Upcoming Workshops

This is an informative acrylic painting workshop, for those who are interested in colours and mark-making. Learn how to use large brushes and develop a bold approach to painting. You will paint a variety of subjects with less emphasis on obsessive drawing. Demonstrations and one to one guidance will be provided, and the course is suitable for anyone with an open mind. Photographic reference will be provided on the day but feel free to bring your own photos.

Paint bold, loose watercolours using fabulous colour and expressive brush strokes. Jake will use his expertise to guide you through painting two pictures painting. You will learn mark making techniques such as wet in wet, dry brush.

This workshop, lead by award-winning artist and author Kevin Scully, will show you how produce a painting that is neither wholly realistic, nor completely abstract. Students will discover the enigmatic area of painting where the subject matter is recognisable, but the elements contained within it have been implied rather than defined, leaving the eye to fill in the missing detail.

John will demonstrate, in watercolour, how to create realistic paintings of animals and birds. Working from photographs he will describe the techniques required to depict both fur and feather, and to produce a successful animal portrait. Students will produce a head study in pencil, then aim to complete two paintings including a head study of a dog and a bird study. John will provide one-to-one instruction on ho to achieve a realistic result.

In this workshop John will show how to depict a street scene and a harbour scene, using a quick and loose watercolour technique. He will talk a little about linear and aerial perspective and how to create a good composition. Each student will receive some one-to-one tuition during the day and those who paint at a faster speed can practice new brush techniques and exercises. By the end of the workshop you will have created both a street and harbour painting.

Jenny Aitken is an award-winning painter known for her sparkling seas and coastal light. As a seasoned tutor her passion for painting is well known, as is her encouraging and informative teaching style. This two-day workshop is suitable for beginners to regular painters who would learn how to construct a painting in order to best tell the visual story - how to begin and methodically work through to a successful conclusion.

Joe uses a palette knife and incorporates loose flowing strokes of vibrant colour to create his distinctive impasto paintings on canvas. He will commence the workshop with a demonstration where you will get a feel for his technique; you will then be led through the various stages of creating a painting in his style. Joe will encourage you to open up and become comfortable creating your piece using a palette knife and a range of striking, vibrant colours.

Learn how to create an atmospheric landscape in watercolour using the wet-in-wet technique. Your knowledgeable tutor will teach the process of creating an under-drawing, while looking closely at shapes and boundaries within your composition. You will then add colour and depth by allowing vibrant watercolours to flow and drip across the page.

Extend the expressive power of your watercolours by adding ink line to your composition to create an attractively illustrative painting. Your personable tutor Catherine will explain the benefits of this technique, looking closely at shape and considering boundaries within compositions. You will drip loose wet-in-wet colour over an under-drawing and bring it all together with strategies of reviewing your work.

This workshop with talented visiting artist Yana Trevail will cover A Tonal Approach to Painting, a method that uses simple still life and self-portrait exercises to develop a clear understanding of tone, by deconstructing what you see into a basic visual grammar of form and colour, dark and light. Using acrylic, students engage with the technique through monochrome exercises painted from direct observation. It’s a process that accommodates the needs and interests of the individual and can be applied to landscape, still life or portraits, and abstract work, according to the preference of the student. The method is really all about how to see without preconceptions and how to efficiently translate the 3D world onto a 2D surface.

Colin Allbrook is a new Tutor at Truro Arts and we are very excited to welcome such an established painter! This workshop is aimed at those who have some experience with watercolours, although if you are a keen beginner you are more than welcome. Working in watercolour you will aim to create atmospheric paintings using a diverse range of techniques. Colin will begin by using his sketchbooks to produce demonstration piece while sharing useful hints and tips.  Students will learn how practice studies can be used to guide the creative process and achieve a finished painting.

Learn to paint snow scenes in mixed media from one of the most popular landscape artists working in Cornwall today! Amanda Hoskin will guide you through her artistic process from start to finish, using demonstration and 1 to 1 tuition to share techniques. The workshop will teach you how to build colour and texture using a mix of oils, acrylics, pastel, watercolour and any other mediums you like. Amanda will encourage you to produce your own painting with a sense of freedom, aiming to help everyone embrace an experimental approach while developing a style that is personal to them.

Gouache is the most versatile of all paint media yet relatively unknown and consequently under-used. Gouache is water-based, being like thick opaque watercolour enabling artists to paint in any style. No previous experience is needed for this workshop which will include using gouache as watercolour initially, then thicker applications for over-painting. Any mistakes can easily be rectified due to the high covering strength of gouache. Following a step-by-step format, Jeremy will demonstrate each stage of painting before you do it yourself. Students will learn to mix the correct colours and deal with any associated problems before moving onto the next stage. There will be plenty of opportunity for questions and answers as Jeremy guides you through the creative process.