Welcome to this month's newsletter. Since last month's newsletter I have opened registration on next year's courses and I only have one place left for North Wales (residential) and both London courses are full. Those on my mailing list are always the first to hear about new course dates so if you are disappointed please contact me below and I will make sure you are on that list for next time. In this month's newsletter you will find:

• Information about the content 5-day Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain course, devised by Dr. Betty Edwards. This includes links for viewing a slideshow of participants' work and reading course feedback.


• UK Course Dates for 2011 Details of courses for next year


• Drawing in Pen and Ink: Be inspired by Vincent Van Gogh and get some tips and advice on drawing in pen and ink.


• What's on in London: A round-up of exhibitions currently on in London


• We're on Facebook Learn to Draw Right now has a page on Facebook


• Drawing Matters Facebook Group has now been created so why not join it and keep in touch with fellow artists around the world...

If your computer only allows you to view a text only version of this newsletter you can see the colour version with colour images here

I hope you will find Drawing Matters interesting and I'd love to hear any comments or suggestions from you. Please feel free to forward it to anyone who you think might be interested. There is a link at the bottom of the page where they can subscribe.
You can contact me here

Anna Black
Certified Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain instructor, operating under license from Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (www.drawright.com)

Course Dates 2011

There is just one place left for Wales and the London courses are full but please contact me if you'd like to be added to a waiting list.

NORTH WALES: 31st April - 5th May 2011 This course is residential

WHERE? Trigonos, Nantlle, North Wales (nearest train station is Bangor) HOW MUCH? £475 plus accommodation and full board

• 35 Hours of teaching
• The Drawing Portfolio (RRP Over £70).
  The contents of the Drawing Portfolio were designed by Dr Betty Edwards and Brian Bomeisler. It includes all the materials you will need for the course, including drawing tools unique to Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. These unique tools were developed by Brian Bomeisler based on those used by the Old Masters. The Portfolio and its contents are yours to take home and keep.
• The Course Fee does not include accommodation or full board. There is an additional cost for this which varies depending on the room.

Find out more and how to book here

• 35 Hours of teaching
• The Drawing Portfolio (RRP Over £70)*see note below.
  

  This course is now full. Please contact me if you'd like to go on a waiting list in case a place becomes available
  
  

  
  
  
  LONDON: 15th - 19th August 2011 This course is full
  
  WHERE? Amadeus Centre, Shirland Road, Little Venice, London W9 HOW MUCH? £475 plus accommodation and full board
  
  

  EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT £50 off Special Course Fee price of £425 if you book and pay in full before 1st April 2011

  
  Course fee includes:
  • 35 Hours of teaching
  • The Drawing Portfolio (RRP Over £70)*see note below.
    

    This course is now full. Please contact me if you'd like to go on a waiting list in case a place becomes available
    
    The contents of the Drawing Portfolio were designed by Dr Betty Edwards and Brian Bomeisler. It includes all the materials you will need for the course, including drawing tools unique to Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. These unique tools were developed by Brian Bomeisler based on those used by the Old Masters. The Portfolio and its contents are yours to take home and keep.
    
    UNITED STATES
    If you are interested in purchasing the portfolio separately or for courses in the United States with Brian Bomeisler, follow the link at the bottom of the page.
    
    MAILING LIST
    If you would like to be among the first to hear about new course dates in the UK as soon as they are announced please contact me to be added to the mailing list.
    
    View a slideshow of student drawings and class photos
    If you are interested in booking for next year but you are still sceptical that you will really learn the basic skills of drawing in just five days, why don't you view a slideshow showing some drawings done by participants on the course here (a new window will open)
    
    
    Read participants' feedback on the course devised by Dr Edwards and taught by Anna Black
    
    
    

    "I learned to 'observe'. I will always 'look' now - I believe this will have an enormous impact on my working and home life...I think the course is a 'must do' for anyone who who wants to be able to draw what they see and not what they think they see. I cannot rate this course highly enough - it is simply superb and a perfect blend of theory, adaptive teaching style and a venue [Trigonos] that can only be described as magical. Obviously the venue is not a 5* hotel but the staff, food, view certtainly are... The course more than met my expectations."
    You can also read some participant feedback and a more indepth account of one participant's experience here (a new window will open)
    

