3 Day Bootcamp | Introduction to Drawing and Painting for Beginners with Sally Mowbray

This 3-day workshop is the perfect starting point for absolute beginners who want to explore drawing and painting with acrylics. Designed as a condensed, step-by-step program, it covers foundational skills to help you build confidence and develop strategies for independent art practice or further study.

Materials are provided—just bring yourself and get ready for an exciting art experience to kickstart the new year!

What You’ll Gain:

• Essential drawing techniques
• Foundational acrylic painting skills
• Practical knowledge of colour theory and palette organisation
• Confidence to continue your creative journey

Bootcamp Outline

Day 1 – Colour Theory and Practice

• Introduction to Colour: Learn how to name, mix, and match colours and paint your own colour wheel
• Practical Colour Theory: Go beyond primary and secondary colours to explore tertiary hues and greys.
• Paint Handling Techniques: Gain control over proportions and quantities when adjusting colours.
• Studio Practice: Organising your palette and workspace. 
• Brushwork: Refine your brush handling techniques and learn how to apply paint effectively.
• Applications: Explore colours for portraits and landscapes.

Day 2 – Drawing Foundations

• Core Techniques: Master line, tone, and gestural drawing.
• Key Concepts: Sighting and proportion, perspective, and form.
• Exercises: Engage in quick sketches, sustained studies, and fun drawing games to build your skills to draw both simple and complex subjects.

Day 3 – Painting on Canvas

• Bringing it Together: Apply what you've learned to create a still life painting, working in stages/layers and glazes with introduction to basic mediums
• Techniques Covered:
  • Grisaille tonal underpainting
  • Alla Prima methods
  • Layering and glazing with basic mediums
• Composing your subject - Learn how to arrange and paint simple still life objects and studio props including fabrics, glass and metal

What to Expect

Each day introduces new concepts and techniques, with a balance of structured learning and hands-on practice. You’ll explore both traditional and contemporary approaches, gaining skills that can be applied to a variety of creative projects. It's a whole term program condensed to just 3 wonderful days!

Is This Workshop for You?

This bootcamp is ideal for:

• Complete beginners ready to learn the essentials of drawing and painting.
• Anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of colour theory and acrylic techniques.

No prior experience is required—everyone is welcome and with materials provided, you just have to turn up and be prepared for a fabulous art experience to start the new year!!

Join us for this dynamic, immersive program and transform your creativity in just 3 days!

Materials

Included in the course fee is the use of our drawing materials, acrylic paints, mediums, palettes, brushes, and surfaces (paper, canvas or canvas paper).

However, if you have your own art kit with drawing materials, acrylic paints, brushes etc that you'd like to use, then by all means bring them along too. But no need to rush out and buy them - this is a taster workshop with everything supplied to make it easy for you. By using our paints, we also ensure that everyone is mixing their colours using the same primary acrylic paints.

Please bring the following:

• bring some soft rags and/or roll of paper kitchen towels
• bring a notebook and pencil, rubber, sharpener
• your lunch

About studio classes

Our class sizes are small, ensuring you receive the individual tuition you need. We have a maximum of 12 students per class.

Unless otherwise noted, prices *exclude* art materials. Click here to see a list of local art supply retailers.

To learn about our studios, amenites and how to get there, click here.

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