Drawing Marathon for Young Artists

The Young Artists Programme, part of The Prince’s Drawing School, recently hosted an exhausting, week-long ‘Drawing Marathon’ for 10-14 year olds. 45 students submitted themselves to five continuous days of drawing. Each day students were presented with different tutors, themes and techniques – making for a challenging week all round.

The tutors were drawn from The School’s Young Artists Programme – an initiative offering serious, sustained drawing tuition to young people from all backgrounds who are passionate about drawing. The entire programme is provided for free.

The Drawing Marathon was a collaboration with The Mall Galleries, who donated a gallery as a base for the week. The National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery and the sights and sounds of central London were only a few paces away.

On Monday, tutors Martin Morris, an animator, and Katia Lom, a fine artist and dancer, explored movement in drawing by asking students to draw a life-model as he jumped and danced around the gallery.

Tuesday saw students working from paintings in The National Gallery, and drawing in Trafalgar square with artists Pippa Ridley and Jaemi Hardy.

On Wednesday students drew a tableau vivant inspired by paintings they’d seen in The National Gallery with Gbenga Ilumoka and Perienne Christian. Others worked with Sam Marshall and Leanne Elliott experimenting with scale, making tiny and huge drawings.

On Thursday, students explored portraiture with Andrew James from the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and artist Daniel Shadbolt.

On Friday, with artists Grant Foster, Jenny Blake, Alessia Avellino and Rowan James, students did life drawing, portraiture, visited the National Gallery again and drew life models in St James’ Park.

The week was completed with an impromptu exhibition of drawings papering the walls of the Mall Galleries. Students’ families and friends came in to view the plethora of artwork, and congratulate the students on surviving the week!
 

Posted 21st August 2008