5 day drawing

and painting course

5-Day Drawing & Painting Course

August 11th to 15th - 10 to 3pm

Unlock your creative potential with our weeklong drawing and painting course, designed for beginners and those coming back to their art. Over five days, you’ll explore essential techniques in drawing, tonal values, colour theory, and brushwork while studying the methods of legendary artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, Monet, and Matisse. Whether you're looking to refine your skills or gain confidence in expressive painting, this structured yet inspiring course will help you loosen up and develop a fresh approach to your work.

Course Overview

  • Duration: 5 days (5 hours per day - 10 to 3pm)

  • Location: Star Brewery, Lewes

  • Level: Suitable for beginners

  • Materials: A materials list will be sent to you

What You’ll Learn

Day 1: Foundations of Drawing – Seeing & Measuring

  • Improve observation skills with blind contour and gesture drawing

  • Learn proportion and sight-measuring techniques to create accurate drawings

  • Explore negative space drawing in the style of Matisse

Day 2: Tonal Values & Composition

  • Master light and shadow to create depth and realism

  • Experiment with high-contrast charcoal drawing, inspired by Caravaggio’s dramatic lighting

  • Develop soft tonal transitions in a Morandi-style still life study

Day 3: Introduction to Painting – Limited Palette

Inspired by: Anders Zorn (Zorn palette), John Singer Sargent (loose, painterly style)

  • Learn Zorn’s limited palette to simplify colour mixing

  • Paint a monochromatic study to explore tonal values in colour

Day 4: Colour & Brushwork – Expressive Techniques

Inspired by: Henri Matisse (bold colour choices), Claude Monet (broken colour technique)

  • Mix and apply complementary colours for vibrant compositions

  • Explore Matisse’s expressive still-life approach with unexpected colour choices

Day 5: Personal Project & Experimental Painting

Inspired by: Jenny Aitken and Sarah Manolescue

  • Experiment with light and colour

  • Exploring a landscape painting of a local scene

  • Gain valuable feedback and critique in a final group discussion

Why Join This Course?

Structured learning with expert guidance
Explore master techniques to refine your style
Learn to loosen up and draw/paint with more confidence
Small group setting for personalised feedback