier £85.00 - includes all of the above
Feedback tier £135.00 (10 spaces)- includes all of the above + personalised weekly feedback either written or a scheduled 20 minute zoom call each week and private discord channel
Previous courses I've taught:
FACES Painted
FIGURES Clothed A fashion focus course
CATS Double workshop
FACES Vivid edition
FACES the Gambrell way
SUMMER Drawing course
FORM Drawing course
SHAPE Drawing course
Bring play into your work 1 & 2 (with Riso chan)
Bring colour into your work (with Riso chan)
FIDA - Fashion illustration lecturer
DOMESTIKA – Expressive pastel portraits
Please note that images are from the 2024 course and the new course will start with new activities and reference and be planned around the needs of the 2025 class.
What students have said about my courses:
Student from the FIGURES Clothed course : 'You truly are a great tutor, Chris. You put so much heart and soul into preparing content that addresses specific learning needs, choosing appropriate reference images, and cultivating a supportive community. Am truly truly grateful' and 'Honestly, to me, you've redefined what is
"possible" regarding online art education'
Student from FACES course 'Student from the 'FACES' Course: 'This is definitely the best art course I've ever taken' .
Student from the SUMMER course: "I have to say this class has some of the most useful information on color I've heard in a long long time. Will definitely rewatch it! Thank you for a great class."
Student from the SHAPE course: "You actually, really teach, with a clear curriculum." and "please do more classes! I've taken tons in the past few years, and you are, hands-down, the best Zoom teacher I've seen.'
Student from the SHAPE course: "I really like your approach because you didn't reference other teachers - it is truly unique and more valuable. I appreciate all the pre work you do, your powerpoints and videos. I will be referring to them again and again and I will be back for more."
