Art Courses
Courses are suitable for all abilities including beginners.
Art in Aldeburgh occupies a privately-owned studio in Victoria Road, Aldeburgh, which is adjacent to Aldeburgh Church Car Park. The size of the studio limits the number of participants on each course to six.
Access is via a narrow path – please be in touch if you have accessibility issues.
The studio is just a few minutes’ walk from the sea front and a similar distance from the lunch venue, the well-known Lighthouse Restaurant.
The 2026 season runs from May to September and includes weekday and weekend courses.
The cost is £135 for a single day course and £255 for two-day courses. The price includes a two-course lunch with tea or coffee.
Bookings are secured with a £50 non-refundable deposit, with the balance required eight weeks before the course start date.
All courses will begin at 10.00am and finish at 4.00pm.
Specific material lists for students to acquire will be provided in advance of the courses.
Portraits: Adults and Children in Watercolours, Soft Pastels and Pastel
Pencils
Date: Date: Thursday 21st & Friday 22nd May 2026
Tutor: Carole Massey Cost: £255
Portraits are a fascinating and challenging subject, but one which is thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying. Carole will demystify the process of capturing a likeness by leading you through several exercises aimed at improving accuracy, focusing on facial features, proportions, head structure, and the differences between adult and children’s faces. Demonstrations of how to mix flesh tones, add shading, tackle realistic hair and clothing, and paint a background will be in watercolour and/or soft pastels. We will be working from photographs. If you are using your own reference, please use a good-quality photo where possible, preferably one that does not show teeth.
An Aldeburgh Sketchbook: Pen, Wash and Watercolours
Date: Wednesday 3rd & Thursday 4th June 2026
Tutor: Carole Massey Cost: £255
Suitable for beginners and improvers, this course focuses on building confident observational drawing skills through sketching buildings, boats, and coastal scenes, alongside quick people studies and a practical introduction to perspective. Together, these elements provide all the core skills needed to develop your drawing technique and the perfect excuse to fill your sketchbook.
Students will work mainly outdoors, using pencil, waterproof and water-soluble pens, and watercolours. The course begins with an introductory studio session covering essential techniques and tips for working ‘en plein air’. For the remainder of the course, we will be sketching on location around Aldeburgh. In the event of rain, sheltered spots are available.
Tuition is given on an individual basis at each location, allowing you to choose a scene that inspires you to sketch or paint. On the second day, we will also focus on practising people sketching.
Chairs, water pots, drawing boards, and easels (if required) are provided.
Watercolour: A Refresher Course
Date: Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st June 2026
Tutor: Andrew Pitt Cost: £255
Students attending this course will be introduced to a simple, straightforward method of painting in watercolour which is easy to understand, feels natural, and above all, enjoyable. By following a few basic principles, rather than decorative techniques, Andrew will show through practical demonstrations how to keep watercolours looking fresh and lively.
The course is suitable for both beginners and painters who have tried watercolour and become disappointed with their work. Beginners will gain a sound introduction to a medium which has an undeserved reputation for being difficult, while more experienced painters will benefit from a review of fundamental principles that are easily forgotten.
All aspects of watercolour painting will be covered. There will be plenty of opportunities for practical work, and the weather in spring should be good enough to work outside.
Leporello / Concertina Sketchbook: Aldeburgh Scenes in Mixed Media
Date: Wednesday 15th July 2026
Tutor: Karenza Jackson Cost: £135
If you are daunted by starting work on large, clean, white pieces of paper, this workshop will help to overcome that hesitation. Working on a smaller scale with a handmade concertina sketchbook offers a new way of presenting your By ‘messing it up a bit’ with random areas of colour or mark making, then working back into it with mixed media, the process can be very liberating. This is a format favoured by many working artists.
Drypoint Printmaking
Date: Wednesday 5th & Thursday 6th August 2026
Tutor: Theresa Pateman Cost: £255
Drypoint is one of the most direct and expressive printmaking techniques, making it ideal for complete beginners as well as experienced printmakers.
The workshop will move at a comfortable, individual pace. Over the two days, participants will gain a thorough understanding of the possibilities of printmaking, with plenty of time to explore, experiment, and develop their own artistic ideas.
On the first day, you will create prints on a variety of surfaces using drypoint card and plastic. You will learn about the different ways to print an image and reproduce it.
The second day will focus on both colour and mono-printing using the plates you have created.
We will also cover the technique of chine collé, using thinner papers to create coloured backgrounds instead of ink.
Students will be asked to bring sketchbooks, photos, or other source material, along with an apron or shirt to protect your clothes from ink.
My Scene: Relief Sculptures in Clay
Date: Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd August 2026
Tutor: Caro Burberry Cost: £255
Working in clay to build a relief sculpture is a versatile and enjoyable way to transfer your drawings and ideas into a three-dimensional picture. We will use a professional air drying clay that is tactile to model, durable, and paintable once fully dry. Choose your preferred scene, inspired by Aldeburgh or elsewhere, and enjoy learning how to carve to create shadow and depth, as well as modelling highlights, texture, and foreground in your landscape.
Students will be required to buy and bring their own air-drying clay; details will be included in the materials list.
Acrylics: Landscapes and Seascapes
Date: Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th September 2026
Tutor: Carole Massey Cost: £255
Acrylics are one of the most versatile painting mediums, ideally suited to capturing the light sparkling on the sea, the texture of pebbles or sand, or the more subtle effects of skies, clouds, and aerial perspective in landscapes.
On day one, following a general introduction to using acrylics, palettes, brushes, and supports, Carole will lead you through a series of short exercises painting skies, clouds, trees, waves, and water, to practise a range of techniques and explore the many ways this adaptable medium can be used.
On day two, you will work on a landscape or seascape of your choice, using your own reference material or one of Carole’s. If the weather is fine, you may wish to spend some time on day one sketching or taking photographs to work from on the second day.
Freshen Up Your Watercolours
Date: Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th September 2026
Tutor: Andrew Pitt Cost: £255
This two-day course is suitable for beginners seeking a sound introduction to watercolour painting, as well as for painters with more experience who have become disillusioned with their work. Teaching will mainly be by demonstration, with individual guidance provided according to experience.
Andrew will aim to show students how to paint a fresh, lively – often referred to as a “loose” – watercolour by concentrating on a few basic principles. Decorative techniques and tricks will not be a feature of this course. Instead, the focus will be on seeing clearly and applying paint in a simple, unfussy, and enjoyable way, retaining the essential qualities of watercolour: transparency and spontaneity.
The course will also include plenty of practical work to stimulate and encourage students to continue working in this endlessly fascinating, and occasionally frustrating, medium. Weather permitting, there will be opportunities to work outside.
The Elements of Portrait Sculpture
Date: Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th September 2026
Tutor: Caro Burberry Cost: £255
Portrait sculpture is a fascinating way to capture not only a likeness but also the essence of a person’s character in three dimensions. Using a series of photographs and measurements from your chosen subject (you will be advised in advance what to bring), you will explore working ‘in the round’ using professional air-drying clay.
Caro will guide you step by step through the process of modelling a portrait sculpture to create a realistic likeness. Skills of observation, selection, and refinement will be covered, and essential elements that convey personality and spirit will be demonstrated.
Advice on continuing and finishing your sculpture at home will be given should you wish. Students will be required to buy bust pegs and boards; details will be provided in the materials list ahead of the course start date.
