Four Hour Art Workshop- Renaissance Art

The renowned academic fine artist and author Jeff Kamangara, visited the Art department and impressed the hearts and minds of secondary school students with pencil and oils!

Having studied in Florence (Italy), the cradle of the renaissance, Mr Kamangara opened the mind and eyes of our budding artists by demonstrating the intricacies of the master artists. The four-hour workshop started with basic observational drawings that were later developed into greyscale drawings. Students were keen and listened to the artist instructions. They made line drawings on paper and developed the drawings using shading techniques in the style of the renaissance artists.

Mr Kamangara introduced a technique to the fine art newbies: 5 scale toning. He demonstrated toning (Tinting oils through its spectrum by adding white) and showed them how to explore lighting when blending the colours. Students Coursework projects were also critiqued and were advised on the next steps.

The Art department is grateful to Mr Kamangara for taking his time to be with our students.

Jeralee Dias (Year 13)

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to further my knowledge and skill of shadows and highlights while working with graphite pencils and oil paints. I don't usually stick to the traditional techniques of drawing but in the workshop, I was able to slow down and not complicate the drawing. Mr Kamangara advised me to use simple lines and shapes to get the right proportions and then start adding more and more detail. Lastly, we mapped out where the shadows and highlights are so that it is easier to shade. This experience was very beneficial to my artistic journey.

I look forward to participating in more workshops about photography and art.

Imani Okello (Year 11)

Having a professional artist was such an amazing experience and it was really helpful for all the art students who participated. He taught us different methods of shading with pencil and oil paints and he also taught us color theory. This is extremely helpful for me as an art student because I can now apply all the new methods into my IGCSE art coursework and further develop my artwork based on the professional feedback I was given and new skills learnt. Mr. Kamangara (the guest artist) was very friendly and patient with all the students as some of us struggled learning the new skills at first. I hope to have more fun and educational experiences such as this in the near future.