Ilga Leimanis has been teaching short courses at Central Saint Martins since 2007. From Beginners Drawing to Kickstart Your Creativity (Online), Ilga has many fascinating and inspiring courses to discover and start with. Here we delve further into Ilga’s own practice and explore what can be gained from the various courses on offer, whatever your skill level, for students and professionals to those taking their very first creative steps.

Ilga Leimanis at Five Years

How did you come to work in your field?

I have always had an interest in art, and was fortunate to study and develop a career. I was confused by drawing when I started my studies, but through experience I came to understand how it is possible for everyone to learn drawing skills.

My background is in painting and art history. When I moved to London, I was open to new opportunities, and based on my skills, I was invited to help develop a manual drawing skills course for architects and engineers, which brought me into many leading offices, most recently working with over 200 architects at Foster+Partners. I’ve learned on the job, and for over 11 years, have been testing and improving my approach to teaching drawing, distilling a method which gets consistently good results in a short period of time.

Tell us about your work.

As a painter, my last body of work was a large series of portraits, but for my recent solo exhibition in October, I made wall drawings, three-dimensional masks and monoprints at Five Years, an artists’ project in Archway, where I am a member.

©Ilga Leimanis

I have been working collaboratively for the last 10 years as one half of the duo Ortelius Drew, together with Amsterdam based artist Doreen Wittenbols. We draw on location, have been commissioned for site-specific drawings and launched our European Tour. We are going to Rome in March to make new drawings, selected for the Artrooms Roma Contemporary Art Fair.

Three years ago I started another collaboration, Architecture of Conversation, together with architect Bidisha Sinha. Our explorations have led us to develop textile designs, and we are currently working on our first collection.

I have also been invited to write a book on Freehand Perspective Drawing for The Crowood Press. Over the years, many students have asked if I can recommend a book on drawing techniques, and soon I will have my own book to recommend. This is very exciting! Look for it in 2019.

Ilga Leimanis’s students.

What courses do you teach and who should attend them?

I teach drawing and creativity courses, in the studio and online.

Broadly, all my drawing courses will cover manual skills; you will learn how to draw from observation, learn how to see, and understand how to make it look right.

Some of my drawing courses are quite broad (Total Drawing), covering all subjects, while others are geared more for beginners (Beginners Drawing) or for those preparing a portfolio (Drawing Portfolio – Daytime). Subjects include still life, life drawing, portrait, townscape (perspective), visual research, and illustration. I usually introduce idea generation through drawing, understanding a more experimental, creative process and what to do when you don’t have a subject to observe, or if you want to find your own voice or style.

I teach a Townscape Sketching course, entirely on location, using the principles of observational drawing as well as understanding perspective.

Ilga Leimanis, photographed by Tim Baynes

My Idea Generation Processes and Kickstart Your Creativity (Online) courses explore how to develop your creativity. I’ve taught the Ideas course for about eight years; it developed from my drawing courses when I realized how hard it was for students to let go and try something new and be creative. I came up with an easy method to develop potentially limitless new directions. My Ideas course uses simple materials (2D and 3D) in addition to drawing. Three years ago, I was invited to develop a workshop for UAL Academic Support taking the drawing element to explore idea development through sketching. Students across the university from art and design departments, as well as business and marketing courses have gained from this simple drawing process.

My portfolio students have successfully gained places on Foundation, BA or MA courses at CSM and other schools in the UK. Other students and professionals develop creativity and drawing skills for many different reasons, including problem solving. Some are medical doctors, software designers, corporate branding and marketing professionals, textile designers and film producers, to name just a few.

I love what I do, and I have been invited to deliver workshops for a broad range of students and professionals, here in London, as well as internationally.

Which piece of creative work, in any discipline, do you think everyone should see and why?

I think inspiration is really fluid, always changing. There are many things I get excited about, for example, I love Instagram at the moment. I feel inspired by the artist, illustrator, fashion and interior design galleries I see.

Ilga Leimanis’s Instagram, @ilgaleimanis

Another recent inspiring discovery was the Eduardo Paolozzi exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery. He worked with everything! From drawing, print, sculpture, film, fashion, wood, ceramics, mosaic, etc. The work is so diverse, because he was always responding to the idea, and the materials followed. It’s all about process.

Name a favourite book, film or song that you would recommend.

