| Course Code | SC2003053 |
|---|---|
| Tutor | Valentina Zlatarova |
| Course Dates | Monday - Thursday, 29th March -1st April 2021 |
| Days | 4 |
| Times | 10.00am – 4.00pm |
| Experience Level | Advanced |
| Fee | £365 |
| Location | Art Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HR |
Portrait sculpture is an immensely absorbing and enjoyable discovery with every new sitter. This course aims to build upon your previous experience [Intermediate/Advanced] to further how to observe and translate your observation into a clay portrait sculpture from a life model. Refresh, renew or find alternative ways of looking through group and individual discussion with your experienced tutor, Valentina Zlatarova, trained at the Florence Academy of Art, Italy. Whether setting out a head from a structural point of view with a clear path of constructive method and/or searching for a more expressive manner of approach, you will benefit from exploring with a professional sculptor to help build upon your own sculptural expression.
Valentina’s approach to this course will be to focus on an observational approach to sculpting from life, informed by academic practice, and will encourage the student to develop a highly personal and considered response to the human form. Students will be invited to address the exciting challenges in representing the character of the sitter and encouraged to discover artistic solutions to making a resolved portrait.
During the course you will cover
- Observation
- Capturing a likeness
- Taking measurements
By the end of this course you will:
- Appreciate the complexity of the head in terms of form and features
- Understand how to examine the head from all angles
- Use drawing to assist the sculptural process, particularly drawing the profile of the head
- Use an armature (bust-peg)
- Use a basic measurement system to set up the form of the head
- Build up a life-size portrait head in clay using fingers as well as tools
What level is this course?
This course is suitable for students at our Advanced level.
Other course levels include:
All attendees must be aged 18 or over.
What should I bring?
You should bring as much from the below list as possible. In some cases we can provide selected equipment:
- Wooden and/or metal modelling tools
- Callipers for measuring (medium-sized)
- Metal ruler and/or tape measure
- Wire cutter
- Water spray bottle
- Cocktail sticks
- Barbecue sticks
- Masking tape
- Hand-held mirror
- Black bin liner
- Drawing implement (pencil, pen, or charcoal)
- Sketchpad / loose leaf paper
- Apron or old clothing
- Camera for documenting your progress
At the end of the course students are given the option to leave their sculptures for hollowing and firing. There is a charge of £20 for hollowing and £20 for firing. Hollowing is necessary before a piece can be fired and the piece should normally be ready for collection about 8-10 weeks after the course ends. This is payable by card only before leaving the course. A form will need to be completed.
Note: you will need to bring your own life-size bust-peg/armature if you wish to take away your work and are not leaving it to be hollowed out and fired. The Art Academy provides bust pegs for the course, but these cannot be taken away as they are needed for future courses. There will not be an option to purchase these. You would need to decide how you are going to take your sculpture home (if you are not leaving it for hollowing and firing). The best way is to carry in the boot of a car with ballast to weigh-down the base (bags of clay are ideal) or on the backseat with a pillow between the sculpture and car seat.
About Your Tutor
VALENTINA ZLATAROVA
Valentina was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Having expressed an interest in art from an early age Valentina began her formal artistic education at the age of 13 at Tzanko Lavrenov School of Art, Plovdiv. Following her graduation in 2004 she pursued her interest in figurative sculpture at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy where she studied sculpture, drawing and painting, and later joined the faculty as a drawing instructor. In 2007 Valentina established herself as a professional sculptor in London, during which time she won the Founders’f Sculpture Prize and twice received the Tiranti Prize for portraiture from the Society of Portrait Sculptors. From 2008-2012 she worked as a principal instructor in sculpture and drawing at the London Atelier of Representational Art in London. Valentina is joining the teaching faculty at Barcelona Academy of Art from January 2015. Valentina’s work is featured in public and private collections worldwide.
WEBSITE
Location
Mermaid Court
165A Borough High Street
London SE1 1HR
tel: +44 (0) 207407 6969
Nearest Tube/ Rail: London Bridge or Borough (both a 5 minute walk).
Please note that London Bridge has two exits, the most direct route is to follow signs to “Borough High Street”.
Refreshments and Facilities
Access to a common room and kitchen is limited while distancing measures are in place. It can be used by up to 12 people (from the same class) at scheduled break times only. The kitchen can be used by 1 person at a time for hand washing and waste disposal facilities only.
Students are currently not able to use the kitchen to prepare hot drinks and/or food. Students are able to use the coffee machine, where free hot water, and paid-for hot drinks are available. The payment is contactless.
Mugs are not available for use, and students are strongly encouraged to bring their own reusable mugs if they wish to use the coffee machine.
There is a wealth of supermarkets, shops and cafes in the area as well as the world famous Borough Food Market just moments from our Mermaid Court location.
We are always striving to improve our facilities but due Mermaid Court being an old building we have limited disability access. Should you have any access requirements please speak to a member of the Academy team before booking the course.
Further Details
- You will need to have paid in full before the first session of your class. Your place is not guaranteed until we have received full payment. Please book early in order to guarantee your place on the course.
- If you purchased a pack online this will be given to you on the first session of your course upon your arrival. Packs can be purchased on our Materials Page or on the individual course page when you make your booking.
- Please don’t wear your best clothes as there is always a chance you will get messy. If possible bring an apron or overalls.
- All artwork MUST be taken home at the end of the course or it will be disposed of. Paintings that need to dry should be collected within a week. For clay sculptures that need hollowing and firing, you will receive a separate email when they can be collected.
- Please ensure that your mobile phone is switched off or is on silent during the class.
- Health and Safety Guidelines will be provided to you at the beginning of your class.
- Sometimes our photographer will pop in to get some images of our classes in progress. We will typically inform you beforehand if photography is taking place during your class; if you do not want to be photographed please let the photographer know!
- To find out more about what’s going on at the Academy follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. If you’d like to share images of your course, your progress or your finished work we’d love to see them! Please bear in mind you must have the permission of tutors, other students and models to photograph them.
- If you would like more information or advice on courses at the Academy please contact shortcourses@artacademy.org.uk.
- For further details please see our Short Courses: Regulations & Policies page.
Kim Whitby