Catalonia PAU Artistic Drawing II study plan

Catalonia PAU Artistic Drawing II · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 7 hours per week

Week 1

Drawing from observation and representation of form, space and volume & Line, value, tone, texture and expressive use of drawing media

Draw ten 10-minute still-life studies from direct observation of simple geometric solids, using only line to describe contour and internal structure.
Construct three objects from boxes and cylinders by drawing through the form (transparent construction) to locate hidden edges and axes.
Establish a consistent light source in every study and separate core shadow, cast shadow and reflected light with a single graphite grade.
Build a value scale of nine steps in graphite and match three tones from your own drawings to it.

A sketchbook spread of ten dated construction studies plus a nine-step value scale, photographed as one PDF page.

Week 2

Draw the same still-life group three times at A3 from three different viewpoints, keeping object proportions consistent across views.
Measure proportions with a pencil or plumb line and annotate at least five ratios directly on one drawing.
Crop one of the three drawings into two alternative framings and justify each crop in three written lines.
Draw a draped cloth over a chair, describing folds as planes rather than outlines.

Three A3 observational drawings of one set-up plus two marked alternative crops with short written justifications.

Week 3

Render a complex still life in charcoal, using erasure as a drawing tool to recover highlights.
Produce three texture swatches from observation (wood, fabric, metal) using hatching, cross-hatching and stumping, each labelled with the technique used.
Draw a hand and a shoe in two media each, comparing how graphite and charcoal handle the same form.
Sustain a single drawing over two sittings without losing the light logic.

One finished A2 charcoal still life plus a labelled texture page of three swatches.

Week 4

Make a 12-step colour wheel in gouache or acrylic and a matching 12-step value version in greys.
Mix five muted tones from complementary pairs and record the mixing ratios beside each patch.
Analyse three master drawings or paintings for compositional structure by diagramming their dominant lines, focal point and value masses on tracing paper.
Compose one still life so that the main object sits off-centre and the negative space carries at least a third of the image.

A colour and value wheel sheet with five labelled muted mixtures, plus three traced compositional diagrams.

Week 5

Draw one interior or street scene twice, first in a warm-limited palette and then in a cool-limited palette, keeping the same composition.
Describe how temperature, saturation and simultaneous contrast change the reading of the same forms in a 150-word written comparison.
Analyse two images (one artwork, one advertisement) for how colour, framing and viewpoint direct the viewer's eye.
Identify and name at least four colour schemes (analogous, complementary, triadic, monochromatic) in images you have collected.

Two A3 colour studies of the same view plus a 150-word comparison and a two-image visual analysis sheet.

Week 6

Compare two prescribed-reference works from different movements, stating what each does with line, value and space in structured notes.
Reconstruct one reference work as a simplified value study of no more than five tones.
Write a timed 40-minute analysis of an unseen reproduction using a fixed checklist: format, composition, medium, value structure, colour, context.
Place six key works on a timeline and link each to one drawing strategy you could reuse.

A five-tone reconstruction, a timed 40-minute written analysis and a six-work annotated timeline.

Week 7

Run a full timed mock exam: three hours on an observational drawing with a written analysis component.
Keep a five-day sketchbook log with at least fifteen minutes of daily drawing from observation.
Revise the mock drawing after self-assessment against a checklist of proportion, value, composition and finish.
Document your process in four stages (thumbnail, construction, value block-in, resolution) for one drawing.

One completed timed mock with a four-stage process record and a written self-assessment.

Week 8

Sit a second full timed mock and compare it point by point with the week 7 attempt.
Consolidate a one-page revision sheet of prescribed references, movements and key terms from memory, then check it against your notes.
Rehearse three quick 10-minute thumbnail compositions to practise decision-making under time pressure.
Finalise a portfolio of your eight strongest pieces with a one-line rationale for each.

Second timed mock, a verified one-page revision sheet and an eight-piece portfolio with rationales.

Week 2: You can draw a simple still life with correct proportions from measurement and defend two alternative crops in writing.

Week 4: You can mix a 12-step colour wheel and its grey equivalent from memory, and diagram the composition of an unseen image.

Week 6: You can complete a 40-minute written image analysis using your checklist and reconstruct a reference work in five tones.

Week 8: Your second timed mock scores higher than the first on your own proportion, value, composition and finish checklist.