This is a really hard question. I have been working on a UAL staff research project, within the Retain-Achieve-Succeed programme for the last two years, about the link between drawing skills and creativity at UAL, together with my colleague Chris Koning. This work brought me into the Institute of Education library, where I started reading academic literature again, for the first time since completing my MA. It was such a thrill, a really steep learning curve, it was so hard, but it reminded me that learning is a life-long pleasure! Pick up any book, just read!

©Ilga Leimanis

What/where is your favourite London discovery?

I am originally from Montreal, Canada and have now lived in London for 14 years. I love everything about London!

Since 2007, I’ve run Drawn in London, my monthly location drawing group, which has brought me (and the group) into many diverse London locations, some of which are private spaces, thanks to former students or friends who have suggested them. Some favourites over the decade include the Serpentine Pavilions, The Royal Opera House, Six Fitzroy Square, Two Temple Place, Balfron Tower, and The Science Museum’s Mathematics Gallery.

I am also a huge fan of Peckham, in South-East London, the neighbourhood where I live. It is exciting to live in an area full of creativity and change …and hugely inspiring!

What advice would you give to aspiring creatives?

Test out ways to experiment, draw, stay curious and always try something. Feel free to let go of perfection.

Ilga tutors upon Beginners Drawing, Idea Generation Processes, Drawing Portfolio – Daytime, Kickstart Your Creativity (Online), Portfolio Sketchbook, Total Drawing, Townscape Sketching and Total Drawing (Online), the majority of which presently have course dates available to book right now! Ilga also teaches at the residential course for teenagers, Art and Design Workshops for 13 to 16 Year Olds, places go fast so book today to avoid disappointment. To see more of Ilga’s work you can visit her website, www.ilgaleimanis.com, or stay up-to-date through her social network channels: Facebook, Instagram (@ilgaleimanis) and Twitter (@ilgaleimanis).

Summer School 2017 saw many incredible courses running and being attended by some amazing students, one course of which was the intriguing Cameraless Photography. Taught by Guy Paterson, who has been teaching for over 15 years at Central Saint Martins and elsewhere in the United Kingdom. We were really impressed with the work being produced, so we caught up with Guy to discuss what the students had been working on and how they achieved it.

© John Wilson, “Guy Paterson” dry plate

Cameraless Photography, students

Reducing photography to its purest form, Cameraless Photography encourages students to engage with the rudimentary physical action of light and chemicals on a two dimensional surface. These parameters enable a fertile and stimulating crossover between photography, painting, printmaking and graphics. A series of simple techniques are introduced to students using the black and white wet darkroom as a base. They are then given maximum time to explore their creative ideas.

Cameraless Photography, student work

© Sofia Correa, Cameraless Photography work

The course enables students to explore photograms, contact printing, painting with light, chemigrams, photo-batik and lumen prints.

Student Emma Black worked, almost exclusively with a single spoon all week. This allowed her to apply all of the techniques introduced to her on a single object.

© Emma Black, Cameraless Photography work

Emma also worked collaboratively with fellow student, the acclaimed photographer Nick Veasey, to capture the spoons on x-ray film. A complementary technique to cameraless photography, as you get some interesting results by exposing this material to light as well.

© Emma Black, Cameraless Photography work

The only “cameras” that were allowed upon the course were coffee tin pinhole cameras, where photographic paper can be inserted inside for a manual exposure. The end results allow for some stunning and fantastically unique panoramic views!

© Mathieu Vogt, Cameraless Photography work

Other students on the course used a simple photogram mixed with the chemigram technique.

© Sarah Gruebl, Cameraless Photography work

During the last couple of days of the course, the students coated drawing paper with liquid photographic emulsion. This technic allowed students to take advantage of the unique surface and scratch directly onto the delicate surface.

© Sarah Gruebl, Cameraless Photography work

It was a great surprise to see that photographer Nick Veasey was attending the course. Having admired his beautiful cameraless x-ray work for many years, it was a special treat to take a back seat on the last day and listen to a brief talk by Nick, with special emphasis on his work that was on displayed at the V&A.

Feeling inspired? Guy presently has spaces available upon both Cameraless Photography running during our Summer School as well as upon his upcoming The Photography Course. To see a full list of short courses available please visit the CSM Short Courses website. You can also find more about Guy at his website, www.guy-paterson.co.uk, and be sure to follow him on Instagram, @guy_paterson.

Continuing with our inspiring #TrySomethingNew series, we caught up with camera technician, Reg Woolford, to find out more about his experience upon the Digital Image Course – Adobe Creative Cloud short course.

Reg Woollford

What is your name?

Reg Woollford.

What is your occupation?

