Do you sometimes wonder why a composition works in some paintings and not so well in others? Join Alice Mumford to investigate the common themes that underpin paintings from different eras in Western Art and how this can help your work.

This new online course looks at key elements of composition such as how we navigate or enter and exit a painting. Alice will share the ideas that she uses in her own painting practice to solve practical problems and resolve a painting, ultimately teaching you to become a better ‘looker’ and a better ‘painter’.

Over the duration of the course you will be working through pre-recorded video footage of Alice demonstrating her concepts and bringing her ideas to life in front of the camera. Throughout the course you will be encouraged to do your own research into artists and paintings and experiment using whatever you have to hand, i.e., paper and glue, charcoal and paint to help develop your own understanding of composition.

A summary of the key eight themes explored in the course:

Static and Movement – How to identify powerful symmetry, naturalism, and mini dramas, how the eye “pairs up” 

Spatial Tension – What is spatial tension, when does and doesn’t it work and how is it used in figurative and non-figurative paintings?

Triangles – How do you create the reassuring feeling of gravity in a painting and why would you want to? 

Golden Section – Why has the golden section been of such influence on Western art forms throughout history, how to work out where the golden section is and how to make use of it 

Romantic Landscapes – How attitudes and ideas about nature have influenced compositions in landscape painting, from the formal garden to rewilding, how to use the classical zigzag to enter and take the view around a landscape, why our relationship to the land has changed the way we depict landscapes 

Breaking the Fourth Wall – How the fourth wall is used in paintings, how a mirror can provide a means of experimenting with the fourth wall 

Top Trumps – How painters tackle large complex paintings where lots of things are going on and how they direct the viewer, how artists use different hierarchies, a bit like playing Top Trumps!, how to compose using light and line 

Lost Horizons – Why the invention of perspective changed the way we respond emotionally to a painting, to try and draw emotionally and forget the horizon. 

As part of this course there will also be a Bonus Lesson and two pre-recorded Q & A sessions available to watch, where you can watch Alice respond to students and see if your fellow students had the same questions as you!

How does an online course work?

Upon purchase, the course will be available to view in your account. We would recommend watching one lesson a week. This will give you time to watch the lessons, carry out your own research and prepare for the next lesson. The pre-recorded classes are on average 45 minutes long and the Q and A sessions an hour.

You will be invited to join our Facebook Alumni group so you can share your discoveries with fellow students from around the world. You can also share your work live with others on social media using the #schoolofpainting and tagging us @stives painting

You can watch on demand, as often as you like, for up to 180 days after purchasing the course. You can watch on a PC, laptop or tablet and if you have chromecast or miracast you could even cast to your SmartTV from your phone.