Sight-Size – Life Drawing

Ages: 18+
Term: Autumn, spring
Length: 10 weeks

Overview

This 10-week course will equip you with the sight-size life drawing skills you need to unleash your inner creativity or enhance your existing capabilities.

To book your place today, simply click the 'Book Now' button to be taken to AUB's secure online store, where you can complete your booking. You can also sign up to our newsletter for short course updates.

About this course

Sight-size drawing is an effective way to train the artist's eye, where the artist stands back from the easel to compare artwork with the subject at the same scale. This method of teaching has been used in Florence since the Renaissance period.

This new 10-week part-time course has been established and developed in collaboration with Dhanraz Ramdharry, an established artist tutor who's previously trained with sight-size specialist Nicholas Beer and Anastasia Pollard. Dhanraz will introduce you to the essential skills and knowledge that underpin all elements of portraiture and life drawing, nurturing and developing your foundational knowledge and experience in furthering your creative success. 

This course will help you develop your skills in knowledge of anatomy, not only covering the principles of gesture and values but also teaching you how to accurately represent your sitter. The course will also focus on portraiture and life drawing with live models and long poses. You'll learn how to plan and develop your understanding of colour theory – in particular flesh tones using a limited palette – how to achieve consistent results and how to develop your creative visual voice and personal style.

This course is perfectly suited to artists who are looking to build upon their existing skills or want to advance their educational journey in accurate representation from eye and seek further qualifications.

Historical overview of sight-sized techniques and relevant artists.
How to accurately represent human form.
Materials, charcoal, oil paint (limited palette – full details given on enrolment).
Colour theory.
Drawing from life.
Sketch Book Development (recording the process).
Talk about your ideas and get constructive feedback.

At the end of the course you'll:

Experiment with charcoal and oil paint to accurately represent life.
Understand different observational drawing processes.
Define and determine which areas you wish to pursue.
Possess improved artistic skills.
Have increased confidence in your own skills and feel inspired.
Have boosted creativity and imagination.
Possess the foundations to continue creating beyond this course.
You can request a certificate to confirm your achievements, providing you've a 100% attendance record. To request a certificate please get in touch with us at academy@aub.ac.uk and confirm your name and the title of course you've completed.

Will I be assessed?

No, there's no formal assessment. You’ll group share your work at the end of each session with the intention to support, inspire and encourage each other’s learning. 

As the course progresses your tutor will measure your overall performance and offer essential guidance and feedback, so you know how you're getting on.

Meet your tutor

Dhanraz Ramdharry

Dhanraz Ramdharry is a Bournemouth-based artist, specialising in portraits, classically trained in sight-sized techniques.

What you need to know

Autumn term 2025 

Monday 6 October – 8 December 2025 (10 Monday evenings, 18.00-21.00)

Spring term 2026 

Monday 12 January – 16 March 2026 (10 Monday evenings, 18.00-21.00)

Age

Suitable for adults aged 18+.

Level

Beginners or anyone with some experience who want to refresh or develop their skills further.

Experience or qualifications required

None – this is an introductory course. We have no formal academic entry requirements for our short courses.

If you'd like to discuss if this course is suitable for you, get in touch with us: academy@aub.ac.uk or 01202 363222.

£369

Any additional costs

You'll need to provide some basic study equipment. This'll incur an additional cost if you need to purchase it for the course. See the 'What to bring to class' section below for full details.

Additional materials and resources will be provided by AUB and is included in your course fee.

A1 Canson drawing paper (white) 
A2 cartridge paper (white) 
Sugar paper 
Drawing pencils 2B-6B 
Plastic type eraser 
Putty type eraser (preferably Lyra or Faber Castell) 
White and coloured chalk 
Nitram charcoal sticks (HB and B): your tutor will advise on your first session
Soft graphite sticks/crayons 
Oil paints: your tutor will advise on your first session

A student stands painting two cherries in a sketch book.

Suggested Suppliers

Information about resourcing specialist materials/consumables that you may need to bring these with you

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AUB Academy FAQs – Evening and Weekend and Saturday Art School

If you have any questions about our Evening and Saturday Short Courses, you may find the answers in here.

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Please read our Terms and Conditions carefully before booking onto our Evening and Weekend courses.

Book your place today

Book now

Life drawing gallery

Painting of a man with a bard wearing a brown and white fleece and white T-shirt, holding a sword in one hand, the blade leant on his shoulder.

Close-up of a portrait of a man with a beard and a fleece jacket being painted. The model is visible on the left.

An artist in the middle of painting a full-length portrait of G Farquhar.

Full-length colour portrait of Mayor G Farquhar sitting in a chair next to a dog. The background of the portrait is a line drawing only.

Portrait of a young woman in Medieval-style costume petting a dog and holding the pommel of a sword.

An artist viewed from the back in the process of drawing a woman's face. The model is visible in the background.

A framed portrait of a woman wearing a white blouse holding a tea cup and saucer, and the model sitting next to it.

Man in navy suit with purple tie standing in ornate room with dark dog, framed paintings on white walls, decorative furniture.

Nude figure drawing in charcoal and pastels showing seated woman with curly hair against dark background, pale flesh tones on cream paper.

Oil painting of nude female figure standing centrally on muted grey-beige background with soft purple and pink tones.

Charcoal drawing of nude woman with curly hair seated on draped fabric, rendered in grey tones on light paper.

Painted nude figure study with pink flesh tones against muted grey-green background, standing pose with hand on hip.

Classical oil painting of nude male figure holding white skull, standing against grey-brown background with stone ledge.

Bearded man in dark suit sits on chair beside large portrait painting of similarly posed bearded figure, ornate room with patterned wallpaper.

Beyond the course

This could just be the start of your creative journey! After this course, you could further your artistic skills with another short course or look to the future and explore our creative qualifications that can prepare you to further your current career, enable you to retrain to an alternative career path or prepare you for future creative arts studies.