Pastel Drawing

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Level of Competency – some
experience recommended, but beginners welcome

Duration of Workshop – 3 days - Thurs. September 22 – Sat. September 24

Cost of workshop - $210 + materials

Dave Groom’s association with World Heritage regions of the Scenic Rim go back many generations. His grandfather, Arthur Groom, founded the iconic Binna Burra Lodge in the Lamington National Park in 1933, which his parents later managed for many years.

Dave remembers the long days of his childhood with great fondness, spent exploring the wonders of the local landscape surrounding the Lodge. Later, he experienced the thrills of rock climbing with his cousin, Michael Groom who successfully scaled Mount Everest.

The natural landscape of this region continues to inspire him. He is captivated by the clarity of the sky, the flash of colour of birdlife and the business of the forest. But it is the fleeting and subtle changes which he most wishes to capture. Dave prefers to work directly from the landscape, avoiding the use of referencing photography, a process which, he believes, provides him with more freedom in his work. Dave has a degree in graphic design from the Queensland College of Art, so he is well schooled in the basics of his art.

Explore the potential of the unique and beautiful features of the Lost World Valley landscape as subject matter for pastel drawings. Working both indoors in a studio situation, and ‘plein air’, as you move out to explore the elements of the local landscape, you will be taught basic skills in the use of line and tone using black pastel at first, then move on to the excitement and atmospheric effect achieved through the use of coloured pastels. Students will be encouraged to explore the elements within the Lost World landscape that are of personal interest, whether it is a grand sweeping view of the mountains or the intricate detail of a mossy rock in the creek bed. Dave will also provide advice on the final presentation of work from the completed portfolio, should students wish to mount and frame their work at a later date.

Drawing boards are essential for participants in this workshop, and they are advised to provide a camp chair, a portable easel, mortar & pestle, ruler, a shallow plastic container for outside use, pastels, paper, eraser, cotton buds, pencils, smudge sticks and 2-3 rags.