Life Drawing from Observation Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply observational techniques to accurately capture proportions and spatial relationships of still-life and figure subjects.
• Demonstrate use of line, contour, and gesture to convey form and movement in life drawing.
• Analyze tonal values and light sources to render three-dimensional form through shading.
• Evaluate compositional balance and focal points in observational drawings.
• Implement a structured drawing process from initial blocking-in to refined rendering.
• Apply perspective and foreshortening principles to create depth and realism.

Target Audience

Aspiring artists, designers, illustrators, and any professionals seeking to improve their observational drawing skills. No prior drawing experience is required.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment. No prior drawing experience required.

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

Practical sessions form the core of this course, providing hands-on drawing time with live models. Learners apply theoretical knowledge in real-time, developing observation skills, technique, and artistic confidence through supervised practice.

Practical Activities

• Gesture and Contour Drawing — Rapid gesture drawings and contour exercises with live models, focusing on capturing movement and form quickly. (8h)
• Anatomy and Proportion Studies — Structured drawing sessions emphasizing skeletal landmarks, muscle groups, and proportional measurement using live models. (12h)
• Value and Shading Practice — Extended poses with strong lighting to practice rendering form through value, including hatching, cross-hatching, and blending. (10h)
• Extended Pose and Portfolio Piece — A sustained drawing session (2-3 hours) to produce a polished, detailed figure drawing integrating all learned skills. (10h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.