Drawing and Etching courses for all abilities

6 weeks of drawing on Wednesday mornings

Starts 9th Jan 2025 9.30am – 12.30pm           £130

Venue: Attic Studio, Pegasus Art, Stroud, GL5 2AZ

All abilities welcome

Build on your drawing knowledge by working on your own projects with tutor support, including specialist drawing techniques tips and skills

This course is designed to enable you to work on drawings that are ongoing projects, decided by yourselves.   Choose your own starting points from the main genres of still life, landscape (land or sea) or portrait, realistic or expressive drawing. You may begin a drawing that you will be able to work on over a few weeks or for just one session.

Each week you will be introduced to a technique for working with a variety of drawing media such as graphite, charcoal, water soluble graphite or pen work. The tutor will also cover technical skills such as perspective and composition, both as part of the programme of sessions, and as the need arises among the course attendees. 

Develop your existing skills, build on your mark making vocabulary and create drawings with greater success.

COURSE FULL

6 week course, evenings

Thu, 30 Jan - Thu, 13 Mar 2025, 6.30 - 9pm

Venue: Gloucestershire Printmaking Cooperative, Downstairs studio, Griffin Mill, Stroud GL5 2AZ

All abilities welcome

Learn a range of essential etching techniques that will get you started on this enthralling process.

You will explore hard and soft grounds, line and tone, open bite and aquatint. Absolute beginners will be guided through every step of the process, whilst those who have experience will be encouraged to work more exploratively. Once you are familiar with the essentials you will be able to work on your own projects at your own pace, with full support, to achieve finished prints.

This course welcomes all levels, from absolute beginners to those who really want to improve their technical expertise.

Sorry, COURSE FULL

Sat, 1st and Sun, 2nd February, 10am - 4pm both days

GPC downstairs studios, Unit 16c Griffin Mill, Thrupp, Stroud, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

Some experience is beneficial, but all are welcome

Learn a wide range of etching techniques, tips and tricks, that will enable you to expand your ideas. Explore tones and textures through a range of exciting processes.

You will explore sugar lift, open bite, permeable grounds and spit bite aquatint. You will be guided through each of these exciting processes and then be encouraged to work more exploratively and to challenge yourself. Once you are familiar with the effects that can be achieved you will be able to work on your own projects at your own pace, with full support, to achieve finished prints.

This course welcomes printmakers who have some experience and who really want to expand their technical expertise. A perfect course for those who are looking for more creativity in their etching.

Light & Shadow in the Landscape

A pencil and water-soluble workshop with Wendy Rhodes PhD

Saturday 8th March 2025

Attic Studio, Pegasus Art, Griffin Mill Trading Estate, Stroud, GL5 2AZ

All abilities welcome

Inspired by my latest collection of Shadow Drawings, I will share with you the relationship between object and shadow, light and dark, tangible and ethereal.

Just when you think you’ve created the darkest dark… there’s room for even greater contrast. Building up layers and tone through pencil and water-soluble graphite, you can explore the myriad of marks and textures that make up a landscape. Majestic trees are the protagonists of the landscapes that you will be tackling, working from a selection of photographs, supplied by the tutor.

What you will learn:

• How to make the most of using pencils + an introduction to all the various types of pencils on offer, from 4H to 8B, graphite blocks and powders.

• Explore water-soluble graphite techniques

• Creating the darkest darks and lightest lights

• A myriad of marks and effects

• Composition

• Produce a finished or almost finished drawing to take home

Sat 29 Mar  – Sun 30 Mar 2025, 10am - 4 pm both days

Venue: Gloucestershire Printmaking Cooperative, Downstairs studio, Griffin Mill, Stroud GL5 2AZ

£150

Suitable for all levels of ability

Lift Off! Liberate your etching and free yourself from hard ground lines.

This course will take you through the exciting and liberating processes of coffee-lift aquatint and spit-bite. You will be shown a range of drawing tools and mark making techniques that will enable you to explore your own imagery whether it is figurative or abstract.

During the weekend, we will aim to work across 2 different etching plates, providing you with a series of proof prints. There will be time for you to be able to develop your pieces, with full support, to achieve finished prints for you to take home. Supplementary copper will be available from the tutor.

 Coffee-lift techniques unleash the creative artist in the etching room, allowing you to draw with the same freedom you would experience in a sketchbook.

Sat 17th May 2025, 10am – 4pm          £95

Venue: Attic Studio, Pegasus Art, Stroud, GL5 2AZ

All abilities welcome, working from your own images.

Building up layers and tone through charcoal or graphite, you can get to grips with sea, cliffs and sky - everything that makes up a coastal landscape.

Working from photographs of coastal scenes, come away with a finished charcoal landscape to be proud of!

Learn how to use this medium to create dynamic drawings – exploring tonal values from bright seas to moody headlands. You will discover a wealth of techniques that enable you to describe sea and land. Create textures and enjoy the pleasure of achieving atmospheric skies. Make broad and loose marks alongside more detailed drawing and enjoy the blackest of blacks!

What you will learn:

·        Learn about the different types of charcoal

·        Tonal charcoal effects

·        Mark making for land, water and sky

·        Drawing light with erasers

·        Building effects in layers

·        Composition

Mon 11th Aug – Thurs 14th Aug 2025, 10am - 4 pm everyday          

£300

GPC downstairs studios, Unit 16c Griffin Mill, Thrupp, Stroud, Gloucestershire

Immerse yourself in etching over the luxury of a 4-day course. Learn a wide range of etching techniques, tips and tricks, that will enable you to expand your ideas. Bring your own projects, develop your ideas and print a small edition, with full tutor support.

Wendy establishes a warm and supportive environment where you will feel comfortable to discuss your images and progress.

This course offers the opportunity for artists and printmakers to develop concepts, realise ideas and dedicate a week to making and printing. It will also suit those who are fairly new to print and who would like to become comfortable with working in the etching studio.

Suitable for all levels. This is a golden opportunity to learn, embed new and existing skills, and add a rewarding dimension to your practice. Beginners will be welcome.

“Wendy is a a very generous and well organised tutor. The course was well paced with plenty of time to practice and put new knowledge into practice. I came away with a clear understanding of the techniques demonstrated and how I could apply these to my imagery. The weekend ended too soon and left me with a burning desire to do more etching”

“An adventure in drawing – encouraging and inspirational”

“Wendy is an excellent tutor who strikes a balance between encouragement and being a critical friend. I’ve learnt a lot ...”

“A really inspiring class, learning lots of new techniques”

“Don’t be scared to join this class! You will learn so much and how to succeed”

Keep your eyes peeled here and look for info at:

https://www.gpchq.co.uk/courses/

Etching Alchemy at GPC

https://www.pegasusart.co.uk/gifts-pegasus-art-workshops.irc

Charcoal Drawing courses at Pegasus Art