I currently work as a camera technician for an equipment loan store.

Digital Image Course – Adobe Creative Cloud, ©Reg Woollford

What course did you study and why did you choose it?

I studied the Digital Image Course – Adobe Creative Cloud short course, working mainly with the Adobe Creative Cloud applications (including InDesign, Photoshop, and Premier Pro). I chose the course because during my Master’s Degree I used many Adobe applications but lacked experience with InDesign and Photoshop. As I am on the verge of starting my own production company, I wanted to improve my experience with these software.

Digital Image Course – Adobe Creative Cloud, ©Reg Woollford

What did you enjoy most about your course?

The course was very interactive; the aspect I most enjoyed was the emphasis on going away and applying what I had learned in class to set tasks, outside of the classroom, to be carried out each week. It was a great way to aid my personal development and allowed me to apply the skills I was learning in an environment where I needed to be self-reliant.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about taking a short course at Central Saint Martins?

If you are thinking about taking a course at Central Saint Martins, my advice would be to go to the campus and speak with the short course staff first; they will help you understand what kinds of courses will be best for you. Also, you can get a feel for the campus and see what an amazing and creative environment you’ll be working in.

Digital Image Course – Adobe Creative Cloud, ©Reg Woollford

What do you believe is integral to the work of an artist, in any discipline?

The most integral elements to the work of an artist are discipline and motivation. If you are motivated to work, and disciplined in your execution, you can achieve anything you set out to do.

What 3 words best describe your short course experience at CSM?

Insightful, engaging and enjoyable!

Digital Image Course – Adobe Creative Cloud, ©Reg Woollford

The Digital Image Course – Adobe Creative Cloud short course returns in in the Summer Term and for Summer School, with dates available to book today! Simply feeling inspired and want to #TrySomethingNew? See our full list of short courses available at Central Saint Martins here.

We caught up with artist and curator, “Winnie” Wing Yin Ma, who is presently studying upon Sarah Sparkes’s How to Become an Independent Curator and Ben Panayi’s Introduction to Product Design course. We also found out more about Winnie’s very own upcoming pop-up exhibition PRESENT…TENSE? taking place this Sunday, 19th November 2017, at The Canvas café.

“Winnie” Wing Yin Ma

What is your name and where are you from?

My name is “Winnie” Wing Yin Ma and I come from Hong Kong. I come from a traditional Chinese family, living in a mixed culture city, but I have also experienced colonial Hong Kong. I was educated in Hong Kong, Germany and Sweden; the Central Saint Martins’s short courses have specifically brought me to London and I have been here since last month.

What is your occupation?

I am currently practicing as an artist and a curator. Before I came to London I worked for a charities trust in Hong Kong which provides support for the trust to manage a revitalisation projects focusing on heritage and arts.

@Wing Yin Ma, PRESENT…TENSE? previously on display at The Cat Street Gallery, Hong Kong

What courses are you studying on and why did you choose them?

I am studying two courses at CSM, How to Become an Independent Curator and an Introduction to Product Design.

I chose to study the curator course because I am interested in the way a curator collaborates with different talents from different fields. I am fascinated by how they choose to put items together and interpret artwork. Personally I am always drawn to exhibitions that address social issues, especially reflecting upon environmental and mental health issues. For me, I see the curator as a mediator who brings different parties, artworks and ideas together to inspire the public to think. Therefore I chose the How to Become an Independent Curator course to help me gain the professional skills required in order to curate and present inspiring exhibitions for the public.

The reason for my choosing the Introduction to Product Design course is that I am curious about the design process behind all the nicely designed products that improve our quality of life. By taking this course I get to learn what makes a good product design, as well as the creative and technical aspects that go towards producing them.

@Wing Yin Ma, Escape. In a moment that you feel you have tried your very best but still get stuck.

What do you enjoy most about your courses?

I love the fact that all of my classmates are encouraged to participate in the classes, regardless of the fact that they may be completely new to the field; all are welcome to speak up and to exchange ideas. I particularly enjoy the professional guidance from the tutors, no classmates’ voices are missed.

@Wing Yin Ma, Let it go. Let it grow. We need to let go in order to move on.

How has the course benefited your career and personal development?

As a practicing artist and curator with an academic background in science, instead of art and design, the curator course has filled a gap by providing me with proper and practical training on curating exhibitions. Equally the product design course has taught me practical ways in driving a design process. Basically, I have learnt to combine creativity and practicality from the two courses, which is essential for working in any field.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about taking a short course at Central Saint Martins?

