Art Courses Ashdown-Forest

Ashdown-Forest is an inspiring and diverse centre for the Arts. Not only established artists but also many emerging creatives call Ashdown-Forest home. If you are considering taking an art course, Ashdown-Forest should be your first choice. The New School of Art offers a range of art courses, all led by established, highly regarded artists and art historians who are on hand to help you through your course.


Beginners Art Classes Ashdown-Forest

Our art courses have been designed with artists of all levels in mind, from beginner to professional. If you are looking to develop an existing skill, are starting a new hobby or are completely new to painting, our tutors will be able to support you at your individual level. By aiming to ensure a maximum class size of 10 or 12, we are able to offer small, intimate Beginner art classes and a tutor on hand to give you the individual attention you need. Our Beginner art lessons incorporate individual and group work. You will be given the chance to both to discuss your specific needs one on one with your tutor and to share ideas with other students.

Advanced Art Classes Ashdown-Forest

Professional artists wanting to gain more experience or depth or focus on the work they already create will find our Advanced art courses in the greater Ashdown-Forest area ideal. All of our tutors are practising artists and will be able to give you technical support and provide an insight into the industry as it stands right now. On an Advanced art course you will be in a class of like-minded artists, who have the same goal – to develop and define their own practice and challenge their existing skills and knowledge. We understand that as working professionals you have other responsibilities outside the studio and finding the time to take part in a course can be hard, so we have created timetables which can fit around your busy schedule.

Fine Art Courses Ashdown-Forest

For a broader overview of fine art, the New School of Art offers a Fine Art course in the greater Ashdown-Forest area. By providing an introduction to fine art practice – including drawing and painting– the tutors will help students focus and critically reflect upon their work and painting. This programme is led by working artists, so students can benefit from one to one discussions with professionals, as well as discussions and workshops with their peers. Over the course, students will understand how their course tutor works and so develop their own skills.

Life Drawing Classes Ashdown-Forest

We also offer Life Drawing classes in the greater Ashdown-Forest area, which are very popular. We maintain that thorough study in drawing is important to all figurative work and this underlines our beliefs as an Art school. In this class, the life model is drawn in a range of different poses. The Life Drawing classes proivde an opportunity for artists to discover their creative side and practise their draftmanship in a focused, supportive environment. Tutors will be there to give instruction and guidance. This programme is guaranteed to improve your skills, regardless of your level of ability. Whether you are looking for tuition and direction, or a chance to work on your drawing in a more social setting, this class will be able to provide that for you.

Landscape Painting Courses Ashdown-Forest

Artist Louise Balaam NEAC, member of the New English Art Club, presents a 2-day workshop in the greater Ashdown-Forest area on Landscape Painting. On this course you will find out more about Louise’s work and her painting style. The focus will be on learning to work freely, quickly and dynamically. Weather permitting, students can choose to work outside, working with pencil and watercolour and working on simplification and abstraction before painting in the studio. These two days provide the perfect opportunity for students to create a few paintings, as Louise will be available to give guidance and individual tuition. Students can look at some of Louise’s sketchbooks while their own sketchbooks will be used as reference and for inspiration. The second day will give the group the chance to assess everyone’s work.

Portrait Painting Ashdown-Forest

We also offer our Portrait Painting Masterclass in the greater Ashdown-Forest area, a 2-day course led by artist Tim Benson VPROI, Vice President of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. During the course students will be introduced to the artist, his work and the philosophy behind his work. On the first day, Tim will give a demonstration after which you will create small, quick oil sketches focusing more on form, tone and colour than detail. A large painting will be produced by the students on the second day – again, a work without detail. Students’ work and the choices they made during its creation will be discussed and analysed during this process to discover how to create tension and interest in the composition. The course will conclude with a one on one assessment of the student’s work.