Short course
Learning to Look at the Visual Arts
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Location:
Online
Dates:
21/09/2026 - 04/12/2026
Study format:
Online - flexible
Fees:
£430.00
Have you ever looked at a picture in a museum or gallery and been able to see and feel its characteristics but not had the vocabulary to put your thoughts into words? This short online course offers you the opportunity to learn how to study and analyse paintings, drawings and prints and learn the 'language of looking' to communicate your appreciation of art.
During this course, you will learn about the qualities that make up a picture, including composition, space, form, tone and colour, why each element is important, and how they relate to each other to create the aesthetic appearance of the image. You will also learn to understand the importance of subject matter, original function and setting of a picture in appreciating its visual meaning.
Teaching and learning will be through guided reading and by interaction and question and answer sessions to promote visual understanding through appreciation of a series of paintings from the fifteenth century to the present day. A key element of the course is art criticism, where you will take part in guided viewings of paintings and then have the opportunity to put your new visual vocabulary into practice, working on tasks with your fellow students.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Programme details
The course is broken down into 10 units over 10 weeks, each requiring approximately 10 hours of study time. The following topics are covered:
- Unit 1: Introduction to learning Look at the Visual Arts
- Unit 2: Composition
- Unit 3: Space
- Unit 4 and Unit 5: Form
- Unit 6: Tone
- Unit 7: Colour
- Unit 8: Subject-matter
- Unit 9: Drawing and its purposes
- Unit 10: Looking at print
We strongly recommend that you try to find a little time each week to engage in the online conversations (at times that are convenient to you) as the forums are an integral and very rewarding part of the course and the online learning experience.
Level and demands
This course is open to all, and no prior knowledge is required.
This course is offered at FHEQ level 4 (first year undergraduate level), and you will be expected to engage in independent study in preparation for your assignments. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours.
English Language Requirements
We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but we warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements, please see here.
Course aims
- Teach students to look at painting from a more visual and analytical point of view.
- Teach the necessary visual vocabulary or language of looking.
- Provide a method for looking at paintings, drawings and prints which is both flexible and clear.
- Generate understanding of pictorial qualities and their integration for the aesthetic appearance.
- Create a feeling for the integration of the aesthetic appearance with the subject matter and period of the picture.
- Learn how to look in a more objective and analytical way.
- Learn the visual vocabulary and glossary of terms.
- Understand pictoral qualities and what they mean, that is Composition, Space, Form, Tone, Colour, Subject Matter.
- Think critically.
IT requirements
This course is delivered online; to participate you must to be familiar with using a computer for purposes such as sending email and searching the Internet. You will also need regular access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification.
Programme details
The course is broken down into 10 units over 10 weeks, each requiring approximately 10 hours of study time. The following topics are covered:
- Unit 1: Introduction to learning Look at the Visual Arts
- Unit 2: Composition
- Unit 3: Space
- Unit 4 and Unit 5: Form
- Unit 6: Tone
- Unit 7: Colour
- Unit 8: Subject-matter
- Unit 9: Drawing and its purposes
- Unit 10: Looking at print
We strongly recommend that you try to find a little time each week to engage in the online conversations (at times that are convenient to you) as the forums are an integral and very rewarding part of the course and the online learning experience.
Assessment methods
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Mr Gordon Reavley
Gordon Reavley is a Departmental Tutor teaching topics in Art History and Visual and Material Culture for Oxford Lifelong Learning. He has been widely published on American social and cultural history and on the history and theory of art and design.
Assessment methods
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Level and demands
This course is open to all, and no prior knowledge is required.
This course is offered at FHEQ level 4 (first year undergraduate level), and you will be expected to engage in independent study in preparation for your assignments. Our 10-week Short Online Courses come with an expected total commitment of 100 study hours.
English Language Requirements
We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but we warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements, please see here.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £430.00 |
Module code: O26P301ARV
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page.