Admission
To apply to Drawing Dimensions, please register in Osiris (see link below). Participation in the entrance exam of Drawing Dimensions consists of writing a motivation letter of max. 300 words, and preparing an artistic portfolio. If these are of sufficient quality, you will be invited for the second round, in which you will be interviewed online by the tutor about your motivation. After your application is reviewed, you will be informed whether you are invited to the interview in the last week of June.
The admission interview date for Drawing Dimensions is Monday 23 June 2025 morning between 10:00-14:00 (date is not negotiable, so please reserve this date already in your calendar).
You can apply as of 15 April 2025 for this course through Osiris. You may find the link at the bottom of this page.
Specific entrance requirements – Drawing Dimensions
Some drawing experience is requested, but more important is an open and experimental attitude and that you can show what your are thinking in your drawings.
Please check the list below with the application requirements of Drawing Dimensions:
Prepare a portfolio with at least 10 drawings. Please focus on a large scale of variety in subject matter, size and use of materials. At least six different materials must be identifiable somewhere in these 10 drawings. The portfolio (max. 20 mb) should be uploaded as a PDF during the online application process.
Make a series of at least 5 drawings that are not made with your preferred hand. This assignment (max. 20 mb) should be uploaded as a PDF during the online application process.
Create one drawing that represents conflict, without using any figurative or recognizable elements! This assignment (max. 20 mb) should be uploaded as a PDF during the online application process.
Additionally, students write a motivation letter of max. 500 words in which they explain why they would like to participate in this elective and if or how they want to use their main studies as an inspiration.
Description
Drawing, in a broad sense, is about translating concepts, images, thoughts, observations, feelings, and/or abstract ideas into a perceivable form, with an emphasis on line, plane, and texture.
Drawing Dimension (DD) concerns everything related to the discipline of drawing. The approach is broader than conventional drawing practice where students only practice technical skills. The development of a conceptual understanding of drawing itself is part of the curriculum.
It can unfold in multiple ways on the two-dimensional plane, such as drawing/painting with all possible materials, collage, digital work, printmaking, etc. It can also result in an installation in three-dimensional space. Even working with video/animation or performance can be explored, giving drawing a four-dimensional character.
Drawing is Thinking
By introducing various drawing practices, students become acquainted with different techniques and materials, drawing perspectives, and methodologies. The curriculum of Drawing Dimensions revolves around engaging in a process through practical assignments, interspersed with theoretical analysis.
Mark-making is decision-making!
In the first lessons, much attention is given to the so-called 'mark-making' itself. This is crucial for developing one's visual vocabulary; the personal handwriting in drawing. Experimental exercises will help students playfully synchronize hand and eye. In short, instruction-based assignments, the student will be guided in becoming aware and breaking through ingrained habitual patterns. This is part of drawing from observation, which can occur using references such as the direct environment, landscapes, objects, and/or a life model in space.
Students will be encouraged to experiment outside their comfort zone. New methods with unfamiliar materials on unusual surfaces can be explored.
Course objectives
Creative Ability
The student explores diverse drawing methods, sometimes inspired by professional artists. They step outside their comfort zone to experiment with unfamiliar techniques and materials, discovering their personal visual language and artistic identity.
They learn to embrace the unexpected and take creative risks, developing confidence through making, observing, and thinking. The student becomes aware of how visual elements affect meaning and uses sensory qualities to strengthen their ideas. They begin to conduct independent research and build an artistic practice rooted in personal ownership and universality.
Critical Reflection
The student learns to reflect on their own work and that of others, becoming more aware of decision-making during the creative process. They discuss intuitive or deliberate choices in relation to societal themes and other artists' work, gaining insight into ethical aspects.
They begin to develop a personal artistic vision, present their work to others, and engage in dialogue for feedback and inspiration. The student learns to integrate different perspectives into their process and connects their creative practice to their living or working environment with imagination and empathy.
Schedule
Online admission interview: Monday 23 June 2025 morning between 10:00-14:00 (date is not negotiable, so please reserve this date already in your calendar)
Lessons: Tuesday from 18.30 – 21.30 hrs at KABK Prinsessegracht building first floor (routing instructions will be communicated by Stéphane).
Period: This course takes place during the full academic year; 14 lessons in Semester 1, and 14 lessons in Semester 2. Start date: first week of September.
Location: KABK, Prinsessegracht 4, Den Haag
Room: PB.125
Mode of instruction
Life classes with individual guidance and collective analysis.
Mode of assesment/evaluation
Attendance at classes of at least 80%.
