:::::::: ARTY CLASSY :::::::: SYDNEY SKETCH CLUB and LIFE DRAWING ART CLASSES BLOG ::: Nude and Figure Drawing With Tony Johansen

Life Drawing With Passion

Life Drawing art class and Sketch Club is very different in a small studio. There are places where you need to take binoculars in order to see the model well and other places that have attitude that can be intimidating for us mere mortals.

 

At East Sydney Academy of Art we have a friendly and welcoming studio in which the passion of more experienced artists is infectious and inspiring for those who are nearer the beginning of their artistic journey.

 

Art should be fun and the learning process an exciting exploration. Sometimes we all struggle with simple things but that is where good humor comes in. It is important to feel the positive in our work because we can build on those strengths and chart our progress as time goes by.

 

 

 

 

 Welcome to the best little Sketch Club and Life Drawing Art Class in Sydney. It is the place on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evening to unwind from the stress of the world, be inspired by the passion of your fellow students, and release that creative energy that is deep inside all of us.

For all schedule information and the latest class news visit our web site:

www.SydneyArtClass.com

 

Tues / Wed / Thur  6:30 - 9:00pm

Level 2/189 William Street Darlinghurst 

Phone 0415 254 793

 

 

Art is a social activity and so we are active on social media. We often tweet or upload photos directly from the class to Twitter and Facebook. It is a great way to keep in touch with what is happening in Sketch Club and Art Class and to see the latest photos.

 

Follow us on Twitter: @SydneyArtClass

 

"Like" us on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/SydneyArtClass

 

 

Figure Drawing at East Sydney Academy of Art

Meet Tony

 

Welcome to my studio in William Street. My name is Tony Johansen, although these days I sign my paintings TonyJohansen.com Life drawing here in the Garret has that special extra magic that comes from beautiful surroundings and good music. The teaching is classically based and I accept beginners as well as advanced artists. Many of my students and sketch club artists have been coming for a long time because they enjoy the unique experience of drawing at East Sydney Academy of Art. You are welcome to come share the inspiration with us.

 

Part of the special magic of the Sketch Club and Life Drawing Classes here is that is is my professional studio and guests in the studio get to see work in progress. Most recently (update in 2011) was the commission to do a large painting for a new music center in Poland. The painting took six months to complete and students and Sketch Club artists were able to see the progress as the painting developed.

 

This YouTube video documents the development of the painting and reveals its relationship with the music of Chopin, and the Philharmonic Orchestra in Olsztyn, Poland. The video also indirectly reveals a great deal about my artistic philosophy.

 

 

Welcome To The Studio

This is where it all happens on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at East Sydney Academy of Art for life drawing. A somewhat different experience to other life drawing groups, here the classes are accompanied by chilled jazz, an art appreciation talk and an intimate studio where artists are up close to the model.

 

Loosely based on the studio of Leonardo da Vinci, it follows the advice of Leonardo that a studio should be filled with a sensuous mixture of art, music and discussion. Several of the artists enjoy a red wine while they draw and all participate in the friendly mood of the drawing space.

 

The intimacy also stems from the size of  the space, it is within a metre each way the ideal size for a studio as recorded by Leonardo in his note books. He said that small studio's breed discipline. He is right there, but what he did not say is that small studios also breed a special relationship between artists and models.

It is a pleasure to be part of such a long tradition and to benefit from such wise words.

 

This video shows life drawing class in our studio and reveals the beautiful creativity of artists as they follow their personal artistic journeys.

 

 

A Scot's Passion For Art

Iain and Mel have been coming to draw for several years. One of them started first, I don't remember which,  and invited his mate to join him. The Scots accents and humour has become the most natural thing in the studio, and we were very concerned earlier in the year when Mel had to undergo by-pass surgery. Even before he was fully recovered, and we had to help him with his gear up the stairs, he was back at his easel. Meanwhile Iain has taken the plunge to opening his own studio and gallery in Balmain, and fullfilling his life long dream of living life as an artist.

 

The YouTube video shows Mel talking about a drawing holiday he took in Europe. When he returned he showed drawings to students and talked about his motivations as an artist. His passion and exuberance for art is very apparent in the video. He has been coming to Sketch Club for many years now and he is a much loved part of our artistic family in the studio at East Sydney Academy of Art.

 

 

 

2011 - Another Great Year And A New Web Site

Life drawing at East Sydney Academy of Art has been the exciting hub for figure drawing  near the CBD for nearly 10 years now. After all this time we finally have a web site devoted to the Sketch Club and Life Drawing art classes. Go to:

www.SydneyArtClass.com

There you will find all the latest news and scheduling information. It is a great site. I started it back in 2008 so there has been plenty of time to get it right. Students have been very generous in writing the best testimonials I could wish for.

 

A feature of the site is the extensive gallery of albums of photos from Sketch Club and life drawing classes. I know that students and sketch clubbers both past and present have been spending a lot of time looking through those photo albums and enjoying the special memories of particular classes and artworks that went well, and the general joy of coming into the studio with other artists to scratch the creative itch.

 

This link for the Sydney Art Class and Sketch Club Site Map will take you to whatever info you need for our life drawing sessions:

Sketch Club and Life Drawing Class Site Map

 

 

Testimonials

Our Sketch Club and Life Drawing Art Classes attract enthusiastic artists who are passionate about the studio as well as their artwork. When creating the new web site at SydneyArtClass.com several wrote wonderful testimonials for the class and art studio. Here is the link to the testimonials page on that site.

Testimonials

 

 

 

Schedule & Fees

Now to the practical stuff of When? How much? Where? and What to bring?

 

Life Drawing Class and Sketch Club Times:

Both class and Sketch Club are held together during school terms.

Tuesday:         6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Wednesday:   6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Thursday:       6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

 

2011 Term Dates

Term One:      1 February  -  6  April

Term Two:      26 April      -  29 June

Term Three:   19 July         -  21 September

Term Four:     4 October   -  7 December

 

Yes, there are sketch clubs during some holiday periods so phone Tony on 0415 254 793 and ask  or check the news section here for any announcements: News

 

 

Life Drawing Class and Sketch Club Fees:

Sketch Club:     

                  $12 per drawing session

 

Life Drawing Class*:

                   $300 per 10 week term when paying in advance

                   $35 per class if paying for more than one but less than ten

                   $40 per class if paying for just one class

 *Students are all taught individually and so can start at any part of the term. Suitable for both beginners and advanced students.

 

Private Tuition:

                   $100 per hour or part thereof

 

Basic materials for beginners include cartridge paper, natural charcoal, and a kneaded eraser. More info on materials used in classes here:

 

SydneyArtClass.com/Materials.

 

The image below reminds me that we do allow the use of wet media such as ink, watercolor, gouache, and acrylic in sketch club and life drawing art classes but we do not permit solvent based materials like oil paint. Sorry, but we have to consider the health of fellow students and solvents can be nasty when in the air which is hard to avoid. 

 

Links

www.SydneyArtClass.com

Your full featured web site for all the latest news on art classes, life drawing, and sketch club figure drawing at East Sydney Academy of Art.

www.TonyJohansen.com

The art of Tony Johansen in one great site.

www.DiaryOfAnArtist.com

The personal journey of an artist in this digital world.

 www.HensNightIdeas.com

A Sydney Arty Party in a real artist's studio. What could be better for celebrating hens parties, birthday parties, and girls nights out.

www.SydneyArtyParty.com

All the latest photos and testimonials from guests at Sydney Hens Night Arty Parties.