There is an old Chinese proverb saying, “Attempt is always the way to success.” If you never try, you’ll never know!

@Wing Yin Ma, Max – ‘Bubbly & Sunshine’ and ‘Happy’

What do you believe is integral to the work of an artist, in any discipline?

I believe passion and compassion are most important to the work of an artist.

What 3 words best describe your short course experience at CSM?

Inspiring, challenging and unforgettable!

@Wing Yin Ma, Dixon – ‘A Patchwork Of Clothes & Stuffs That I Have Worn’ and ‘Change’

Tell us more about your upcoming pop-up exhibition.

PRESENT…TENSE? was previously on display in The Cat Street Gallery, in Hong Kong, early this year and I am so thrilled to have the chance to share this exhibition with the people of London. We, be it Londoners or Hong Kongers, are always busy while time passes so fast that we do not even have a moment to recognise or reflect on such happenings.

Whether it is sadness, happiness or simply serenity, we should open ourselves to feel the moment, to feel our inner selves, as it crafts a unique memory.  By sharing the stories of six Hong Kongers through collage arts, visitors are encouraged to face their inner selves and to live in the present moment.

“The Bag & The Collage” – are the medium to express feelings
“To Think Of A Word” – is a process for us to face our feelings

I started the project 6 years ago, asking people to describe someone they treasure with one word, it could be a family member, a lover, a friend, or even themselves. With that particular word in mind, I then designed a bag for each of those lucky ones.

This year, I started the sequel of that project. By asking people to describe this special someone with one word again, each word inspired me to create a piece of collage art. After all these years, has the relation been evolving into the next level, or it was unfortunately ended? Has it turned out to be what you expected?

I will be curating and presenting PRESENT…TENSE? on Sunday 19 November 2017, from 11AM to 7PM, at The Canvas café. The exhibition is FREE and the café is vegan and doggie friendly, located just off Brick Lane in London.

To discover more about Winnie’s exhibition please visit her website and you can also follow Winnie upon Instagram, @wingyin.ma. If you are interested in the courses mentioned, both How to Become an Independent Curator and Introduction to Product Design have available course dates which you can book right now; for all other courses please visit the CSM short courses website.

Autumn Term is here and as always, we’re so excited to celebrate the many incredible and diverse courses we have on offer! But with so many wonderful courses available we know choosing the one for you can sometimes be a bit daunting. So if you’re in need of some inspiration we have created our #TrySomethingNew series; we have already been recommending courses upon our Facebook and Twitter feeds, but here you’ll also get to meet and read about our students and the amazing courses they have joined. First up we spoke to Fashion Designer, Eloisa Gordon, about her journey to Bridget Miles’s Fashion and Textile Forecasting course and why following through on a recommendation led to an incredible experience.

Eloisa Gordon

What is your name?

Eloisa Gordon.

Where do you live?

I come from Buenos Aires, Argentina, but I am currently living in London.

© Eloisa Gordon, Memories Of India

What is your occupation?

I am a Fashion Designer.

What Central Saint Martins short course were you taking?

I attended the Fashion and Textile Forecasting course which is taught by Bridget Miles.

© Eloisa Gordon, Memories Of India

Why did you choose this short course in particular?

I had a friend who previously attended the very same course; they loved it and recommended it to me. They adored the experience and explained the course had helped them to better understand how companies planned their collections, and the process involved of developing trends.

In addition, as I was looking for more information about the course I found the CSM Short Courses Blog. I liked how clear and keen to recommend the different short courses the students were. After all the positive feedback I was confident that the course would increase my knowledge in forecasting and expand upon my fashion interests.

What’s integral to the work of an artist?

I think an artist should be truly passionate for and about their work.

© Eloisa Gordon, Memories Of India

What did you enjoy most about your course?

I loved every day, it was always different and full of material! I especially enjoyed our visit to Mode Information, a trend supplier.

How has the course benefitted your career or personal development?

It definitely increased my knowledge of forecasting whilst giving me the opportunity to better understand how a company carries out trend research in order to design a collection.

© Eloisa Gordon, Memories Of India

What would you say to someone who is thinking about taking this course, or another short course at CSM?

I would very much recommend the courses at CSM! I had a wonderful time and think everyone should be able to experience the same. Having the opportunity to study with people from different countries and cultures always enhances and increases ones knowledge and creativity, and definitely widens the mind.

