Spread over 2 full days, this course will give you an insight into the principles of designing images with tonal values in mind.

Ever wondered why one artwork sings whilst another just looks ordinary? The answer is in black and white!

‘Notan’ is a Japanese word used to describe the balance of light and shade in a painting. Although most of us are unaware of it, the pattern of light and dark in a picture is the single most influential factor in our appreciation of any artwork.  Through a series of exercises and demonstrations we will learn how to design successful pictures every time.

This workshop is a real must for anyone looking to improve their understanding of how to make a picture feel balanced, interesting and memorable.

Using ‘notan’ you can determine whether a picture will succeed or fail in just 2 minutes!

How it works

Sessions will include slide lectures, live demonstrations, group chats and individual feedback. The workshops will run in small groups of no more than 20 people, just like a real workshop, they will operate in ‘real time’ for a whole day, just as though you had joined me in person.

We will meet live on Zoom at 12pm for the first ‘class’ of the day. Then you will be given time to complete an exercise. You may upload your work to a private group chat where I will give feedback on each person’s work before the next session. You will all be able to see everyone’s feedback and can contribute your ideas as well. We will meet again on Zoom for the next part of the course. Each class will be recorded and available for participants to watch later if you are unable to join at that time. 

What you will need:

• A laptop, Macbook, PC, iPad or tablet

• A small sketchbook A5 or A4 is fine

• An HB and a 6B pencil or graphite sticks, or ideally a grey and a black brush pen like these

• A ruler and an eraser