Course outline.

Course Outline:

Week 1 – Pencil Drawing

Explore drawing techniques using a full range of graded pencils. We’ll focus on either an animal, plant or a portrait, developing skills in line, shading and observation.

Week 2 – Charcoal & Pastels on Mixed Media

Get experimental with charcoal and pastels, drawing onto textured surfaces created from materials like newspaper, brown paper or tissue. This week is all about layering, tone and bold marks.

Week 3 – Landscape Painting Outdoors

Weather permitting, we’ll head canal-side to paint the local scenery — canal boats, bridges and water reflections. Great practice for working en plein air using pencil, acrylics or watercolour.

Week 4 – Abstract Acrylic Painting

Let loose in this freedom-focused class using acrylics on large canvases at standing easels. Expect flicking, splattering and bold shapes in a playful abstract session.

Week 5 – Still Life

Choose your favourite medium and work from a studio-set still life. This week is about slowing down, building depth, and finding focus through form and light.

Week 6 – Watercolour & Inks

A guest session with skilled artist Karen Smith, where you’ll learn to work with watercolours and inks — creating fluid, layered pieces using expressive brush techniques.

Week 7 – Oil Painting with Guest Artist

This session will be led by in-house. You’ll get hands-on with oil painting techniques, learning to layer, blend and build rich textures.

Week 8 – Textured Art

Painting with Textured Compound, Palette Knife & Other Texture-Making Tools

For our final session, we’ll dive into the world of textured art, using textured compound, palette knives, and a variety of mark-making and texture tools to build up rich, tactile surfaces. You’ll explore how to create depth, movement and energy in your work through bold experimentation, layering, and 3D effects — a powerful way to wrap up the course.