© Eloisa Gordon, Memories Of India

You can follow Eloisa on Instagram, @eloisagordon. There are currently spaces available upon the next Fashion and Textile Forecasting courses running in December and many others in 2018. See the full list of courses by visit the Central Saint Martins Short Courses website and #TrySomethingNew!

Central Saint Martins Short Courses tutor, Guy Noble, has written a brand new book, Drawing Masterclass, Creative Techniques Of 100 Great Artists is available to purchase now in all good book shops! To celebrate its release we caught up with Guy to discuss the new book and what he hopes readers will take away from it.

Guy Noble

What inspired you to write Drawing Masterclass, Creative Techniques Of 100 Great Artists?

Primarily it was the experience I’ve gained over the last 10 years of teaching Introduction to Drawing and Painting and Personal Inspiration at Central Saint Martins. But there are a couple of other things that played a part in making the book. I’d been working for over 20 years as a full-time professional artist and when I started teaching I needed to put some of my ideas down in writing. One of the things I give to my students is a PDF summary of each of the sessions. At first I found this a real challenge but after a while it really helped me become much clearer about what my ideas and insights are. The PDFs turned into the live online courses at CSM, then a digital book (which never got off the ground) and finally Drawing Masterclass.

Drawing Masterclass, Creative Techniques Of 100 Great Artists (UK Thames & Hudson edition and USA Prestel edition)

You teach a number of drawing and painting short courses at CSM, how has your technique evolved over the years?

This is an interesting question because for every artist, or every serious artist, the most important thing is what their intentions are, not what techniques they use. Technique and the artist’s materials are always the servant of their intentions – if it’s not then it is craft. Many art schools encourage experimentation, rightly so, but when this is taken to an extreme it can dominate to such an extent that the student never really gets to grips with any one medium – each new medium having no more than a novelty value.  Although from time to time I have experimented with different mediums, I spent about 10 to 15 years almost exclusively painting in oil and drawing in charcoal or pencil building up an intimate and instinctive relationship with the materials. It was only when I found oil paint couldn’t do what I wanted, I started to use acrylic and mixed media.

Is the book a good companion piece to your courses and if so, which ones?

Absolutely. All my students love going to galleries and looking at drawings and paintings. However many find it oddly difficult to connect what they do in the studio to what they see in the gallery. I sympathise with this because when you see a beautiful Raphael drawing it looks like the hand of a God has done it. The book makes that connection – each of these great artists is to some extent working alongside the student, they are fellow artists with many of the same concerns. Although this is a book about drawing and would most specifically relate to my drawing courses; drawing is a large part of how I teach painting.

© Guy Noble, “Naturalistic Colour” (Guy’s sent to students PDF)

What is the most effective “first step” for any aspiring creative?

Pick up a pencil and start to draw. It really is as simple as that. Go and buy a small sketchbook and every time you think of checking your phone do a drawing instead. Drawing helps you see things and those things you draw can help you develop your imagination. Eugène Delacroix thought that a good draughtsman should be able to complete a drawing of a figure falling from a fifth floor window by the time they hit the ground.

Drawing Masterclass, Creative Techniques Of 100 Great Artists (extract)

Do you have any advice on how to approach a non-creative career with a bit more creativity?

This is a difficult question to answer without sounding glib or trite. I get a number of office professionals on my courses and they often say they want to be more creative but when I start talking to them it seems that they just mean that they want to actually do something physically creative. Most people I know (and they are by no means all artists) are very creative.

© Guy Noble, “Man With Heads In Hands” (2007/8), oil on canvas, 122cm x 95cm

Do you think finishing a project is important?

Yes. However, knowing when to stop or to bailout is also a big advantage. I’ve wasted weeks and weeks on paintings or projects that in my heart of hearts I’ve known are not going to work. Sometimes it’s just good to experience failure because it equips you to make a better judgement next time.

What is the most important tool for the artist?

Okay, if you can call it a tool it is definitely your imagination. If you want something more practical, a pencil.

Diego Velázquez, “Las Meninas”, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Meninas

Which piece of creative work, in any discipline, do you think everyone should see and why?

Surprisingly I’m going to choose a painting by artist who, as far as we know, appears not to have done very little drawing.  Go to the Prado in Madrid and take a long look at Las Meninas, by Diego Velázquez. This is one of the most miraculous and extraordinary paintings ever painted and should be seen by everyone. We are not transported back in time but it is these figures and this reality that is bought forward into our time.  But a word of caution, don’t listen or read the twaddle about this painting (excluding this of course). Don’t worry about all the narrative brouhaha about the court and the characters; those things are not key. Try to see the painting as a group of people in a space. The space is a dark voluminous presence that holds the forms of each of the figures in a very haunting and particular way. The four figures in dresses seem to hover over the floor weightless and yet their forms are held still by that space. The object that has a very concrete presence and can really believe is the painting that Velázquez is working on – it is planted solidly on the floor.

