Art Portfolio for 15 - 17 Year Olds

Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm, one week

Art encourages you to be a spontaneous, original thinker and have a great imagination.

Spark your creativity and express yourself on this exciting, experimental course.

You will have the opportunity to explore both 2D and 3D contemporary art techniques and use unconventional materials whilst developing your own unique style.

Course Description

Perfect for artists who enjoy trying new things, this course is a great way to develop your portfolio if you are thinking about further studies.

It’s also an ideal way to build your confidence and work on your creative skills, gaining a real hands-on experience of what it's like to be an art student at university.

You’ll undertake a series of exercises in the studio that will incorporate drawing, painting, sculpting, printmaking and surface design; and then work on a personal project using the techniques you have most enjoyed.

During this course you will:

• draw from observation, concentrating on proportion, line and tone
• practise mark making with different tools and materials
• understand colour theory through painting
• learn how to demonstrate your approach to idea generation and research skills
• explore mixed media techniques
• take part in both group discussions and one-to-one tutorials
• develop your practical skills in 3D techniques (such as simple casting)
• be encouraged to practise new ways of working
• record and reflect on your work throughout the course
• receive guidance on portfolio development.

You will also gain an understanding of contemporary artists and their working methods by visiting a local art gallery.

You’ll discuss the artists’ approach and consider how this can inform you own ways of working.

What will you gain?

By the end of the course you will have a visual record of your experiments that will be perfect for your portfolio.

You will be able to demonstrate your ideas and research skills and feel confident in discussing and presenting your work.

You will also leave with new ideas and a greater understanding of the processes and materials used in art, so you can continue to develop your skills.

Level: Open to all

Entry requirement: You should have an enthusiasm for drawing and painting and an interest in developing your creative and technical skills.

Where you’ll learn: You will be based in the School of Art and Design on the City Campus.

You'll find bright drawing and painting studio and workshop spaces to develop your ideas and create exciting work.

You’ll also have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.

Here’s what our previous attendees said:

'Really, really enjoyed this course, it’s been one of the best weeks I’ve had. Thank you' AG

'The tutor James was excellent, and always made sure everyone was happy and knew what to do. We were free to try things and got useful feedback.' AH

'James has been really supportive and amazing, and a good social environment to make friends.' ES

'I loved the fact we could choose which area of art we wanted to go into more.' CM

'A really insightful and exciting week.' IM

'Thank you for an amazing experience' MDR

'I chose this course to prepare for A level Art. It was fantastic, the tutor was great and I enjoyed using the univeristy space'

'This course has given me vital knowledge and allowed me to experiment with different painting mediums' RH

Tutor profile: James Gant has been teaching painting and drawing at various educational institutions for the past 14 years after completing his degree in fine art.

He works as a freelance artist on a range of exciting projects including films, book illustrations and murals as well as his own personal work.

He has vast experience in teaching creative painting and drawing techniques to all skill levels and feels it important that the learner understands the potential of the materials so that they can explore and express themselves in an exciting and personal way.

Need accommodation?

If you're aged 16 or 17 then you can stay unaccompanied with agreement from a parent/guardian.

To support safeguarding, all guests aged 16 and 17 will be accommodated together in the same halls of residence.

The reception and security team are available 24 hours, and there will be a dedicated supervisor(s) during the evenings and mornings, outside of class times.

Guests will be provided with a mobile number for the supervisor(s) during their stay.

If you're aged 15 then you can stay as long as you are accompanied by a parent/guardian.

Find out more at www.ntu.ac.uk/summeraccommodation

Doing your Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award?

This course can count as your Gold DofE Residential.

DofE participants must book both the course and accommodation on campus for this to count towards your Gold Award.

Looking to turn your one-week course into a two-week experience?

If you can match this with any second course, you’ll receive a 10% refund on your course fees.

You might be interested in:

Digital Fine Art for 15 - 17 Year Olds

Photography Portfolio for 15 – 17 Year Olds

Any questions?

Contact the short course team:

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2813