Presentation of your work
Individual assessment of work and process at the end of the course
Completed individual or collaborative project
Satisfactory development
Participation in the final exhibition
Evaluation and Reflection
Throughout the course, both individual and group discussions support the artistic process, encouraging self-reflection and peer learning in a safe environment. At the end of Semester 1, students present their work for group discussion and constructive feedback. This aims to provide insights for the independent work phase in Semester 2, with a focus on both the artistic product and the creative process behind it.
In January, each student receives a brief written evaluation, reflecting on their development in Semester 1. This is not a formal assessment, but a coaching tool to support growth in content and form.
The tutor’s role gradually shifts into that of a coach—offering guidance on technique, materials, and connecting these to concept and theme. The course concludes with a group exhibition, which is mandatory. Final individual evaluation occurs at the end of the course, and all assignments must be completed.
Study Load
2.5 contact hours per week, with 14 lessons per semester. Approx. 5 hours of self-study weekly.
Minimum Attendance
80% of classes.
Mode of instruction
Drawing is Thinking
By introducing various drawing practices, students become acquainted with different techniques and materials, drawing perspectives, and methodologies. The curriculum of Drawing Dimensions revolves around engaging in a process through practical assignments, interspersed with theoretical analysis.
Mark-making is decision-making!
In the first lessons, much attention is given to the so-called 'mark-making' itself. This is crucial for developing one's visual vocabulary; the personal handwriting in drawing. Experimental exercises will help students playfully synchronize hand and eye. In short, instruction-based assignments, the student will be guided in becoming aware and breaking through ingrained habitual patterns. This is part of drawing from observation, which can occur using references such as the direct environment, landscapes, objects, and/or a life model in space.
Students will be encouraged to experiment outside their comfort zone. New methods with unfamiliar materials on unusual surfaces can be explored.
Group drawing, where students provide each other with (often surprising) input to process in their creative process, can also create fruitful discomfort.
Attention is given to discussing work, focusing on visual aspects (image aspects) such as composition, line quality, space and depth, rhythm and repetition, structure/texture, and color use, etc. The student is also challenged to analyze work methods and themes of makers in contemporary practice and connect them to their own approach and how they develop their practice.
Sometimes work is directly inspired by a material or technique, and sometimes from a concept. The goal is to make students aware of how form relates to meaning and theme.
Gradually, the lessons will create more space for possible meanings, referring to current events, society, (art) history, literature, personal work/study practices, psychology, sociology, abstract concepts, imagination, etc.
Exercises will be conducted to promote association. Class-wide or individually, discussions will unfold about meanings and connections arising in the work. With an eye toward originality, the aim is to make the student aware of possible unambiguous clichés.
Traditional ideas about drawing can be transcended, creating room for questioning what drawing can mean in a broad sense. The most important thing is for the student to find a way in developing a personal vision within their artistic practice. The student will be encouraged to develop an independent, investigative, and critical stance, as a springboard to academic thinking; to make the personal universal.
Semester 1 and 2
Where the assignments, techniques, and methods in semester 1 focus on fostering experimentation and developing a personal vision, semester 2 is about working towards an independent project. This will involve research, either individually or collectively, where the student investigates a self-chosen theme along with the corresponding form and method; paying attention to material use and technique. It must be something in which drawing plays a role. The exact form this takes is open-ended. It can be expressed in any discipline, such as drawing, installation, performance, interactive happenings, film, or video, etc.
The lessons strongly depend on the input from the students themselves. Students are invited to draw inspiration and materials from their studies and research topics and to propose suggestions for the curriculum.
The role of the tutor will gradually change into that of a coach; both in supporting technique, materials, and methods, and in connecting these to themes and concepts.
Teaching Methods
The practical lessons in semester 1 consist of a number of short assignments and several assignments that can be spread over multiple lessons. The lessons will often begin class-wide with theory and/or explanation of the assignment. A small PowerPoint presentation or video with examples will clarify the theme or method. Class-wide art appreciation will be addressed.
During the lessons, individual discussions will be alternated with group talks. Time will be dedicated to small presentations of work. The tutor acts as a moderator to encourage students to engage in discussions about the work created. Assignments can be in groups or individually
Material & literature
Learning Resources; you will not work with a rigid set up of fixed learning resources. Sources will be recommended on an improvisational basis. When looking at the work of professional artists, usage will include personal archives, books and magazines (FUKT, Mr. Motley, Metropolis M, etc.), Internet; YouTube, Instagram, websites, etc., KABK Library; books; art magazines and your personal resource cabinet.
Information
Registration
For the academic year 2025-2026, please register before 12 June 2025 at 23:59.
NB: This course is NOT available in Usis.
Registration: you can register for the course via this link.
Remarks
This course is part of Practicum Artium. These courses are exclusively intented for students of Leiden University.
For other courses in the domains of fine arts and music, please visit: Elective courses music and fine arts