Develop your painting skills in a series of controlled steps and understand the process from start to finish. Learn to select and prepare surfaces and materials, build a composition and make supplementary studies to guide your colour application and evaluate your progress and results.

There will be a variety of projects to help develop your understanding of, and practice how to use and mix colour with acrylic paints. You will look at and take inspiration from the work and practice of a variety of artists and understand how composition is important in still life. Develop your handling of the medium and build confidence in image making with paint through still life. You will gain an understanding of how to balance the elements that go to make up a finished painting make use of line and tone to express form and improve paint handling techniques.

A variety of projects, working from both representation and abstraction, will develop your handling of the medium and build confidence in image-making with paint.  You will be able to follow set painting projects and /or develop your own ideas in painting, building upon the momentum in the studio. You will learn how to discuss painting with confidence using appropriate vocabulary to take the momentum from this course into new projects at home.

Included

The course fee includes the cost of providing some paper and gesso, shared amongst the group, and some acrylic paint, gloss medium and clingfilm.

What students need to bring

• Rags
• A variety of brushes
• Empty window cleaner sprayer (for spraying water on artwork)
• A portable music device with headphones and music (optional)

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes).

Daily Timetable

Course teaching: 11am–5.15pm
Students arrive: 10.30am-11am (coffee optional)  
Morning teaching: 11am-1pm
Lunch break: 1pm-2pm (lunch is not included)
Afternoon teaching: 2pm-5.15pm (15 minute break, 3.30pm–3.45pm)
Teaching finishes: 5.15pm  
 

Short courses are open to anyone aged 18 and over. The course fee covers tuition and materials where stated. You will need to bring all other items listed under the ‘Materials to bring’ section.

Refreshments

Coffee and tea are included in the course fee, but you will need to bring lunch with you to eat in the refreshments room. There are also plenty of other local venues to purchase food.

Access

If you have any specific access needs, we will need to know about your access requirements in advance. Please tell us about your needs in confidence by emailing: [email protected] This venue has steps to the front reception, with limited access via a side gate to the ground floor. There is a small lift to higher floors or stairs.

Safety

Short course students are required to sign a safety compliance form as part of West Dean Health and Safety regulations.

Refunds and cancellations

Please refer to our terms & conditions below.

Disclaimer

The information given is accurate at the time of publication. However, West Dean College reserves the right to cancel or amend courses if circumstances require.

Terms & Conditions