Oils Certificate Course (C5)

Tutored by Alan Dedman BA, RAS, PGCE

Artists have been using oil paints since the 14th century, attracted by their subtlety of colour and ways of manipulation. Oil paints are well suited to the artistic temperament as it is possible to manipulate the paint during its extended drying time and because of its plasticity. The course is suitable for anyone who wishes to learn how to use oil paints, although some drawing experience may be helpful.

The course starts with a detailed look at the materials and equipment used in oil painting and considers the best working environment. It then moves on to help you create a simple painting using a limited palette and simplified shapes. The course discusses techniques for planning your drawing on paper and then transferring it to canvas. There is a look at colour theory and ways of handling colour in your picture. The course is full of useful advice about how to make the most out of your oil paints and how to get the effects that you want from them.

Course Prices
Please visit our 'Prices and Buy Now' page to view the course prices and to purchase your course. UK residents can purchase courses on this page via instalments, please scroll down to the relevant section to pay a deposit.

Critiques
If you have scanning / photography facilities, students are able to upload their artwork to the Artwork Submission Area on our website. Each student is given a unique username and password on enrolment for their own private section in this area. Students can upload their artwork to this area for the tutor to collect and critique. The tutor will then upload feedback for the student to download or read.

Critiques via Regular Mail
If you do not have any facilities to upload your artwork, you can send your work in the normal way to the tutors centre and receive your artwork back with your critique. It is essential you label all packages/artwork your student number.

Support
All our courses are written to be complete in themselves. However we realise that students may appreciate being able to get clarification about various things as they work through their programme as well wanting reassurance that they are putting techniques into practice effectively. The tutors provide the technical support to deal with relevant queries.

Most courses have their own dedicated Tutor. The tutor keeps the course up to date and relevant to today's students. They are available to the individual student for advice and encouragement. Each course has regular exercises and assignments that are constructed in such a way as to give the student the opportunity to practice the techniques learnt on the course and to test themselves as they go along. The student is encouraged to submit the assignment work to the college for the tutor to critique. The student's work will be returned together with the tutor's personal critique. On many courses the assignment work may be suitable for inclusion in a student's Portfolio of Work that could be very useful later. The college will use the assignments submitted as the basis for any award of a letter, certificate or diploma.

Duration
The expected duration is three months although the college allows students up to a year to complete their studies.

Overview
This course is suitable for all students. The following is an overview of some of the areas that are covered in the course.

Samples Images from the course

Samples Images from the course

Testimonials from students

"My name is Karen and I have just finished the Oils Certificate course with LCA. The tutor is Alan Dedman. I just wanted to say how happy I was and still am with the course. It's very comprehensive and full of great information, tips, exercises (sometimes frustrating but then again that's how you learn) and gives you a very good grounding in all the basics. What I really like about the course is that it doesn't just tell you how to paint one specific picture - you are taken through all the exercises and you develop your own style and ideas from there. The crits sent by Alan are invaluable, he sends all sorts of information about your own work, how to improve it, different ways of tackling problems and lots of artists to look up that he feels would be appropriate. I found him to be extremely intuitive, helpful and he has a wide range of artistic experience that he can call on. I think this course would be brilliant for anyone who is thinking of going to art college or continuing with art in the long term. You wouldn't be long putting together a great portfolio of very solid work. Also I got this course as a present from my husband and it was probably the best present I have ever received."
Karen M - (Oils Certificate Course - C5)