This course aims at introducing students to the fundamental skills of observational painting and the understanding of its formal languages for artistic expression. The course provides training in the coordination of hand and eye and ties them together with critical thinking skills. Emphasis is put on studying basic visual elements, including colour, shape, tone, texture, and pictorial space.  

The majority of class time will be structured around the primary subjects of self-portrait and still life. Students will have the opportunities to train their skills through exercises and assignments. Students will develop visual vocabularies to respond critically to their own works and to strengthen their visual perception skills. Lectures will assist the students to gain familiarity with the technical and conceptual issues central to the practice of observational painting.