Art Courses High-Cross

High-Cross, inspiring and diverse, is a hub for the Arts. It is home to many established artists and also a destination for emerging and aspiring artists. If you are considering taking an art course, High-Cross should be your first choice. The New School of Art offers courses that are led by highly regarded, well-established and experienced artists and art historians who will guide and support you through your chosen course.


Beginners Art Classes High-Cross

Our art courses cater for a range of abilities – from beginner to professional artists. 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 involve not only individual work, but group work as well. You will be able to share ideas with other students and focus on your individual needs with one to one time with your tutor.

Advanced Art Classes High-Cross

For those professional artists who are looking to gain more experience or depth or concentrate on the art they have already produced, our Advanced art courses are just what you are looking for. All of our tutors are on hand to provide technical support to the students and, as practising artists, can give an insight into the industry as it stands now. On an Advanced art course you are bound to find yourself in a class of like-minded artists aiming to develop and define their work and challenge their skills and expand their 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 High-Cross

If you are interested in a more general overview of Fine Art, the New School of Art offers a Fine Art course in the greater High-Cross area. The tutors will help students focus and critically reflect on their work and painting by providing an introduction to fine art practice, including drawing 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. On the course students will gain insight into how their course tutor works and at the same time develop their own skills.

Life Drawing Classes High-Cross

Our Life Drawing classes which we offer in the greater High-Cross area are proving to be a popular choice. We believe rigorous instruction in drawing is vital for all figurative work and this belief underlies our philosophy as an Art school. In this class, the life model is drawn in a range of different poses. The Life Drawing classes offer an opportunity for artists to explore their creativity and practise their draftsmanship in a focused but supportive environment. Guidance and instruction will be provided by the tutors. This programme is guaranteed to improve your skills, regardless of your level of ability. This class provides a valuable opportunity to focus on your drawing in a more social way, though there is also tuition and direction if needed.

Landscape Painting Courses High-Cross

Our Landscape Painting courses in the greater High-Cross area are 2-day workshops led by artist Louise Balaam NEAC, member of the New English Art Club. Louise’s work and painting style will be introduced to you on this course. There will be an emphasis on understanding how to work quickly, dynamically and freely. Provided there is good weather, students can draw outdoors as they work with pencil and watercolour, focusing on simplification and abstraction before they move indoors and paint in the studio. Students are free to create several paintings over the two days while Louise is on hand to provide advice and individual attention. You will be given the opportunity to examine some of her sketchbooks and then you will use your own sketchbooks as reference and as a source of ideas for your own painting. The group will assess everyone’s work on the second day.

Portrait Painting High-Cross

We also offer our Portrait Painting Masterclass in the greater High-Cross area, a 2-day course led by artist Tim Benson VPROI, Vice President of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. This course will introduce students to the artist as they get to know his work and the philosophy behind it. The first day will start with a demonstration by Tim then you will proceed to create small, quick oil sketches which concentrate on form, tone and colour, rather than detail. On the second day students will produce a large painting, again resisting the urge to add detail. In order to identify ways in which to create interest and tension in the work, students’ work will be discussed and their choices examined throughout this process. At the end of the course, the student’s work will be individually critiqued.