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Natalia Balo

Artist and Illustrator

(BFA, MFA, PhD)

Art Classes and Workshops

  • Adult Art Classes “Drawing for Beginners” – Fridays 6:30 PM

  • Young Artists Art Classes “Draw like a Pro!” – Wednesdays after school

Weekly Art Classes

ART TUITION WITH DR NATALIA BALO - multi-award winning figurative Artist specialising in portraiture and wildlife painting, and professional Art teacher with over 20 years of teaching experience, with formal accreditation in Teaching Painting and Drawing (BFA - Art Education, with Distinction), MFA (Book Illustration), PhD (Natural History Illustration). Natalia's doctoral research "Bird Anatomy for Artists" is now published as a university textbook. Natalia's Fine Art education belongs to the European Academic School, and her passion is to hand down  these skills to her students in a traditional master-to-apprentice way, in a creative and fun environment, with individual attention to every student. Her Art classes and workshops cover wide spectrum of topics - from human figure life drawing to wildlife illustration, landscape and still-life. Students learn to master different mediums of their choice - from pencil, pastel and watercolour to oils and acrylics. Beginners are very welcome.

Academic Artworks

Workshops

"Draw like a Pro!" Art Classes at Mueller College

Course Program

The art classes are focused on acquiring solid drawing skills, developing 3D vision and mastering principles of art composition and perspective. The lessons include teacher's demonstrations and practical drawing sessions with individual attention to every student. The projects include (but not limited to) still-life and landscape studies, animal and botanical illustration, and introduction to portraiture. The art classes run in conjunction with school art curriculum. The skills learned will be an invaluable investment for budding artists who have aspirations to become proficient in Arts, Architecture, Design, or any other field where good drawing draftsmanship is essential. INDIVIDUAL TUTORING AND ASSISTANCE WITH PREPARATION OF THE ART PORTFOLIO IS AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS WILLING TO CONTINUE ART-RELATED EDUCATION ON TERTIARY LEVEL.


Classes Schedule

Term Three: 23 July - 17 September (8 weeks)

Term Four:  8 October - 19 November (8 weeks)

Time: Wednesdays after school, 3:45 - 5:45 pm

Materials Required: HB pencils, A4 Art sketchbook, and eraser.

Cost: $25 (per session)

     or $20 (5 or more sessions paid in advance; term fees $160).

Bank deposit: Natalia Balo, NAB; BSB 082514,

                       account # 394777508 (ref: Art+your surname)

Vacancies are strictly limited

For Portrait Commissions, Book Sales and Art Classes enrollment please contact Natalia Balo info@bfineart.com.au ;  Natalia.Balo@mail.com

0406383823

  

Teacher's Statement

I will teach you how to work confidently from life, as well other “forgotten secrets” of the Old Masters, which is the key to development of the higher artistic skills in drawing, painting and art design. Having fourteen years of formal academic Fine Art education and many years of teaching experience, I can assure you that there are no shortcuts in learning visual art. However, my accredited Academic method of teaching will enable you to acquire the knowledge you need and to gain the skills you deserve in no time. With the proper professional instruction you will be able to draw and paint expertly and fast, just like the Masters, without wasting your time on fixing mistakes, simply because there won't be any. This will also help you to establish your individual style and to find yourself as an artist sooner than you think. Your education is your investment, invest wisely.

Natalia Balo

DRAW LIKE A PRO!

Learn the art of transferring the three dimensions

of the visible world

on two-dimensional surface of paper, using a pencil only!


“Where the Spirit does not work with the hand there is no Art” 

Leonardo Da Vinci


DRAW LIKE A PRO! is a complete drawing and painting course from beginner to advanced levels, based on the solid foundation of timeless fine art traditions of the European Art Academies, with the contemporary understanding of the 3D volume and space. The emphasis of the studies is on the structural analysis, which brings a new artistic awareness and admiration for the harmony of Creation. The drawing skills learned will expand the students’ cultural and spiritual horizons, and will be an invaluable investment for budding artists with aspirations to become proficient in arts, design, architecture, or any other activity there good drawing draftsmanship is essential.

