Preparation for the artistic talent test

Preparation for the artistic aptitude test

Preparation for the artistic aptitude test is a course aimed at students in the last years of primary school, secondary school students and university students. It offers the basics of drawing and preparation for entrance exams for arts subjects.

Drawing is the basis of all forms of artistic creation: graphic design, industrial design and fashion design, painting, sculpture and printmaking. We use drawing to express ourselves and communicate; it can be personal, imaginative or purely technical. Drawing is also a tool that we use to explore and realise ideas. We materialise an idea by transferring it onto paper. Unlike photography, drawing helps us to depict a world we do not see, and one that exists only in our minds. To establish a connection between the mind and the hand, we must learn to look, understand and make logical connections. This is a process that requires time, patience and a love of creating.

Preparation for the artistic aptitude test includes study drawing (still life, drawing from a live model) and freehand drawing with ink, chalk, charcoal, pastels and coloured pencils. The programme includes an introduction to various drawing techniques and approaches, from constructive drawing to free, relaxed and personally expressive drawing. Lectures with visual presentations of drawings by important Slovene and foreign artists incorporate a historical overview and visits to exhibitions related to drawing. The programme also involves ongoing analysis of works, discussions and comparisons between drawings.

Understanding different subjects

Participants learn above all to observe and understand the subjects they draw. The key thing here is to study how bodies are positioned in space, the relationships between them, the distance and shape between them, how far they extend and how they overlap. Participants learn to observe light and shadow, which are important elements in tonal drawing and a more painterly technique. The emphasis is on linear drawing, which includes freehand and study drawing.

Participants use their thumb and a pencil to transfer dimensions onto paper, a method known as sighting, which is very useful for beginners. The goal is a solid construction drawing, where geometric shapes are used to better understand the internal structure of forms. When drawing the human figure and portraits, participants will also learn the basics of anatomy. They will develop spatial perception and an understanding of linear perspective, a skill that is only mastered through practice. They will use different structures to help create new spaces and will learn to organise space on paper, which involves placing objects and composing them.