When you get close to the painting you can see extraordinary control and skill but you can also see that Velazquez thinks of these brush marks as the most extraordinary abstract inventions. By abstract I mean they are elements of visual reality that have been taken out their context and recreated or repositioned in a new reality that is the painting. Velázquez never gives you more detail than you need – so many artists who have this kind of skill will show every detail without regard for the context in which those details are placed.

Drawing Masterclass, Creative Techniques Of 100 Great Artists (UK Thames & Hudson edition)

Can a non-creative become creative?

They are already – but can a creative mind create? …Have a go – do a course!

What’s the best bit of advice you have received?

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes – just learn from them.

What advice would you give to an aspiring creative?

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes – just learn from them.

Feeling inspired? Guy’s Contemporary Drawing and Painting (Online) and Introduction to Drawing courses both have spaces available to book now. Guy also tutors Evening Painting, Figure Oil Painting, Introduction to Drawing (Online), Painting and Personal Inspiration and Painting the Life Model. You can check out the full list of short courses available upon the CSM Short Courses website, and don’t forget to pick up your copy of Drawing Masterclass, Creative Techniques Of 100 Great Artists today! Keep up to date with Guy via his website, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube channel and his very own blog.

Looking to improve her fashion illustration skills, Plymouth College of Art student Sue Gorman attended Maggie Doyle’s Central Saint Martins short course, Improve your Fashion Drawing, with a mission! We talked to Sue to find out her reasons behind taking the course, how it has helped her develop and what she feels about her time at CSM.

Sue Gorman

What is your name and where are you from?

Sue Gorman, I live in Slapton (a tiny but historic village by the sea in South Devon) but I’m originally from South London.

What is your occupation?

Up until March 2016, I was a freelance Marketing Consultant (most latterly, interim Head of Marketing at the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort), then life gave me the opportunity to study Fashion Design at Plymouth College of Art as a way of changing career. I start my second year in October this year and hopefully will go on to specialise in the plus size market.

© Sue Gorman, Improve your Fashion Drawing work

What course did you study and why did you choose it?

I studied Improve your Fashion Drawing at CSM with tutor, Maggie Doyle, specifically to do just that. My first year at PCA was all about mastering contextual thinking, pattern cutting and garment make-up but I struggled to create an individual style when it came to fashion illustration. It’s incredibly frustrating when your head is full of ideas but you can’t find the right medium to show them despite constant experimentation. My PCA tutors suggested I do courses over the summer period so I went to the best – Central Saint Martins.

© Sue Gorman, Improve your Fashion Drawing work

What did you enjoy most about your course?

Clear standout was tutor, Maggie Doyle. If she hadn’t suggested using ProMarkers on day one, I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t be featured in this blog and I’d still be struggling with collage. Maggie has a huge amount of fashion experience and it shows, not only through her tuition but also through the inspiring course content which ranged from visiting a trend forecasting agency through to looking at original fashion illustrations in the Sackler Wing, at the V&A Museum. It’s a goosebumps moment when you pick up an original Dior illustration and wonder how so few lines can signify so much.

How has this course benefited your career or personal development?

Without doubt, it’s enabled me to show my ideas in a contemporary way. It’s also re-inspired me at a point when I thought my illustrations were always going to be a weak spot.

© Sue Gorman, Improve your Fashion Drawing work

What would you say to someone who is thinking about taking the same short course at Central Saint Martins?

Only do it if you’re absolutely passionate about fashion, can appreciate the quality of the tuition and fully understand that you’re in a place that’s inspired some of the greatest fashion designers’ of our generation. It also helps if you’re already in the fashion industry either as a student or professional as you’ll get best value from the course.

© Sue Gorman, Improve your Fashion Drawing work

What do you believe is integral to the work of an artist, in any discipline?

A real sense of self, curiosity and a never ending desire to improve.

What 3 words best describe your short course experience at CSM?

They’ve doubtless been said before but… inspiring, rewarding, surprising.

Feel inspired? Visit the Central Saint Martins Short Courses website for more information on all of our courses and book yours today! AND expand your creative social media feed by following Sue on Instagram, @suegorman888.

