Are you ready to bring more force, feeling, and simplicity into your figure drawings? In this essential course, you will draw from the live model exploring how gesture, structure and design come together to create powerful, dynamic and realistic drawings.

Each class begins with a focus on fast gestural drawings, utilizing line-of-action, simplified shapes, and expressive lines to capture the essence of the pose. In the longer poses, emphasis shifts toward accuracy, structure and proportion using sighting & measuring techniques, basic anatomy, and planar construction. Further exploration of compositional framing, linear perspective, and the tonal scale will bring a unique aesthetic appeal to your drawings.
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While improving speed and accuracy, attendees of this course will experience heightened confidence, ease, and flow in their drawing!

Whether you are a beginner or a professional artist, mastery of the fundamentals is a lifelong pursuit. In this course, you will learn how to create convincing realism in charcoal, step-by-step.
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Whether working from simple objects, still life arrangements, or photo reference emphasis will be placed upon solidifying structure and proportion, achieving a likeness, and utilizing shading techniques to create convincing, 3-dimensional drawings.
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The instructor will demonstrate techniques throughout each class, and spend plenty of time with each student one-on-one. Attendees of this course will be able to confidently take on any subject matter with their new set of skills!

In this course, you will learn how to paint realistic and expressive portraits. Develop your skills in mixing life-like skin tones, creating glowing light effects, and achieving accurate proportions of the face. 

You’ll begin by learning how to draw the head with a brush, using a variety of measuring techniques, then moving on to simple methods for painting shadows, halftones and light. In working from both the live model and reference materials, you will create finished portrait paintings in the alla prima technique, using imprimatura, ‘tiling’ colour, and glazing techniques. Emphasis will be placed upon accuracy, and capturing the subtle nuances of skin by adjusting colour, edges, value and temperature.

By the end of the course, you'll have gained both technical expertise and a more intuitive understanding of portraiture.

This course will equip you with the skills you need to capture the beauty of the natural world.

You will hone your ability to paint dynamic landscapes by focusing on one element of nature per week, exploring mountain ranges, lush forests, and open fields. Enriched by the expertise of our instructor, you'll master these essential aspects of the landscape, while learning to bring texture, depth and a sense of rugged realism to your paintings. Separating these elements into individual projects will help you develop an intimate relationship with each form so that when you put them together the sum will be greater than its parts!

By the course's end, you will have built a portfolio of striking paintings that showcase your ability to transform the wonders of nature into captivating visual art.

In this course, you will learn how to paint realistic watercolour landscapes and seascapes that capture the light and atmosphere of the natural environment.

James will demonstrate how to break this notoriously difficult medium down into manageable steps, applying clean washes and confident brushstrokes. Using a photo reference as a starting point you will form your strategy to translate your vision into a convincing watercolour interpretation. Emphasis will be on developing your observational and compositional skills to achieve an effective arrangement of dark and light values.  

Attendees of this course will leave with fresh ideas and skills that will add strength and realism to their watercolour landscape paintings.

In this course, you will learn the foundations you need to create acrylic paintings grounded in good technique. Discover how to prepare surfaces, maintain your brushes, use mediums, handle paint and more!

Students will develop compositions with a strong foundational drawing layer before approaching the painting with an emphasis on value and colour.

This class is perfect for beginners or experienced acrylic painters who want to get back to basics.

In this fundamental course, you will learn how to capture anatomical structures of the human body in powerful, dynamic, and realistic drawings.

Through instructor demonstrations, practice, and feedback, you will learn to express the human figure creatively with a strong sense of anatomical structures. By using the concept of the three masses (head, rib cage, and pelvis), you will be able to capture the essence of any pose with confidence. You will also learn how to simplify all major muscle groups of the body and combine them with the observational skills needed to achieve a balanced and convincing drawing. 

Attendees of this course will master the anatomical structures that will help them improve their drawings for years to come!

In this course, you will learn the foundations needed to create oil paintings grounded in good technique. Learn how to prepare surfaces, maintain your brushes, use mediums, handle paint and more!

Students will develop compositions with a strong foundational drawing layer before approaching the painting with an emphasis on value and colour.

This class is perfect for beginners, those switching from acrylics to oils, and experienced painters who want to get back to basics.

In this course, learn how to create stunning landscape paintings that capture the mood and atmosphere of the natural world. 

Explore techniques for rendering various elements of the landscape, including the sky, trees, water, and mountains. Through hands-on instruction and demonstrations, you will learn how to use colour, brushwork, and composition to create a sense of depth and harmony in your paintings. Emphasis will be placed on starting with simplified shapes and generalized areas of colour while being attentive to the effects of light and atmospheric perspective on a landscape. Work from photos provided by the instructor, or bring your own.

By the end of the course, you will have gained a solid foundation in creating landscape paintings with a compelling sense of atmosphere.

This essential course provides the portrait painter with a step-by-step approach to capturing realistic skin tones and applying them with ease.

You will learn how to mix palettes for different skin types and lighting situations as well as how to mix colours on the fly. Emphasis will be placed upon ‘tiling’ colours next to each other (darks, half-tones, lights) in a mosaic-like manner, and then refining edges to depict lifelike 3-dimensional form.

