Sketchbooks & Location Drawing Courses
Don’t know where to start with a sketchbook? Finding it difficult to get ideas down on paper? We offer a range of sketchbook courses that build confidence in working across drawing, painting and mixed-media.
Whatever your level of experience, you’re welcome to join us in learning how to get the most out of sketchbooks: from a basic introduction to what a sketchbook is and exploring techniques and processes used to communicate ideas, to learning how to record your thoughts and inspirations. An artist’s sketchbook is a critical part of the creative process and can be considered an artwork in itself.
Understanding how to manage and develop a sketchbook can really help you when going on to study at a higher level. If you’re up for a challenge, you can make your own sketchbook using unconventional papers, materials or formats or work at large scale. Our off-site courses provide opportunities to work outside of the studio environment; sketching on location or visiting some of London’s leading contemporary art spaces, galleries and museums to inspire creative work.
For more information about courses available, please contact our Visual Arts team at visualarts@citylit.ac.uk
- Sketching at the museum: National Maritime MuseumCourse start date: Fri 29 Sep 2023
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Mario Lautier VellaExploring the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks; learn and improve your drawing skills and 'ways of seeing' and understanding, working from an fascinating range of objects and artifacts in The National Maritime Museum.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £69.00 - Contemporary sketchbook: mixed media projectsCourse start date: Fri 6 Oct 2023 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ruth BrisonDevelop a creative and experimental sketchbook. Explore materials and techniques with confidence, including mark making, drawing and mixed media within a contemporary context. Produce a collection of work or ideas for composition. Drawing experience is an advantage but not essential.Full fee £409.00 Senior fee £327.00 Concession £266.00 - Creative handmade sketchbooksCourse start date: Wed 11 Oct 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Renata MinoldoThis Handmade Sketchbook Course will take your ideas and personal stories as a starting point and explore them in different visual directions, through drawing, painting, collage and mono-printing techniques. You will experiment with different papers and surfaces, through layering, folding, tearing, soaking, weaving, sewing etc. This series of rich and varied pages will be brought together to make a very personal and expressive handmade sketchbook.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Sketchbooks: ideas, materials and techniquesCourse start date: Thu 12 Oct 2023 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Joe RichardsonA fantastic introduction to creative processes using a variety of different media to develop an exciting sketchbook. A sketchbook is a great place to try things out, make mistakes and take risks - all in the nature of experimentation. Suitable for beginners as well as those with some previous drawing experience.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Sketching at the museum: National Gallery
Course start date: Thu 26 Oct 2023 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Diane MartinExplore the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks: learn and improve your drawing skills and ‘ways of seeing’ and understanding by working from some of the iconic paintings in the National Gallery.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £69.00 - Sketching at the museum: Tate BritainCourse start date: Fri 27 Oct 2023 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Mario Lautier VellaExplore the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks: learn and improve your drawing skills and ‘ways of seeing’ and understanding by working from some of the iconic artworks at Tate Britain.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £69.00 - Sketching at the museum: Tate ModernCourse start date: Thu 2 Nov 2023 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Steve WrightExploring the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks; learn and improve your drawing skills and 'ways of seeing' and understanding, working from an exciting range of paintings and artworks in Tate modern.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £69.00 - Sketchbooks: creating visual journeys Course start date: Thu 2 Nov 2023 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ruth BrisonCreate a 'visual journey' of discovery through an experimental sketchbook. Explore materials and techniques with confidence, including mark making, drawing and mixed media to produce a collection of work or personal ideas for further development. Suitable for all, including those with basic drawing experience.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - Sketching at the museum: V&ACourse start date: Thu 16 Nov 2023 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Amanda BrackenExploring the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks; learn and improve your drawing skills and 'ways of seeing' and understanding, working from an fascinating range of objects and artifacts in The Victoria and Albert Museum.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £69.00 - Sketchbooks: observation to abstractionCourse start date: Thu 18 Jan 2024 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Using a sketchbook as an experimental place in which to explore ideas, take risks and reflect, you will embark on a 'visual journey' of transformational creative processes from observational drawing towards abstraction.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - Sketching at the museum: William Morris GalleryCourse start date: Thu 25 Jan 2024 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Heidi WigmoreExplore the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks; practice and improve your drawing skills and 'ways of seeing' and understanding by working from a fascinating range of objects and artifacts in The William Morris Museum.
Meet in main entrance Lloyd Park House, 531 Forest Rd, Walthamstow E17 4PP.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £69.00 - Sketching at the museum: British Museum Course start date: Fri 22 Sep 2023 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Diane MartinExploring the pleasure and challenge of sketchbooks; learn and improve your drawing skills and 'ways of seeing' and understanding, working from an exciting range of objects and artifacts in The British Museum.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £69.00 - Mindfulness sketchbook walkCourse start date: Thu 21 Mar 2024 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Off Site
Join us for a sketchbook walk around Central London to observe, record and engage with the busyness of urban life. Using mindfulness techniques combined with drawing we will be examining our experience and opening up to the magic and surprises that the city has to offer.Full fee £39.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £39.00 - Large-scale sketchbook
Course start date: Wed 13 Sep 2023 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tony HullExplore the sequential and adaptive nature of large format sketchbook drawing as a site for generating personal material, inviting connections, and extracting patterns of meaning. Includes artist research, set-project as stimulus, and practical exploration of contemporary drawing techniques.Full fee £339.00 Senior fee £271.00 Concession £220.00 - Contemporary drawing sketchbookCourse start date: Thu 4 Jul 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Simon EnglishExplore the sequential and adaptive nature of sketchbook drawing as a site for generating personal material, inviting connections, and extracting patterns of meaning. Includes gallery research, set-project as stimulus, and practical exploration of contemporary drawing techniques.
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