Improve your Fashion Drawing

If you missed it, designjunction 2017 was incredible and CSM Short Courses were very proud to host two workshops as part of the four day event! Whilst Rod Judkins presented Frankensteining on Friday 22nd September; Ilga Leimanis’s workshop, hosted on Thursday 21st September, focused upon Drawing for Design.

Drawing for Design with Ilga Leimanis workshop.

Drawing for Design with Ilga Leimanis workshop (Ilga Leimanis).

This practical workshop examined ways to think through drawing, developing a process using quick, immediate sketches to expand upon an initial idea. Drawing to support thinking, creative practice and communication, the participants worked individually as well as collaboratively, through a fun and easy process, which is repeatable for any project.

Drawing for Design with Ilga Leimanis workshop (attendees).

Drawing for Design with Ilga Leimanis workshop (attendees).

The people attending the designjunction workshop were mixed, students and professionals in various design fields: architecture, interior and product design, ceramics and glass design. We ended the workshop with a look at the quick sketches produced, and a short discussion on the value of drawing in the idea generation part of the design process.

Drawing for Design with Ilga Leimanis workshop (attendees).

Drawing for Design with Ilga Leimanis workshop (attendees).

This workshop is developed from Ilga’s CSM short course, Idea Generation Processes, which she has been delivering since 2010.  It is also a variation of the workshop Ilga delivers for UAL Academic Support, Thinking for Drawing, which is open to all UAL students. Interviews with these students formed the basis of the RAS (Retain Achieve Succeed) staff Research Report, by Chris Koning (Academic Support Lecturer (WP), Central Saint Martins) and Ilga Leimanis (Academic Support and Short Course Tutor, University of the Arts London), which was published earlier this year. Ilga has also travelled to Beijing and Shanghai to deliver her creative process workshops and is currently working on new projects.

Drawing for Design with Ilga Leimanis workshop (attendee).

If you are interested in joining one of Ilga’s many fantastic short courses you can do so by clicking on the following course titles: Beginners Drawing, Drawing Portfolio – Daytime, Idea Generation Processes, Kickstart Your Creativity (Online), Total Drawing, Townscape Sketching. More information about Ilga’s other courses can be found at: Art and Design Workshops For 13 to 16 Year Olds, Portfolio Sketchbook, Total Drawing (Online).

Drawing for Design with Ilga Leimanis workshop (Ilga Leimanis).

To find out more about Ilga Leimanis you can visit her websites, www.ilgaleimanis.com and www.orteliusdrew.com; make sure to add @ilgaleimanis upon Instagram and Twitter. Ilga will also be back running another CSM Short Courses workshop at the Affordable Art Fair this October, we look forward to seeing you there!

Aoife Smyth is a full time acting teacher and director at Drama Centre London (where she also trained as a director), RADA: The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. In addition to teaching the London Theatre Experience for 16 to 25 Year Olds short course, Aoife also leads the incredible Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London. Having directed shows at The Etcetera Theatre, The Space Edinburgh, Theatre 503 and The Underbelly, we caught up with a true performance lover.

Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London 2017, students and tutors (top L-R: Yun-Hsuan Chou, Tim Meier, Aoife Smyth (tutor), Zixaun Ni, Brigid Zengeni (Tutor), Aida Gargia Vega and Glen Snowden (tutor) / middle: Charlie Corrigan, Will Schaluadek, Tanya Voitovych, Rogier Bak and Joseph Dardano / bottom: Lilly Olsson, Diem Vinci, Roma Scarano and Lydia Baksh (tutor).

What is your name?

Aoife Smyth.

What are you most passionate about?

Theatre, film and generally performance of any kind.

What inspired and lead to your work as an Acting Teacher and Director?

My teachers throughout my life. I had a teacher when I was 6 who didn’t teach us the curriculum and instead taught us about art, music and drama. I come from a storytelling culture, so it always seemed the most natural path for me to follow. I hope I now help students to tell their own stories.

Tell us about your work.

I work with lots of different types of plays, from Shakespeare to very modern feminist writing. I mainly apply a very methodical yet creative approach to find the best way to highlight the meaning and give the audience a sensory experience.

Why did you choose to teach the Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London and London Theatre Experience for 16 to 25 Year Olds courses?

I wanted to work with international students. It is important to keep interpreting Shakespeare’s plays and what could be better than looking at them from different cultural viewpoints?

Who should attend your courses?

Anyone who loves theatre!

Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London 2017, final performance (Charlie Corrigan and Roma Scarano).

