Join us for this three-day course and establish a confident approach to painting flowers with oils. Create still life paintings that luxuriate in the richness of paint, colour and texture.

Nothing quite compares with the luscious possibility of working with oil paint, but it can be a daunting medium. Following in the seasoned footsteps of tutor Gary Long, learn to capture flowers both picked and bought in oils. Working in a small group, this online class allows for plenty of interaction with your tutor and fellow class mates. Gary reveals the architecture of expressive still life painting, letting you in on the secrets of creating a successful painting.

You’ll start with a compositional drawing in charcoal, giving you a feeling for the tonal values. From your charcoal study, move to working with gouache, incorporating colour and a flush of confidence into your painting. This approach drives away the apprehension of beginning an oil painting and draws out your intuitive knowledge.

You will build your colour palette, learning to unearth the right tones and to create a dialogue between them. This gives you a solid support system for working in oils, bringing depth to your painting. Working on both board and canvas; using brushes and experimenting with palette knives, reveal the possibilities of expressive mark making. The three days will establish the practical approach you need to feel confident working independently with oils; creating still lifes that luxuriate in the richness of paint, movement and texture.

This course takes place in a small teaching group via Zoom. This is the closest thing to a studio experience without the need to travel.

You can ask questions and get feedback on your work in realtime. Chat live with fellow students during the course and stay in touch via our learning platform. After each session we will send you a recording which you can keep for a further 6 months, so you can practise what you’ve learnt and retain access to all the course resources in our virtual learning environment.

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What will I learn?

Learn to sharpen your observation when it comes to working from still life.

Understand tonal values and how to convey these in different media.

Build confidence to experiment with gouache as a way into oil painting and a reference point throughout the process of making work.

Build confidence in colour mixing and develop your understanding of how colours interact in a piece.

Learn to create texture in oil paintings using different tools and media.

How does an online session work

This course takes place in a small teaching group via Zoom. This is the closest thing to a studio experience without the need to travel.

You can ask questions and get feedback on your work in realtime. Chat live with fellow students during the course and stay in touch via our learning platform. After each session we will send you a recording which you can keep for a further 6 months, so you can practise what you’ve learnt and retain access to all the course resources in our virtual learning environment.

You can watch this on a PC, laptop or tablet and if you have chromecast or miracast you could even cast to your SmartTV from your phone.

Who would this course suit?

This course is suitable for all abilities. If you are interested in learning new skills and interests, or gaining confidence, experience, attitude and mobility in your painting practice, this course is for you. This course is a fun opportunity for painters interested in creating abstract oil paintings and engaging with it in a free and experimental way.

What to Bring

We will send you a materials list to get together and any pre-course tasks.

You will need access to the internet and either a Smart TV, PC or laptop or a tablet with audio. Phones are not really suitable however cast your phone to a Smart TV.

Timings and Breaks

Pre-course tech session: 2nd September 4pm – 5 pm

At 10:45 please click the link to join the live session.

6th September 11:00 – 14:00

7th September 11:00 – 13:00

8th September 11:00 -13:00

You will have access to a recording of the sessions so you can revisit as often as you like for the duration of the course and for up to six months after the live broadcast.