Painting & Drawing for Absolute Beginners - Immersive 5 Day course.

Sunday 15 June 2025 17:00
Friday 20 June 2025 14:00

Coombe Farm Studios (map)

Google Calendar ICS

A course for anyone, of any age or background, that wants to learn to draw and paint, but doesn’t know where to start. This week is wonderful way to start at the beginning, in a relaxed and non competitive environment.

“Thank you very much for imparting your knowledge and giving me confidence to draw – an amazing experience.”

— Judy Clover

Francine Lawrence and Susi Hoyle have taught hundreds of people to draw–and given them the confidence, skills and knowledge to keep drawing and enjoy it.

This unique course is spread over five days, and is ideal if you have always wanted to draw and paint but just didn’t know where to start.

The course begins with explanations of art materials, and demonstrations of how different paper, pens and pencils can affect your final drawing.

Then it will be your turn to experiment with different drawing materials, you’ll leanr how to make items look 3D, understand light and shade and do some easy perspective before venturing into colour with watercolour paints and soft pastels. Francine and Susi will show you how to draw and paint what you really see rather than what you think you see!

“Because there are two of us, we can spend time giving individual help and guidance – and we love teaching absolute beginners”

— Francine

**EXPERIENCE LEVEL**: This course is designed for complete beginners. If you have some experience but still consider yourself to be more of a beginner then Francine and Susi run an excellent ‘improvers’ course. See here.
**OUTLINE SCHEDULE:** Sunday // 5-7pm Residents arrive 7pm non residents arrive followed by welcome drinks 8pm dinner
Monday-Thursday // Breakfast for residents 8.30am, tuition starts at 9,30am for all. 1pm Lunch, tuition resumes 2-5pm.
Friday // Breakfast for residents 8.30am, final tuition session runs 9.30am-1pm followed by final lunch 1-2pm
**ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS:** Residential and non-residential spaces available. NB residents are not required to share bedrooms, see accommodation for more info.

The studio-based sessions are lively and fun and there will also be time to go out as a group to expand the skills learned in the studio. You will be sketching outside in the lovely winding lanes or at secret locations by the River Dart – building your confidence as you go. You’ll be encouraged to collect items to bring back to the studio to create new artwork and by the end of the week everyone will have several drawings and colour sketches, a sketchbook journal and increased confidence to continue drawing and painting.

Francine Lawrence trained as a graphic designer and photographer and was the launch art director and later editor of Country Living magazine. She loves the countryside and never goes anywhere without her sketchbook – making watercolour sketches of food is one of her passions (sometimes to the annoyance of her husband who often has to wait for her to draw his lunch before he can eat it).

Susi Hoyle also studied graphic design. She then took her skills to Australia where she worked as production designer on feature films and travelled extensively in South East Asia. She spent several years in Sri Lanka, and more recently Mexico, where she has developed her unique colourful style of artwork.