Courses and Workshops

A ten-week course suitable for anyone who wants to learn how to get started with oil paint. 

If you are brand new to the oil medium (or have dabbled) this course will help you establish a safe and enjoyable practice using dependable traditional methods. 

Across ten 2-hour lessons, we will cover everything you need to know to get going with oil paints, with an emphasis on representational art.

Over the first half of the course, we will focus on still life, working from objects in the studio to learn composition and the principles of colour theory (hue, value and chroma). In the second half of the course, we will focus on the particular challenges of portraiture.

Classes are small (max 6 students) allowing for plenty of individualised feedback.

I recommend booking in good time to avoid disappointment  as the course gets fully booked.

DETAILS:

Course structure 

Weeks 1 and 2: Foundations

• Introduction to oil painting materials and safe studio setup
• Limited palette colour theory: understanding primaries, neutrals, and mixing strategies
• Underpainting techniques: value studies and tonal block-ins using earth colours
• Getting comfortable with brushwork and handling paint
• First project begins: students create an underpainting from observation

Weeks 3 to 4: Observational Study

• Mixing full-colour palettes from a limited range
• Introduction to chroma, hue, and value in practice
• Colour block-in and refinement of painting
• Lessons in composition, managing background, highlights, and detail

Week 5: Introduction to Portraiture

• Sketching facial structure
• Mixing flesh tones using both primaries and earth palette
• Preparing a portrait block-in on oil paper
• Students begin selecting photographic references for a longer painting

Weeks 6 to 10: Longer Project 

• Students complete a full painting from sketch to final glazes
• Focus on form, anatomy (if portrait), and painting in layers
• Lessons in expressive and accurate brushwork
• Ongoing 1-to-1 instruction with emphasis on solving specific challenges
• Final sessions focus on refining detail, enhancing visual impact, and finishing touches

Materials

All materials are included, although you are welcome to bring your own. We will be using:

• Student-grade oil paints. The core colours are Flake White Replacement, Titanium White, Cadmium Red (hue), Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Yellow (hue), Yellow Ochre, Alizarin Crimson, Raw Umber, and Ivory Black. 
• Oil pastel sticks by Sennelier, Van Gogh, and Mungyo Gallery (optional) 
• Willow charcoal sticks (for underdrawings)
• Refined linseed oil 
• A low-VOC solvent made by Jackson's called Pure-Sol
• A range of long-handled hog and synthetic sable brushes with round, flat, filbert, and bright tips.
• A3-size oil painting paper taped to a drawing board for studies.
• 2 primed canvas boards for completed paintings (one still life and one portrait)

If you wish to purchase your own materials ahead of classes please note that only low-VOC solvents are permitted in the studio: so, no turpentine or white spirits, instead I recommend Gamsol/ Pure-Sol, Liquin or Zest-It (see Materials Guide). While turpentine and white spirits are traditional some people are particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of these high-VOC solvents so they are not suitable for group classes.

This course is designed for students who already have some experience with oil paint and are ready to deepen their skills. Whether you’ve completed my introductory course or learned the basics elsewhere, this is a supportive and personalised next step. Some students may wish to continue developing unfinished paintings, others might begin new compositions or explore a specific technique.

Classes are small (maximum 6 students), allowing each person to develop their own project while receiving individual guidance tailored to their goals. 

In addition to ongoing painting practice, the course includes optional demonstrations and discussions covering more advanced topics, such as:

• Stretching and priming your own canvas
• Developing a consistent painting practice
• Finishing techniques for more polished work
• Professional development: pricing, presenting, and talking about your work

You’ll be encouraged to challenge yourself technically, while also reflecting on your own style and creative direction.

DETAILS

Duration:
5 weekly sessions (2 hours each)

Who it’s for:
This course is ideal for artists who already feel comfortable with the basics of oil painting and want to:

• Build confidence with technique
• Refine portrait or still life work
• Work towards a finished piece
• Gain insight into the professional side of being an artist

Materials:
All materials will be provided, including oil paints, canvas boards, studio tools and iPads to display reference images. Students are also welcome to bring their own supplies and reference images. If you’re interested in learning to stretch and prime your own canvases, we’ll walk through this process in-studio with materials on hand.

Price: £90 (all materials included, or bring your own)

The use of a rather muted palette is a distinctive feature in much British art over the centuries (examples pictured below). Inspired by our rugged coastlines, industrial landscapes, periods of wartime austerity, and arguably reflective of British sensibilities, long associated with modesty and restraint, many British artists embraced a dunner palette than their continental peers, heavy on earthy browns and chromatic greys.   

Although associated with dullness, browns and greys when mixed well can create depth, realism, and emotional resonance. Understanding how to mix ‘chromatic’ rather than ‘neutral’ greys, which subtly retain hints of the vibrancy of the primary colours, is a great tool for developing harmonious and atmospheric compositions.

It is, of course, not fair to say that there is one definitive ‘British Palette’, as there is great variety in British art, but muted palettes have been influential and merit close study. Even the Scottish Colourists often took a different approach when painting Scotland, to when painting Southern Europe, embracing our maritime climate and the overcast, diffuse light and precipitation we so frequently enjoy here. 

Come prepared to complete colour studies that will push you out of your comfort zone!  

Price: £35 (all materials included, or bring your own)