Monday Course (starts 13th of April)
Teacher: Caroline Brooks
Subject: Foundations of Drawing
An Introduction to Observational Drawing
A six-week course introducing the essential principles of drawing, designed to help students see more clearly and translate observation into confident, expressive drawings.
Course Overview
This course offers a focused introduction to the core principles that underpin confident and accurate drawing.
Working from carefully arranged still-life setups, students will explore a variety of everyday objects and organic forms while developing essential technical skills. Each week introduces a key drawing concept - from proportion and contour to form, tone, and spatial depth - helping participants learn how artists observe, analyse, and translate the visual world onto paper.
Through sustained drawing from life, students will gradually strengthen their ability to judge shape, measure relationships, describe three-dimensional form, and organise light and shadow. Examples from master draftsmen will be shared to illuminate the ideas being explored.
Suitable for beginners as well as those wishing to deepen their practice, the course provides a supportive environment in which to build both skill and confidence. By the end of the six weeks, students will have produced a small portfolio of drawings reflecting their growing ability to capture form, light, and space with clarity and sensitivity.
Skills & Themes Covered
Drawing from direct observation
Understanding shape, proportion, and scale
Contour and spatial relationships
Constructing three-dimensional form
Working with light, shadow, and tonal value
Exploring line, edge, and mark-making
Caroline Brooks – Drawing Tutor and Portrait Artist
Caroline Brooks is a self-taught portrait artist based in Saltaire, whose artistic journey began in childhood and has quietly threaded its way through her life ever since. A brief period studying Fashion Illustration at the London College of Fashion at the age of 30 first deepened her love for drawing. Still, it was her return to the practice later in life that truly ignited a lasting passion.
What started as a quiet, creative outlet amid the demands of a career in academia soon evolved into a dedicated, soulful practice. Caroline now brings the same commitment and curiosity to her postgraduate studies at the Royal Drawing School’s Online Drawing Development Year.
Caroline’s work is rooted in expressive, detailed portraiture—centred on feminine power, mystery, and emotional presence. Drawing from mythology, nature, and her fascination with the Occult, she weaves contemporary narratives that explore strength, vulnerability, and transformation.
As someone who has navigated the challenges of learning to draw without formal training, Caroline understands the frustrations—and the quiet triumphs—that come with rediscovering a creative voice. She is passionate about helping others find theirs, especially those who come to drawing later in life. Her teaching invites students to grow in confidence, embrace imperfection, and find joy in the process.
Tuesday Course (starts 14th of April)
Teacher: Nina Hunter
Subject: Drawing Techniques
Join us for a fun and focused drawing course that explores a variety of techniques and subjects, including human anatomy, architecture, and still life.
Course Overview
Introduction to drawing through the study of both traditional draftsmanship and contemporary approaches.
Working from printouts of master drawings as well as arranged still-life setups, students will explore how artists across history have observed, analysed, and translated the visual world onto paper. By studying the work of great draftsmen, participants will gain insight into time-tested methods while developing their own practical skills.
Throughout the course, students will learn key principles used in classical drawing, including proportion, chiaroscuro, sfumato, contrast, and the versatile use of pencil to build form, light, and atmosphere. Exercises will focus on understanding structure, describing three-dimensional form, and organising light and shadow through subtle tonal transitions.
Alongside these traditional techniques, students will also be encouraged to experiment with more contemporary approaches to mark-making, learning how drawing can move beyond description to become a powerful means of personal expression.
Suitable for beginners as well as those wishing to strengthen their practice, the course provides a supportive studio environment grounded in the belief that drawing is both a discipline and a language. By the end of the six weeks, students will have produced a small portfolio of drawings that reflect their growing technical ability and individual voice.
What You'll Learn:
Fundamentals of Composition: Understand the rules of composition, scale, character of the line, and contrast.
Drawing in 2 Hours: Achieve a beautiful and finished drawing within a 2-hour session.
Impactful Finishes: Create drawings with impactful and beautiful finishes.
Course Coverage:
Basic Principles: Gain a solid foundation in measuring, scale, composition, proportions, perspective, versatile pencil use, shading, and contrast.
Expert Guidance: Receive close guidance from an expert tutor and professional artist.
Individual Growth: Benefit from personalised attention, with the tutor focusing on your individual growth and often engaging in artistic and philosophical conversations.
Expressive Style: Develop your own expressive, charismatic pencil movement to create a unique piece of art.
Nina Hunter – Oil Painter, Mentor, Art Teacher
Painter, illustrator, founder of Saltaire Art School, and quiet admirer of life’s everyday poetry. Originally from Sopot, a bohemian seaside town on the Polish coast, I completed an MA at The Academy of Fine Arts in nearby Gdańsk.
My work is inspired by the traditional themes of Polish folk and a feminine aesthetic, shaped by a longing to create beauty in the everyday. Now (and forever) based in the historic village of Saltaire, in the North of England, right at the edge of the river, I’m slowly discovering the meaning of life while immersed in the gentle, wondrous rhythm of the changing seasons.
Read more at www.ninahunter.com