Having recently offered a scholarship placement for the Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London course, what is the importance of opportunities such as these?

We had Roma from Carnegie Mellon this year and she brought such professionalism and creativity to the group. It was such a great opportunity for her to take what she knew about theatre in America and discover what was happening in London.

Which piece of creative work, in any discipline, do you think everyone should see and why?

Kings Of War by Ivo Van Hove. It is a Dutch version of Shakespeare’s history plays. It is a fantastic modern translation that still completely gets to the heart of the idea of each play.

Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London 2017, final performance (Will Schaluadek).

Name a favourite book, film and song that you would recommend.

That’s too hard, it changes all the time.

What/where is your favourite London discovery?

The canals.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Chocolate.

Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London 2017, final performance (L-R: Diem Vinci, Joseph Dardano, Lilly Olsson and Rogier Bak).

What’s the best bit of advice you have ever received?

If you are going to fail… fail fabulously!

What advice would you give to aspiring creatives?

Always be curious. Always ask questions.

Study Abroad programmes are primarily designed for undergraduate-level students who would like to study at Central Saint Martins, as part of their ongoing studies. To find out more visit the Study Abroad website. Places are now available to book upon Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London 2018. London Theatre Experience for 16 to 25 Year Olds is open to students of all levels.

The very first Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London scholarship placement was awarded to Drama student Roma Scarano. We caught up with Roma to find out how she secured her place and what her CSM experience was like.

Roma Scarano

What is your name and where do live/come from?

My name is Roma Scarano and I’m from the United States, specifically from southern New York.

What is your occupation?

I am currently a third year undergraduate studying Drama at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA).

Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London 2017, final performance (Charlie Corrigan and Roma Scarano).

What course did you study and why did you choose it?

The course I received a scholarship for and studied was Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London. For the scholarship I sent in a self-taped performance of a Juliet monologue from the play, Romeo and Juliet. I also submitted a 300 word personal statement explaining “what this scholarship means to me”.

I applied for the course because I am also training to receive my B.F.A. in Drama, at Carnegie Mellon University. The program is described as a “conservatory within a university setting”. Each class size is pretty small with 20 students, including myself, making up the third year class of both actors and musical theatre majors. We are the true definition of a family; no matter what, my class is an ensemble through thick and thin. The beauty of the conservatory program is that we learn so many techniques, styles of acting, and ways to approach our work that it is nearly impossible to find nothing to stash away into your “actor’s tool box”.

Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London 2017, final performance (Charlie Corrigan and Roma Scarano).

What did you enjoy most about your course?

I enjoyed re-visiting basic fundamentals with a new perspective and attitude surrounding my work as an actor. Having two years of training under my belt made it so much fun to go head-in with spontaneity during each exercise and class. I also loved getting to work with a whole new set of performers. It was so refreshing to see new faces and surround myself with artists from all over the world.

Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London 2017, students and tutors (top L-R: Yun-Hsuan Chou, Tim Meier, Aoife Smyth (tutor), Zixaun Ni, Brigid Zengeni (tutor), Aida Gargia Vega and Glen Snowden (tutor) / middle: Charlie Corrigan, Will Schaluadek, Tanya Voitovych, Rogier Bak and Joseph Dardano / bottom: Lilly Olsson, Diem Vinci, Roma Scarano and Lydia Baksh (tutor).

How has this course benefitted your career or personal development?

One lesson I learned from my Shakespeare teacher was that if you want to show vulnerability in your work, you need to live a vulnerable life. I’ve struggled with the idea of vulnerability because I am the type of person that pushes my feelings down and ignores them. However, this leads to one dimension characters and if you are an actor reading this, you know that being one-dimensional is one of the most painful things to watch as an audience member. It’s just not human. But since that moment, I’ve been following that advice and let me tell you, it’s definitely opened me up in both my professional and personal life.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about taking a short course at Central Saint Martins?

DO IT. Take that leap of faith and go with your gut.

Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London 2017, final performance (Charlie Corrigan and Roma Scarano).

What do you believe is integral to the work of an artist, in any discipline?

Always put a piece of yourself in every single piece of art. That’s what makes it unique and interesting, that’s what makes it truthful.

What 3 words best describe your short course experience at CSM?

Intensive. Expansive. AMAZING!

You can see Roma in action, starring in the Little Future short film, Part 2: May’s Story as well as upon her YouTube channel, Roma Scarano. Find out more about the Summer Study Abroad – Acting Shakespeare with Drama Centre London 2018 course here, or search through all our Summer Study Abroad subjects to find a course for you.