Shirley’s work and study life in LFAS
I’m a kind of lucky person that finds a full-time job immediately when postgraduate from Camberwell College of Arts. And, even fortunately, the workplace is an art school with a strong artistic atmosphere, and also a warm family that everyone gets along with harmony.
From July 2019, you will notice that there was a new girl in Chinese face working in the coffee area in the shop, that is me!
At that time, I was still in an ignorant state that I had never worked formally before. Thanks to Ann and Scott’s absolute tolerance and understanding, Anna’s detailed handover and explanation of my work, and millions of help from Emma, Nada and other colleagues. I quickly adapted to and familiar with the school and my position.
I’m so happy that Ann provided me with this opportunity for studying foundation course here. Even though my majors are Art and Design and Illustration in my grad- and post-graduation. However, I never received professional and systematic fundamental art training before, either in China or after coming to Britain. I moved to England since high school, art subjects from high school to university here are mainly self-learning research, there is no professional art training of drawing and still life courses like in Chinese art schools. My drawing and painting skills and knowledge are acquired through self-study and practice. As a result, I have never been so confident in my professional skills.
And in the university, people still take the contemporary and modern art as the leading role, and pay more attention to the concept and effect of expression, as well as the meaning that the artist intends to convey and interact with the public, and also the resonance from the audience. The technique is the secondary. However, I still reckon that if you want to successfully express your ideas through artwork, a skilful technique is indispensable. Whether it is abstract painting or freehand brushwork, all the evolution should be based on a solid foundation and artistic aesthetic.
Studying foundation course in LFAS is a great opportunity for me to start to learn the basics of traditional painting systematically. Besides, I always think that the way of traditional Chinese and western oil painting and the final presentation is slightly different, and I have always been curious to find out the steps and methods of traditional western painting. So next, I will give you a brief introduction to my learning achievements and feelings in the 10-week foundation course I have done in LFAS.
我在London Fine Art Studios工作和学习的日子 – Shirley
我应该算是很幸运的，在研究生一毕业就找到了一份相对稳定的工作。并且是在一个艺术氛围很浓，同事学生们都相处和睦，温暖的环境。
从2019年7月份开始，在商店的咖啡机旁的电脑前你就会看到一个新的有着中国面孔的小姑娘-在忙碌，那就是我。那时的我还处在一个初来乍到从来没有正式工作过没有什么经验的懵懂状态。幸好有Ann和Scott的绝对包容理解，除了上一任准备离职的小姐姐Anna对我的工作的详细交接和解答，还有同事Emma, Nada和其他老师的帮助，让我很快适应并熟悉了学校和我的职务。
很开心Ann给了我可以在这里学习foundation的机会。因为我虽然本科和研究生都在英国的大学里学的艺术设计和插画的专业，但是我其实之前，无论是在中国还是来英国后从来没有接受过专业系统的绘画训练。英国从高中到大学的艺术类学科也都是以自我学习研究为主，没有像中国那样有专业的素描速写静物课。我的绘画技能和知识基本上是通过自我学习和练习而成的。所以，我一直对我的专业技能没有那么自信。并且在大学里，大家还是以当代现代艺术为主导，更多讲究的是表达效果和理念，还有想要传达的意思以及和观众的互动和共鸣。对技法的要求放在其次。但是我还是觉得，如果想成功的用艺术作品来表达思想，娴熟的技法是不可或缺的。无论是抽象画或是写意派，还是当代一些泼画艺术，一切的演变都是应该建立在扎实的功底和艺术审美之上。
在LFAS学习foundation是一个很好的机会让我开始系统的开始学习传统绘画基础。并且我一直觉得中西方的传统绘画的方式和最终呈现效果也是稍有不同的，我也一直都很好奇西方传统绘画的薄画法的步骤方法是什么。接下来我会为大家简单介绍展示一下我在foundation 10周课的学习成果和感受。
1-3 Weeks Foundation Course – Shirley’s work and study life in LFAS
The Foundation Course is compulsory for all newcomers who want to study at LFAS, regardless of your art level and experience. The school has a special and systematic teaching method. After mastering it, it can be used in all subsequent art creations, whether it is the control of the object’s structure, composition, the use of colour or the contrast between light and dark.
The first two classes, tutors will demonstrate the introduction step-by-step, and ask us to practice by drawing the structure, shape and proportion of the geometric blocks with straight drawing lines. To observe and feel the overall size and proportion with eyes, and determine the fixed height of the top and bottom on the paper, then to determine the overall width. Use drawing lines to connect points and points to find out the relationship between each object. In the class, we will repeatedly practice the proportions of shapes and compositions by changing the placement of objects and changing the shapes of objects, for example, from a geometric block to a still life bottle or some simple shape torsos.
The third class, tutors will teach us to only consider the light and shadow. Continue to use the straight-line method to draw out the shadow side and fill in all the dark side of the object with charcoal, which also mixes with the background’s shadow. This can be more intuitive to deepen the observation of the structure of the object.
The female torso charcoal drawing below is what I did after several shadow block practices. Tutors taught us how to use different levels of values to represent different body brightness and darkness. By daubing with the fingers to make the connection between each part more natural and closer to the object we are drawing. It is a very exciting and enjoyable process to watch my work gradually getting better by daub the charcoal and correct the values to get close to the drawn object.
前三周的Foundation课程 – 我在London Fine Art Studios工作和学习的日子
无论你之前是否有美术基础，在LFAS都要从foundation开始学习。学校会有一套专有的系统的教学方法。在熟练掌握之后可以运用到之后的所有的创作中，无论是对结构的把控，还是光影的明暗对比。
前两节课，老师会演示并让我们从画几何块的结构、形状、比例关系来练习。先用眼睛观察并感受好一个大概的整体大小与比例，并在纸上确定好上下的固定高度，由此再来确定整体的宽度，并通过调节各物体间的宽窄距离关系来找准形状，通过物体间点与点的连线来找寻物体间的前后大小关系。课上会通过改变物体的摆放位置，和更换不同形状的物体，例如从长方形块到瓶子形状的静物或简单的人体雕塑来反复对形状比例的掌控进行练习。
第三节课，老师会教我们只考虑亮暗两面，继续用直线的的方法勾出暗面并涂上阴影，并将人体塑像上的暗面与背景的暗面相融合。这样可以更加直观的加深对人体结构的观察掌握。下面图中的作品是在通过几次的阴影色块练习后，老师教我们如何用不同的深浅值来表现身体的不同亮度。通过用手指的涂抹来使各处的衔接更自然更接近所画的人体。看着自己的作品在阴影和涂抹中逐渐完善接近所画的塑像是个非常兴奋和享受的过程。
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