The ability to draw ultimately determines the artist's expertise; it is imperative for both – the initial design and the final execution of an artwork in any medium.  Drawing from life is fundamental for development of motor-cognition links in the brain, which ultimately results in good hand-eye coordination. And with practice and proper instruction, the result is not only drawing proficiency, but also perfected visualisation abilities, which are so important for materialising creative ideas into accomplished artworks. Complete beginners with interest in Art are most welcome, as the program is diverse, challenging and engaging, designed to help students to develop skills for life in a warm holistic atmosphere, offering personal support and encouragement to every young artist in the class. The ultimate aspiration of the art instruction is to integrate creativity and the arts into the all areas of student’s life and learning, helping them to realise their creative potential to the fullest.


Art Classes Syllabus

The main objective of the course is development of a three-dimensional vision and learning the artistic means of expressing is graphically.  Correct drawing technique and use of various drawing mediums will be demonstrated; however experiment and improvisation will be highly encouraged as well. A sequence of working on an artwork will be advised, encouraging students to start with conceptual sketches and thumbnail compositions (i.e. learning to “think with the pencil”), and to proceed to rendering the final artwork. As the studies progress, additional painting and drawing mediums will be introduced and demonstrated, such as watercolour, pastel, pen and ink. 


The methodology of the lessons is based on the tried-and-tested classical traditions of the academic art education, with emphasis on acquiring comprehensive drawing skills. In particular, the instruction will be focused on:

  

  • Understanding the pictorial language of the visual Art (line, shape, tone, point, direction, accent, colour, contrast, gradation, composition, etc.).

  • Mastering concepts such as symmetry and volume, concave and convex surfaces, and perspective foreshortening.

  • Practical application of the linear and aerial perspective and understanding their impact on the visual appearance of the object (introducing concepts of horizon, vanishing points and line of sight).

  • Proportional, spatial and structural analysis of the objects, and methods of expressing it in the artwork.

  • Study of the different shapes and objects in terms of proportions, analysing the relations between the components and the complex whole, and learning the practical methods of evaluation proportions of the objects and their parts.

  • Understanding the distribution of light and shade, the shape-creating properties of the shadows and their impact on the pictorial design.

  • Practising the different ways of application of the drawing pencils: line, cross-hatching, texture, tonal gradation and tonal contrast, etc.

  • Developing and perfecting drawing technique, starting with graphite pencils and progressing to pen and ink, charcoal and sepia.

  • Learning the principles of artwork composition and concepts such as the focal point, accents, dynamics and pictorial balance, grouping and support, tonal unity and colour harmony.

  • Practicing the consequent stages of working on the artwork, starting with the initial idea and preliminary thumbnail sketches, and progressing to developing of the composition, analysis of the pictorial design and perfecting fine details.


The drawing program is based on the principle “from simple to complicated”; however it is flexible and comparatively informal. The topic of each lesson is linked to the prior material learned, and depends on the evaluation of the progress of the group, but ensuring an individual attention to every student. The classes offer group tasks combined with traditional Artist/Apprentice personalized instruction, tailored to every student’s current development stage to maximise their artistic potential. This approach will help students to establish their unique individual style and to find themselves as artists.


Most sessions include Teacher’s demonstrations, practical drawing exercises and corrections of students’ artworks (if required).  Natural and artificial objects (fruit, flowers and household objects) and specially prepared geometrical models (globes, cubes, cylinders, cones, etc.) are used as visual teaching aids to learn drawing different shapes and their interactions, in still-life settings on the initial stages of instruction. As the confidence of the students grows, the portrait studies, landscape and Natural History Illustration studies will be encouraged.


The lessons also include references to the Art History to promote an appreciation of the Art world and its evolution, and to encourage further learning. A pictorial analysis of the works of the Masters is used as means of learning different drawing and painting techniques, art styles and composition approaches. 


My passion and my obligation as an Art Teacher is to share with students the invaluable knowledge of the traditional academic drawing school, not only as a prerequisite for their further unique development as Artists/Designers, but most importantly to enhance all areas of their life with creativity and a unique self-expression.  My ultimate aspiration is to foster deep reverence for harmony of nature, and to encourage students to see their mission as Artists in revealing the beauty and splendour of Creation.

Dr Natalia A. Balo