Drawing from scratch
6 weeks, from$170
- Line, tone and proportion in pencil and charcoal
- Still life and the room around you
- Quick exercises that loosen a stiff hand
- A pinned up look at everyone's work to close
Paint, draw and print in good company
Weekly drawing, painting and printmaking courses, one day workshops and a Saturday club for young artists, taught in two daylight studios and a print room. Pick a class and a start date, and the studio office takes it from there.
10 placesin most classes
Materialson the table, in the price
Ages 7 upin the young artists club
- Beginners in every class
- Ten students or fewer
- Paper, paint and ink provided
- A summer show of student work
Six weeks at the same easel
Each course meets once a week for two hours, at the same time and with the same tutor. Paper, paint, ink and aprons are on the table, so nobody needs to shop before the first class.
Painting in oils and acrylics
6 weeks, from$210
- Mixing every colour from a short palette
- Painting from life and from printed photos
- Brushes, boards and paint provided
- Low odour mediums in place of solvents
Printmaking: lino and drypoint
6 weeks, from$230
- Cutting and printing a two colour linocut
- Drypoint on card plates through the press
- Inks, papers and press time included
- A small edition of prints to take home
Young artists club
6 Saturdays, from$120
- Drawing, painting, clay and collage in turn
- Two adults in the room at all times
- Washable materials made for children
- A folder of work to take home each term
Fees are paid at the studio once a place is confirmed. Miss a week and you can catch up at another session of the same course that week, if an easel is open.
One day workshops and drop in sessions
Weekend workshops suit anyone who wants to try a medium before signing up for six weeks of it.
Watercolour landscapes
Washes, skies and layers of colour, from a first pencil sketch to a finished painting in one Saturday.
One day$85
Portrait drawing
Measuring, likeness and light on a face, drawing a clothed sitter and each other.
One day$80
Life drawing drop in
A professional model, short poses building to long ones, and a tutor on hand. For adults aged 18 and over.
Per session$22
Screen printing on fabric
Cut a stencil, mix inks and print a tote bag and a tea towel of your own design.
One day$95
Family printmaking morning
One adult and one child aged 6 or over carve a stamp together and print a set of cards.
Per pair$45
Teen portfolio day
Ages 13 to 17 draw from observation all day and get frank advice on presenting a body of work.
One day$70
Workshops take eight to twelve students. Bring a packed lunch; tea and coffee wait on the studio kitchen counter.
Two daylight studios and a print room
The main studio faces north, so the light stays even from morning to evening and colours look the same at the end of a class as at the start. The second studio holds still life set ups and a heated model's stage for life drawing.
The print room has an etching press, a relief press, a screen printing bench and a drying rack. Students who finish a printmaking course can book press time on Sunday afternoons.
- Easels, drawing donkeys and boards for everyone
- Filtered sinks that keep paint out of the drains
- Level access to both studios and the print room
- Aprons and gloves on hooks by the door
The palette on every table
Painting courses begin from eight tubes so students learn to mix rather than to buy. These are the colours laid out in week one.
Ultramarine blueWarm blue for shadows and skies
Cadmium red hueA strong warm red
Alizarin crimsonCool red for purples and depth
Yellow ochreEarthy yellow for skin and land
Lemon yellowCool yellow for bright greens
Burnt siennaWarm darks and quick underpainting
ViridianDeep green that loves a touch of red
Titanium whiteThe tube that always empties first
Young artists, carefully looked after
The Saturday club for ages 7 to 11 is led by tutors who teach children every week and have passed the background checks the law sets for working with children here. Those rules differ between countries, so on top of them every tutor completes our own safeguarding training each year, and two adults are in the room at every children's class.
Parents sign children in and out at the studio door, and children leave only with an adult named on the request form. Photos of children's work appear on our noticeboard and pages only with a parent's permission, and never with a child's face or full name. A named safeguarding lead hears any concern in confidence.
- Two adults with every children's group
- Signed in and out by a named adult
- Washable paints and inks made for children
- Allergies noted before the first class
Ink on the hands, work on the walls
Printmaking evenings, life drawing, weekend workshops and the summer show of student work.
Overheard by the sink (example reviews)
Drawing in front of strangers felt impossible six weeks ago. The tutor made every exercise feel doable, and the pinned up look at the end of each class became the best part of the week.
Pulling the first print off the press got a cheer from the whole room. Clear teaching, inks laid out ready and a print room kept spotless.
Our daughter counts down to Saturday. She comes home with paint on her sleeves and a folder she is proud of, and collection at the door is calm every week.
Before you pick up a brush
Is a class suitable for someone who has never drawn?
Yes. Every course starts from the basics, and tutors work with each student at their own pace. Most classes mix complete beginners with people coming back to art after years away.
What should students bring?
Only clothes that can take a splash of paint. Paper, paint, inks, brushes and aprons are included in every course and workshop.
Who poses for life drawing?
Professional models who are paid for their time. Life drawing is for adults aged 18 and over, and phones and cameras stay put away for the whole session.
Do parents stay during the young artists club?
Parents sign their child in and out at the studio door. On a child's first Saturday, a parent is welcome to stay for the first half hour while they settle.
What happens if a class is missed?
Tell the office and join the same course at another time that week when there is room. Classes missed without notice are not refunded.
Is the building accessible?
Both studios and the print room are on the ground floor with level access and an accessible toilet. Mention anything else that would help when you send a request.
Request a place at the easel
Choose a course, a workshop or the young artists club, then the day and time that suit. Someone in the office writes back the next working day with a confirmed place, or with the closest class that still has an easel.
- An easel is yours when the office says yes
- Fees paid at the studio after confirmation
- Every material included in the price
Come and see the studios
Ring the office in studio hours, or email and a tutor replies before the next class.
Studio office
Ground floor studios in a converted warehouse near the river, in the old town
Studio hours
| Monday to Friday | 10:00 to 21:00 |
| Saturday | 09:30 to 17:00 |
| Sunday | Open studio, 11:00 to 15:00 |
Sunday open studio
Every Sunday from 11:00 to 15:00 the studios are open to look round, see student work on the walls and talk to a tutor about which class would suit.
Plan a visit