In working from photo reference material, you will isolate specific skin tones and match their colour, value, saturation, and temperature with ease.

By the end of the course, you will have a finished highly realistic portrait, and a newfound confidence in mastering colour and applying paint!

In this course, you will learn the foundations you need to create watercolour paintings grounded in good technique. Learn how to work on various specialty papers, maintain your brushes, use mediums, handle paint and more! The instructor will demonstrate how to break this notoriously difficult medium down into manageable steps, applying clean washes and confident brushstrokes.

Emphasis will be placed on achieving harmony in values, shapes and colour. You will experiment with methods and techniques to quickly suggest convincing details.

Upon completion of the course, you will leave with a range of new skills that add strength and realism to your watercolour paintings. This course is perfect for beginners, or painters who want to get back to basics.

In this essential course, you will learn how to paint dynamic, realistic still-life paintings from start to finish. You will develop a deep understanding of traditional techniques, as well as explore contemporary approaches in paint application.

Working from professional photo reference and still life arrangement setups in class, you’ll use close observation to capture the subtle nuances of light falling on form. Learn how to depict a variety of surfaces (drapery, glass, fruit, metal, porcelain, etc) with efficient and exciting brushwork. Topics including drawing, composition, value organization, colour, edges, design and paint application will be addressed.

The instructor will demonstrate techniques throughout each class, and spend plenty of time with each student one-on-one. Attendees of this course will experience newfound confidence with realism, brushwork and composition!

In this inspiring workshop, you’ll discover how to capture the beauty of nature in the distinctive style of celebrated Canadian artist Tom Thomson.

Explore the techniques that define Thomson’s work as you create a copy of one of his iconic paintings, followed by an original piece or your own inspired by his style. You’ll learn to interpret, and simplify landscapes with the same passion and creativity he brought to his canvases. The workshop will begin with an introduction to Thomson’s life and work, followed by a master copy of one of his paintings. Students will then create their own painting using his style and methodology.

Through observation and practice, you’ll gain confidence in your ability to convey mood and atmosphere, transforming your landscapes into captivating masterpieces. By the end of this course, you’ll have the skills to paint with the spirit of Tom Thomson, enriching your artistic journey for years to come!

In this foundational course, you will learn how to draw realistic portraits with accuracy and expression. Each class begins with a demonstration, followed by drawing from photo reference.

Using basic drawing media you will examine the head and facial features from various angles, learning how to draw them in simplified shapes and apply correct tonal value. Emphasis will be placed upon solidifying structure and proportion, achieving a likeness, and utilizing shading techniques to make convincing, 3-dimensional drawings.

The instructor will demonstrate techniques throughout each class, and spend plenty of time with each student one-on-one. Attendees of this course will leave with a set of new skills that will add strength and realism to their drawings.

In this course, you will learn the foundations needed to create oil paintings grounded in good technique. Learn how to prepare surfaces, maintain your brushes, use mediums, handle paint and more!

Students will develop compositions with a strong foundational drawing layer before approaching the painting with an emphasis on value and colour.
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This class is perfect for beginners, those switching from acrylics to oils, and experienced painters who want to get back to basics.

In this course, you will learn the foundations you need to create watercolour paintings grounded in good technique. Learn how to work on various specialty papers, maintain your brushes, use mediums, handle paint and more! 
‍
The instructor will demonstrate how to break this notoriously difficult medium down into manageable steps, applying clean washes and confident brushstrokes.
Emphasis will be placed on achieving harmony in values, shapes and colour. You will experiment with methods and techniques to quickly suggest convincing details.

Upon completion of the course, you will leave with a range of new skills that add strength and realism to your watercolour paintings. This course is perfect for beginners, or painters who want to get back to basics.

Immerse yourself in the captivating world of Gustav Klimt as you learn to replicate his unique painting techniques and artistic style. 

Delve into Klimt's intricate use of gold, his bold patterns, and the rich symbolism that defined his masterpieces. This course covers key techniques such as layering, texture creation, and the fusion of portraiture with decorative elements. You'll also study his use of color and how to blend the ethereal with the ornamental. 

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, this course will guide you step-by-step in capturing the essence of Klimt’s iconic aesthetic, allowing you to create your own gilded, vibrant master copy.

In this immersive workshop, we will practice looser approaches to representational work. You will build both your skills and relationship to paint, as you try free and energetic approaches.

Rather than working within pre-constructed guidelines,
you will use your brushstrokes to gradually expose the image. Exercises will help you to loosen up and paint at
a faster pace, valuing exploration and practice above tight representation. 

With a mix of fluid brushwork and selective sharp detail,
you will create a painting that reveals your subject, while retaining a sense of mystery, emotion and energy. 

In this course, you’ll immerse yourself in the techniques and style of Lucian Freud, a master of capturing psychological depth and intensity. 

Students will explore how Freud used texture, light, and colour to create striking portraits. Participants will learn methods like tiling colour, impasto brushwork and mixing a diversity of skin tones to develop their portraiture skills. Freud’s approach to anatomy, expression, and emotional nuance will be discussed. 

Attendees of this course will leave with the confidence to create portraits that convey both the physical likeness and inner complexity of their subjects.