One Week Holiday Course | Human Anatomy: Drawing into Painting

The aim of this course is to introduce students to some of the key principles of anatomy and to inspire greater insight into painting the human figure from life.

Painting and Sculpture
Life Drawing

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Course details

Dates

12 January – 16 January 2026

Times

10:00 – 17:00

Duration

5 sessions

Fees

£445.00

Location

Shoreditch studios

Tutors

Rossen Daskalov

Tara Versey

Overview

Students will be introduced to some of the key principles of anatomy and be given greater insight into painting the human figure from life. We will study and observe the articulation of volumes and shapes and how the three dimensionality of the figure can inspire a wide interpretation of formal possibilities. Emphasis will be given to the exploration of tonal values as the springboard to pictorial depth and of the spatial planes as the foundation for chromatic harmony and contrast.

At the start, drawing exercises and short poses will aid students in studying the interrelation of the skeletal structure as a vital support of the mass. Longer poses, will then explore the role of the limbs interacting with space in coordinated rhythms, observing the challenge of tonal construction and its interpretation into colour. Students will then have the opportunity to experiment with their chosen color medium. The last two days will be dedicated to one long pose in oil/acrylic colors where we will try to challenge further the complex task of building up a chromatic harmony as the culmination of our interpretations of the figure in space.

Who is it for

Artists, creatives and image-makers of all levels welcome, including beginners.

What’s provided

For studio courses, easels, drawing boards, charcoal, newsprint and masking tape are provided in the studios for free. For our painting courses there is an additional fee at time of booking for Co-co Bello Solvent which includes a 200ml pot of solvent to use in our studios. Please note, no other solvents are allowed in the studios for H&S reasons. If you would like to use our stock of paper within the studios, we charge a paper fee that can be paid by card on the day, at £2.50 per day.

What to bring

A detailed materials list will be sent prior to the start of the course.

You are required to bring your own materials for painting courses; our suggested list includes:

Oil paint or acrylic paint basic palette:

Titanium White
Cadmium Lemon
Cadmium Yellow Deep
Cadmium Red
Alizarin Crimson
French Ultramarine
Cobalt or Cerulean Blue
Phthalo Blue

Limited palette, i.e. the suggested most limited range of pigments:

Titanium White
Lamp Black or Ivory Black
Yellow Ochre
Phthalo Blue and/or Venetian Red

Brushes and palettes:

Pure sable brushes (long-handled for oil painting)
Hog hair: round & filbert brushes
Palette and palette knives

Canvas and boards:

Prepared and stretched canvas or board (ready to paint with), maximum size in either height x width dimensions is 36" inches (90cm).
Alternatively oil painting or primed paper.

Concessions

Unfortunately, we do not offer concessions on our holiday courses.

All of our course rates are subsidised and we also offer a comprehensive concessions scheme on our term-time courses.

Tutors

Rossen Daskalov

Tutor, Drawing Year Alumni, 2004

Tara Versey

Tutor, Drawing Year Alumni, 2010