Spring & Summer Workshops 2024

We’re excited to announce the first set of workshops taking place over spring & summer!

Our workshops are led by professional artists and are ideal for beginners as well as those who want to improve their skills and knowledge. Come along to get creative and have fun!

Workshops will be updated here and on the Whats On page as they’re confirmed with the artists.

Shop Fronts in line & wash

This workshop is geared to help you enjoy the medium of line and wash, the perfect choice for the hesitant artist!  Using a myriad of mark making skills we will use the theme of shop fronts and really get to know our pen - scribbling, hatching, dotting and dashing, before layering these textures into our work.  If you are not confident with your drawing, templates will be available to ease you in the right direction, and we will enjoy picking out all the quirks and eccentricities of a shop display, from classic Victorian tiled frontages to ramshackle vintage windows. 

Click here for more information.

Townscapes in pen & wash

For those who may shy away from traditional drawing methods, this workshop is geared to help you enjoy making the most of this exciting medium.  Inventing a collection of marks we will look at townscapes and busy streets as the theme, and really get to know our pen - scribbling, hatching, dotting and dashing, before layering these textures into our work.  If you are not confident with your drawing, templates will be available to ease you in the right direction, and we will enjoy picking out all the quirks and eccentricities of your chosen town, from quirky vintage corners to magnificent brick Georgian facades.

Click here for more information.

Coastal Landscapes in soft pastels

Soft pastels are a wonderful medium for creating both large washes of colour or for picking out intricate details, and this workshop will help you get to grips with your artwork.  Whether you have tried pastels before, or are completely new to them, the workshop will begin with some introductory exercises and an exploration into the colours and method.  Looking at ways to blend and shade our colours, we will learn how to take advantage of the natural brilliance of pastels.  You will be shown how to build up tonal areas and avoid common pitfalls, before finishing at least one pastel painting during the session.

Click here for more information

Painting with Nature - making paints

We will look at natural earth pigments available all around us and how to identify and then process them to be able to make artist quality paints. Touching on pigments through history, safety precautions and responsible foraging.

£30 per person.

Thursday 11th April, 11am - 1pm

Click here to book your place.

Painting with Nature - making paints and inks.

In this series of workshops we will look at earth, plant and other natural pigments suitable to make paint and or ink, and how to process them today using historical and modern recipes. We will also make some historical art tools using feathers and sticks and spend some time working with our created paints/inks and look at natural binders for making a variety of paint types from watercolour to tempera.

Weekly workshop for 3 weeks on a Thursday, 11am - 1pm. £80 per person.

Thursday 1st August - Thursday 15th August

Click here to book your place.

Lino Printing Workshop

Come and join a hands-on Lino Printing workshop at West Studios and unleash your creativity with this fun and unique art form!

Workshop ran by local artist Dave Elsom, of Sombrero Printmaking.

Tuesday 26th March, 7pm - 9.30pm.

Click here for more information & to book.

Printing with LEGO!

Use your imagination to create unique prints from Lego tiles.

1.5 hour workshop.

Tuesday 9th April.

6.30pm - 8pm.

Click here for more information & to book your place.

Lino Printing Workshop

Come and join a hands-on Lino Printing workshop at West Studios and unleash your creativity with this fun and unique art form!

Workshop ran by local artist Dave Elsom, of Sombrero Printmaking.

Wednesday 17th April, 7pm - 9.30pm.

Click here for more information & to book your place.