A Family Day of Art in Cornwall: From Sketching to Painting
There is something rather special about spending an entire day making art together, and I recently had the pleasure of doing exactly that with this lovely family while they were staying in Polzeath, Cornwall.
Rather than concentrating on producing one particular finished artwork, the day gave us the opportunity to explore two very different but closely connected sides of art: drawing and painting.
Learning to See Before Learning to Draw
We began the morning with sketching, looking particularly at faces and at the difference between drawing what we think something looks like and learning to observe what is actually in front of us.
We explored proportion, observation, light and shade and some of the fundamental knowledge that helps an artist translate a three-dimensional world onto a two-dimensional piece of paper.
This is an important part of the way I teach. I am not interested in teaching somebody to reproduce my drawing or copy my particular style. I want them to understand why something looks the way it does.
From Charcoal to Brushes and Paint
In the afternoon, we swapped drawing materials for brushes and moved on to painting.
Now we could take that same observation and apply it to colour, brushwork, landscape, sea and sky. Living and working as an artist in Cornwall gives us a wonderful classroom, with the Cornish landscape providing endless opportunities to explore how light, colour, atmosphere and distance affect what we see.
And the results were wonderful.
What I particularly loved was that each piece remained completely individual. Each person had been given knowledge and guidance, but the decisions and the artwork remained their own.
A Family Learning Art Together
Mum joined in too, which made this a genuine family day of learning, painting and creating together.
Art can be a wonderful shared experience across generations. You do not all need to have the same ability, experience or artistic style to learn together. In fact, seeing how differently several people interpret the same information can be fascinating.
Whether someone is 8, 18 or 80, understanding the fundamentals can completely change what they are able to see and, importantly, what they are then able to translate onto paper or canvas.
The Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation of Art
I often describe the fundamentals as the grammar, spelling and punctuation of art.
When you understand those foundations, you are no longer dependent upon copying somebody else's picture or following instructions mark by mark. You have knowledge that you can take away and apply to your own artwork, subjects and ideas.
That is where developing your own artistic voice really begins.
Knowledge gives us choices. Understanding gives us freedom.
I offer private art lessons and family art experiences in Mawgan Porth and around Cornwall, as well as online art lessons for people further afield. My teaching is designed to help beginners and experienced artists alike understand the fundamentals of art rather than simply learning to copy a finished picture.
If you are visiting Cornwall and would like to make art part of your holiday, lessons can be arranged for individuals, couples, families and your own group of friends or family.
