Session 1 — Urban Cityscape

Theme: Architecture, perspective and atmosphere

Explore city streets, buildings, shopfronts and urban spaces. Simplify complex scenes into large shapes, paying attention to the relationship between buildings, streets and sky.

·     Focus: Perspective, proportion, composition and tonal values.

·     Oil painting techniques: Blocking in, layering, edge control and atmospheric perspective.

·     Challenge: Create depth and atmosphere without painting every architectural detail.

Session 2 — Folds, Drapery and Texture

Theme: Light, shadow and the structure of fabric

Study fabric arranged over a chair, box or simple form. Observe how folds create patterns of light and shadow, and explore the differences between soft, heavy, shiny and textured materials.

·     Focus: Tonal modelling, form, reflected light and negative space.

·     Oil painting techniques: Scumbling, glazing, dry brushing and varied brushwork.

·     Challenge: Communicate the weight and texture of fabric through tonal contrasts and paint application.

Session 3 — Portrait Drawing (live model)

Theme: Proportion, structure and character

Develop observational drawing skills using a live model. Study the proportions of the head, placement of features and relationship between light and shadow.

·     Focus: Facial proportions, anatomy, gesture and tonal structure.

·     Materials: Charcoal, graphite or drawing pencils on paper.

·     Challenge: Produce a convincing portrait drawing that captures both structure and individual character.

Session 4 — Painting the Figure in a Silk Gown (live model)

Theme: The human figure, fabric and movement

Paint a seated or standing figure wearing a silk gown. Observe the relationship between the figure's anatomy and the flowing contours, highlights and shadows of the fabric.

·     Gesture, proportion, colour temperature, reflected light and drapery.

·     Oil painting techniques: Thin underpainting, layered colour, soft edges and carefully placed highlights.

·     Challenge: Convey the contrast between the solidity of the figure and the reflective, fluid quality of silk.

Session 5 — Simple Still Life

Theme: Observation, composition and form

Arrange one to three everyday objects, such as a cup, pear, jug or small ceramic vessel. Explore the relationship between objects, background and surrounding negative space.

·     Focus: Shape, proportion, tonal values and colour mixing.

·     Oil painting techniques: Blocking in, scumbling, blending and controlled brushwork.

·     Challenge: Create a balanced composition using a limited palette and simplified forms.

Session 6 — Glass Still Life with a Palette Knife

Theme: Transparency, reflections and texture

Paint glass bottles, tumblers or jars using a palette knife alongside brushes where helpful. Observe reflections, overlapping shapes, highlights and the colours visible through the glass.

·     Focus: Transparency, reflected colour, edges and tonal contrast.

·     Oil painting techniques: Impasto, broken colour, palette-knife marks and layered highlights.

·     Challenge: Suggest the transparency of glass without outlining every object or painting every reflection literally

Session 7 — Abstract Painting

Theme: Colour, rhythm and expressive mark-making

Develop an abstract composition inspired by colour, shapes, fabric, architecture or landscape. Move away from literal representation and explore the expressive possibilities of paint.

·     Focus: Colour harmony, composition, rhythm, balance and personal expression.

·     Oil painting techniques: Layering, scraping back, palette-knife application and gestural brushwork.

·     Challenge: Create a unified composition through deliberate colour and mark-making decisions.

Session 8 — Countryside Landscape

Theme: Space, light and distance

Paint a rural landscape featuring fields, hedgerows, rolling hills, trees or distant buildings. Investigate how colour, contrast and overlapping forms create a sense of depth.

·     Focus: Atmospheric perspective, tonal structure, colour temperature and composition.

·     Oil painting techniques: Thin underpainting, layered greens, scumbling and softening distant forms.

·     Challenge: Create convincing depth while maintaining colour harmony throughout the painting.

Session 9 — Objects with a Story

Theme: Still life, memory and narrative

Create a still life using objects that suggest a story, memory or personal association. Possible subjects include old books, spectacles, letters, a cup, a piece of jewellery or a treasured possession.

·     Focus: Composition, symbolism, visual hierarchy and atmosphere.

·     Oil painting techniques: Selective detail, controlled edges, tonal contrast and expressive colour.

·     Challenge: Communicate a mood or narrative through the arrangement of objects rather than relying on written explanation.

Session 10 — Coastal Landscape

Theme: Sea, sky, cliffs and changing light

Explore a coastal scene with waves, rocks, cliffs, beaches or distant horizons. Study the changing colours of water and sky and the contrast between moving water and solid land.

·     Focus: Horizon placement, atmospheric perspective, movement and tonal contrast.

·     Oil painting techniques: Horizontal brushwork, palette-knife marks, layered blues and greens, and textured foregrounds.

·     Challenge: Capture the movement and atmosphere of the coast without overworking the water or sky.

Session 11 — Figures in a Landscape & Woodland Light and Shadow

Theme: Dappled light and complex natural forms

Paint a woodland path or trees with sunlight filtering through the branches.

Theme: Human presence, scale and atmosphere

Figures may be walking, sitting, working or gathering in a public space.

·     Focus: Gesture, scale, proportion, composition and figure-ground relationships.

·     Oil painting techniques: Simplified shapes, expressive brushwork, selective detail and colour integration.

·     Challenge: Make the figures feel naturally connected to the landscape while maintaining the overall composition.

Session 12 — Personal Painting Project

 The tutor reserves the right to make small changes to the programme.