Drawing, Exploring, Composition - William Forrestall

instructor - William forrestall

august 9 - 10

Course cost - $200

Class size - 10

course description

Turning reality into something more than just a replication of subject but into a fascinating depiction of the commonplace is at the core of this course. Drawing is the place to go to unlock your imagination.

Students will be asked to render a realistic drawing of an object and from that rendering they will proceed to alter and change the object through various techniques and place it into a composition that not only represents the students interpretation of object but also the students compositional imagination.

For William the very foundation of creativity and bringing your vision to life is drawing. 

To help you explore the medium of drawing students will receive a copy of William's book Broken Jaw. To preview in advance click here.

course detail

Progressively, over the two days of this course students will

- render a recognizable three dimensional object. For those students unfamiliar with the tricks of rendering three dimensional objects the instructor will guide you through the process of simplification and rendering techniques. Rendering the object from different angles will also help you to further understand the objects thus making you comfortable for the next step. You may be asked to draw as second or third object.

-  explore the image using various techniques to embellish, or simplify the object using exaggeration, density, light.

- construct a composition that celebrates the object in a compelling scenario using simplification, contrasting perspectives, repetition and division.

required materials

Please bring

large sketch book

pencils at various levels of hard/soft

drawing pens

Three objects that hold fascination for you, that you find intriguing, whose shape/form speaks to you..

about the instructor

"When facing the expanse of a blank sheet of paper , my first impulse is to inscribe it with some kind of meaning, a first mark , a line that leads to more lines , a smudge that fosters more smudges. Drawing is a process of reduction , from the infinite  possibilities of a blank sheet of paper to the specifics of a finished drawing , each new mark creating an emerging and evermore distinct and unique reality. "

William Forrestall I has been using egg tempera paint for most of his career His iconic still life paintings have been recognized for their unique contribution to contemporary art in over 150 solo and group exhibitions as well as a career retrospective at the New Brunswick Museum in 2009, accompanied by publication. Broken Jaw Press also published a147 page text on his drawings done at the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford. He has served on numerous regional and national boards and juries, including the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board where he oversaw the disposition of over 800 million dollars worth of art and cultural artifacts . His awards include Canada Council and provincial arts grants, a Brucebo Traveling Fellowship. His work is represented in the Canada Council Art Bank, New Brunswick Museum, The Nova Scotia Art Gallery, The New Brunswick Art Bank, The Beaverbrook Art Gallery and other public and private collections.

Contact the artist

Wiliam Forrestall - email

For more information or to register contact Art lab

email - click here

telephone - 902-254-2972

Cancellation Policy
If for any reason the participant wishes to cancel prior to two weeks before the commencement of the course, the full fee minus a 10% service fee will be refunded. Please note that there will be no refunds if the participant cancels within two weeks of the commencement of the course.