Comprehensive development in 9 Saturdays!

 

All the communal lectures, general information and group discussions are in English.The individual educational coaching is provided in English, Dutch or German.
 

9 Saturdays, 9:30 h - 16:00 h. (CET)

The PREPARATORY COURSE REGULAR takes place several times per year.

Our current schedule is:

Autumn Course 2025: 13 September - 8 November

Winter Course 2025-2026: 22 November - 31 January

 

Introduction day with playful assignments. You learn how to work process-wise and develop better ideas to make a visual strong portfolio.

Preparation for the remote admission with home assignments

Brief orientation on the professional specializations (majors) on Dutch art and design schools

Practical assignments within a professional specialization 

assignments training to prepare yourself for the admission 

study advice / information sessions / portfolio advice consultation

Your Investment:  € 600,-  (plus your own materials)

 

Expand your talents

Explore and expand your talents during the Online Course Regular, which takes place on nine consecutive Saturdays. Are you curious and you have an open attitude? Gain a clearer understanding of the structure of the Dutch Art and Design schools, their teaching methods and the various professional specializations (majors). 

Work like a professional and develop a persuading portfolio.

Our experienced tutor(s) help you to make the right choices. Make yourself confident with working on assignments. Learn how to work process-wise and see how you are able to develop better ideas. Broaden your frame of reference through research and collecting visual inspiration in a systematic way. Discover how your own areas of interest can lead you to creative solutions. Learn to reflect upon your own work, develop a self-critical attitude and make your best work ever, which you will assemble into a convincing portfolio. Be thoroughly prepared for the remote admission. Learn how to give others an idea of your creative capabilities. Make your ideas visible through sketches and notations. 

What will you learn during the ONLINE Preparatory Course Regular ?

The first day of the Online Preparatory Courses starts with an introduction round, short assignments and information about the course structure. You will then further develop your own (visual) areas of interest through self-elected assignments, based on your previous work. 

Already here you will be choosing your professional specialization: the major. Information about the different majors will help you to make the right choice. The emphasis during the first part of the course is on short exercises, assignments and creative strategies, which will help you arrive at advanced, high-quality solutions. Visual development and a process of try-outs and refining the results are essential in this regard. 

Learning by doing

The focus is on learning by doing. The practical lessons are supplemented with short workshop-like assignments. You will be introduced to contemporary artists and designers, who can serve as inspiration for your own ideas and your own work. You will be compiling an image bank to facilitate your own work. During the final series of lessons, you will be finishing your practical assignments within the major of your choice. Here you will be applying everything you have encountered and learned during the first part of the course. In the meantime, you will also be assembling your portfolio. Your portfolio will be discussed in several advice sessions. 

If you could not finish the assignments during the lessons, you have to do this during the following week, so that you can start every lesson with a fresh mind. There is also something like homework. For example you have to collect and sort-out images from the internet or from books for visual research, or you have to collect material in preparation of an assignmnet.

Essential Materials list:

You will definitely need a computer or laptop with microphone, speakers or headset, that is capable of following all lessons online. We will use Microsoft Teams for our online courses, a link to join the classroom will be provided.

A mobile phone or camera is necessary to make images of your (quick) sketches during the lessons. You quickly send images (or share your desktop) to get responses from your teacher and classmates. 

Materials list: (suggestions)

White and colored paper, your own dummy, glue, tracing paper, different kinds of cardboard, iron wire, fabric.

Drawing and painting material: pencils, brushes, crayons, felt-tip pens, indian ink, charcoal, acrylic- gouache- or watercolor.

Magazines, newspapers, small materials like ice lolly sticks, bamboo skewers or colored clay.

Also it is useful to have material and tools within the art or design specialisation of your choice, like a camera for photo- and video works, three dimensional material for spatial and fashion designers. 

_________

What is the difference between the two preparatory courses Regular and Compact?

The Preparatory Course Regular is a course of 9 saturdays á 6 hours (9:30h - 13:00h and 13:30 - 16:00h  CET (Central European Time zone) 

The Preparatory Course Compact is a course of 9 evenings á 3 hours (18:30 h - 21:30 h CET (Central European Time zone) 

To get everything out of the Preparatory Course Compact, you have to invest more time outside the lessons for making the same development steps as in the Preparatory Course Regular. The Compact Course also offers less time for conversations during the lessons compared to the Regular Course. The Compact Course was created for people with a busy schedule, allowing an educational course in the evening hours only.
_________
 
Although the Preparatory Course is no guarantee of admission, it offers you a valuable experience and provides you an opportunity to develop and expand your portfolio and prepare yourself for the Art and Design Academy of your choice. 

You will also gain insight into the structure and method of how lessons are taught at Dutch art academies. For some students, the teaching method does not match the student's expectation and he or she may then consider choosing a different study - without losing an entire study year.