    To find out more about how the course is structured and what you will learn, click here
    
    

    For further information and a booking form, click here
    
    
    Read what the media and other people have thought of Betty Edwards' Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain course here ( a new window will open)
    
    

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    DRAWING IN PEN AND INK

    As well as drawing digitally I've also been doing more portraits in pen and ink recently. Pen and ink represents its own unique challenge as of course you can't erase any mistakes. There is nothing wrong with adjusting, correcting and erasing but I find I benefit from sometimes having to just do it. Things to consider when you are working in pen and ink are:
    
    • There is a huge variety of pens to choose from. On the high street you will find ink pens with varying widths of nib and buying a small selection of a range of these is a good starting point. You can also buy special ink pens for drawing - some come with cartridges others you fill yourself.
    • Ink cartridges are particularly useful if you want to be drawing when you are out and about as they are more practical.
    • You will need to decide if you want permanent or water-based ink. If you want to work with washes of ink you will want to use a water-based ink. If you want to add colour of your own, such as watercolour or watercolour pencils, it is better to have a permanent ink that won't smudge.
    • Ink comes in a variety of colours - the obvious blue and black but also sepia inks can create a lovely effect.
    • You can of course draw with the humble biro too - or even a sharpened stick (a kebab stick is a good size) can be really interesting to use.
    • Consider laying a coloured wash of colour down first if you'd like to and then drawing on top of it (once it's dry). This can create all kinds of serendipitous results.
    • An ink drawing can be simplicity itself - capturing a gesture in a few lines or you can build up with an extended vocabulary of marks that will create depth and interest to your drawing
    
    
    Experimenting with different media is a great way to refresh and invigorate your drawing so if you always use pencil why not try something new. Pen and ink is very portable so great for drawing 'on the hoof'. Be prepared for a learning period when you may feel that you are going backwards but if you persevere it can only improve your drawing skills overall. If you'd like to be inspired you can do no better than look at the ink drawings of Van Gogh - see some here
    
    If you want to spend some time with Van Gogh, there is a great free iphone app developed by the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam which has his letters, drawings, paintings and commentary. It does take up quite a lot of space but is a wonderful resource at your fingerips.

    Find out more here
    
    

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    DON'T MISS IN LONDON

    There are some great exhibitions on at the moment in London:
    • GAUGUIN at the Tate Modern until 16th January 2011
    • DIOR ILLUSTRATED: RENE GRUAU AND THE LINE OF BEAUTY at Somerset House until 9th January 2011.
    • TREASURES FROM BUDAPEST: EUROPEAN MASTERPIECES FROM LEONARDO TO SCHIELE at the Royal Academy until 12th December 2010
    • PIONEERING PAINTERS - THE GLASGOW BOYS 1880-1900 at the Royal Academy until 23rd January 2011. The Royal Academy of Arts presents the first major exhibition in London for over 40 years to celebrate the achievement of the Glasgow Boys, the loosely knit group of young painters who created a stir at home and abroad in the final decades of the nineteenth century.
    • THOMAS LAWRENCE: REGENCY POWER & BRILLIANCE at the National Portrait Gallery until 23rd January 2011. Thomas Lawrence was the greatest British portrait painter of his generation and one of the most celebrated artists in Europe in the early decades of the nineteenth century. This exhibition, the first in the UK for over thirty years, presents fifty-four works drawn from international public and private collections, some never before seen in public.
    
    

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    Visit Learn to Draw Right on Facebook

    Visit Learn to Draw Right on Facebook here
    You can keep in touch by just becoming a Fan by clicking on the relevant button.

    Also, there is now a DRAWING MATTERS FACEBOOK GROUP page you can join. This is interactive and like any group is only as good as its contributors so this is the place you can ask questions, answer other people's questions, share tips etc etc. here
    
    

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    Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain USA

    To find out about Betty Edwards' Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain courses run by Brian Bomeisler in the USA visit www.drawright.com
    

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    www.learn-to-draw-right.com
    Anna Black
    London, UK

    Contact Anna here

    
    
    © Anna Black, London, UK 2007
    Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
    is a registered trademark of
    Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Inc.,
    and is used here under licence

    
    SBI!