Join artist Gary Long for an inspiring two-part webinar, where you’ll explore techniques for drawing and painting the human figure within a landscape. The sessions will feature scenic footage evoking the landscapes depicted by Dame Laura Knight in the early 1900s.

Dame Laura Knight (1877–1970) was a pioneering British artist renowned for her incredible versatility and for breaking significant barriers for women in the art world. Her artistic accomplishments reached a milestone in 1936 when she became the first woman elected as a full member of the Royal Academy of Arts since its establishment in 1768. At a time when women artists were often overlooked, Knight depicted subjects that were rarely present in traditional art—working-class people, marginalised communities, and strong women in action, like those in the auxiliary air force. Her work often celebrated the strength, dignity, and beauty of everyday people.

In 1907 Dame Laura Knight moved with her husband from an art colony in North Yorkshire to Newlyn, where she painted vivid outdoor scenes, portraits of local people, and intimate glimpses into everyday life. One of the paintings she painted whilst living in Cornwall was ‘The Dark Pool’ depicting a model on a rock in a bright red dress peering into the ocean, a scene that we have tried to re-create for this session.

In these sessions we will transport you to the beach in St Ives, to draw and paint from pre-recorded footage and stills of our model posing on the rocks. Inspired by the paintings of Dame Laura Knight, we have recreated scenes similar to those she painted while living in Cornwall, featuring our model amongst the rugged Cornish landscape. The two sessions will establish the practical approach you need to feel confident depicting a clothed figure in the landscape and working with oils, creating paintings that luxuriate in the richness of paint, movement and texture. Enjoy learning about Dame Laura Knight’s paintings during her time in Cornwall, see how her expressive and vivid paintings can provide inspiration for your own life drawings and paintings.

In the first session, Gary will demonstrate how he approaches capturing the figure. Working from images of the model, he will guide you through a series of exercises around mark-making and composition, working in pencil, charcoal and gouache. By watching Gary at work, learn how he positions the figure on the paper, how to use simple, bold outlines, and how to reduce the figure to its essence, capturing character while not losing the accuracy of your drawings. Establish tonal values and learn when to add colour for dramatic effect, developing your drawings into gouache studies.

In the second session, choose to develop a gouache study into an oil painting. Gary shares with you the usually hidden process of creating a painting from scratch, leading you to a final finished piece. Learn how to compose your painting and build your colour palette. Use brushes and experiment with palette knives, revealing the possibilities of expressive mark-making to convey atmosphere. You will learn how Knight’s use of bold colour, light and dynamic composition bring a vivid sense of life and movement to her work, drawing viewers into the world of her subjects.

You can revisit the course recordings and material as often as you like for up to 90 days after purchasing the course.

What to Bring

A list of materials will be available to see in your account upon purchasing the course.

You will need access to the internet and ideally a PC, laptop or a tablet with audio.