summer
school
STUDY A RANGE OF SUBJECTS
Summer holidays are ideal times to consider joining us at the Art Academy. For short courses lasting four to five days, we open our studios for classes across a range of disciplines. From introductory courses for the beginner, to masterclasses for the more experienced, our courses are taught by specialists in their fields.
Class numbers are kept to a maximum of 12, so that the tutor has plenty of time to give individual attention to each student.
We also run a young artists’ course for teenagers interested in or are thinking about applying to art school. Aimed at young people doing GCSE or A-level art, the course is an ideal art school ‘taster’, a ‘no risk’ way for students to get a feel for what it might be like on a Foundation course. Material packs can be purchased with some of our courses. Please check the details of the individual class. You can also buy an Acrylic Painting, Oil Painting or Drawing Pack individually on our Materials Page. Please note, our courses are only suitable and available for students 18 years old and above. We have a variety of courses specifically designed for under 18’s as part of our Young Artists programme.
Find out more about our Coronavirus measures currently in place by visiting: Coronavirus FAQs or our dedicated Keeping the Academy Safe page.
Progressive discounts are available for booking two or more week-long courses:
2 courses: 5% discount
3 courses: 10% discount
4 or more courses: 15% discount
If you are planning to book more than one course, please contact us directly to arrange the discounted booking.
email: shortcourses@artacademy.org.uk
call: 020 7701 2880
One day Workshops in September
| Name | Course Dates | Days | Fee | Availability | Details |
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WEEK 1
| Name | Course Dates | Days | Fee | Availability | Details |
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WEEK 2
| Name | Course Dates | Days | Fee | Availability | Details |
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WEEK 3
| Name | Course Dates | Days | Fee | Availability | Details |
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WEEK 4
| Name | Course Dates | Days | Fee | Availability | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drawing and Painting for Beginners | Monday - Friday, 9th August - 13th August 2021 | 5 | £335 | Places Available! | Show details |
| Outdoor Painting | Monday - Friday, 9th August - 13th August 2021 | 5 | £335 | Places Available! | Show details |
| Photopolymer and Photoetching | Monday - Thursday, 9th August - 12th August 2021 | 4 | £270 | Places Available! | Show details |
| Portrait Painting Masterclass with Tim Benson | Monday - Wednesday, 9th August - 11th August 2021 | 3 | £315 | Places Available! | Show details |
| Portrait Sculpture For All | Monday - Friday, 9th August - 13th August 2021 | 5 | £335 | Places Available! | Show details |
| Young Artists: Animation Challenge | Monday - Friday, 9th August - 13th August 2021 | 5 | £335 | Sold Out | Show details |
| Young Artists: Drawing, Painting and Sculpting the Figure | Monday - Friday, 9th August - 13th August 2021 | 5 | £335 | Places Available! | Show details |
WEEK 5
| Name | Course Dates | Days | Fee | Availability | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Etching Workshop | Monday - Thursday, 16th August - 19th August 2021 | 4 | £270 | Places Available! | Show details |
| Introduction to Oil Painting | Monday - Friday, 16th August - 20th August 2021 | 5 | £335 | Places Available! | Show details |
| Life Drawing | Monday - Friday, 16th August - 20th August 2021 | 5 | £335 | Places Available! | Show details |
| Pewter Casting using the "Lost Wax" Technique | Monday - Thursday, 16th August - 19th August 2021 | 4 | £270 | Sold Out | Show details |
| Portrait Painting | Monday - Friday, 16th August - 20th August 2021 | 5 | £335 | Places Available! | Show details |
| Portrait Painting Masterclass with Andy Pankhurst | Monday - Friday, 16th August - 20th August 2021 | 5 | £395 | Places Available! | Show details |
| Young Artists: Drawing, Painting and Mixed Media | Monday - Friday, 16th August - 20th August 2021 | 5 | £335 | Places Available! | Show details |
| Young Artists: Manga Illustration | Monday - Friday, 16th August - 20th August 2021 | 5 | £335 | Sold Out | Show details |
WEEK 6
| Name | Course Dates | Days | Fee | Availability | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drawing for All | Monday - Friday, 23rd August - 27th August 2021 | 5 | £335 | Places Available! | Show details |
| Figure and Portrait Painting with James Bland | Monday - Friday, 23rd August - 27th August 2021 | 5 | £335 | Places Available! | Show details |
| Young Artists: Drawing, Painting and Sculpting the Figure | Monday - Friday, 23rd August - 27th August 2021 | 5 | £335 | Places Available! | Show details |
| Young Artists: Manga Illustration | Monday - Friday, 23rd August - 27th August 2021 | 5 | £335 | Places Available! | Show details |
WEEK 1
WEEK 2
WEEK 3
WEEK 4
Drawing and Painting for BeginnersFrom: £335.00Course CodeSC2004131TutorLucy SmallboneCourse DatesMonday - Friday, 9th August - 13th August 2021Days5Times10.15am - 4.15pmExperience LevelBeginnerFee£335LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRThis is a structured opportunity to gain fundamental drawing and painting skills, whilst blurring the boundary between drawing and painting by using both wet and dry materials together. Throughout the week, students will be using a limited pallet keeping the focus on tonal painting. By looking at still life, interior/exterior and portrait, students explore various ways of seeing, increasing their understanding and confidence to draw and paint. Topics include linear drawing, tonal drawing, composition, sketching outdoors, expressive drawing/painting, study of natural forms and portrait painting. A fun and intensive course that will leave students with the knowledge and inspiration to start their own artworks.
Outdoor PaintingFrom: £335.00Course CodeSC2004024TutorEigil NordstrømCourse DatesMonday - Friday, 9th August - 13th August 2021Days5Times10.00am – 4.00pmExperience LevelAll LevelsFee£335LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRThis is a fun course that offers the fantastic opportunity to paint in and around London’s urban landscape. The Art Academy is just a short stroll from the Thames, conveniently situated in the historic Southwark London Bridge area which will feature as the main focus of this course. Working with quick sketches in oil or acrylic, students will practice how to efficiently and accurately capture tone and colour in the outdoors. Creating loose and vigorous paintings, we will look at how to capture a sense of light and atmosphere at different times of day. Looking at the works of other artists we will discuss different ways of composing a painting in an urban setting. Basic painting techniques such as tone, colour and texture will be addressed, as well as creative expression in the application of paint. Painting outside of the studio is always an exciting experience and students of all levels are sure to enjoy painting outdoors.
Portrait Painting Masterclass with Tim BensonFrom: £315.00Course CodeSC2004050TutorTim BensonCourse DatesMonday - Wednesday, 9th August - 11th August 2021Days3Times10.30am – 4.30pmExperience LevelAdvancedFee£315LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRThis three-day portrait course will offer an opportunity for intensive study under the tuition of Tim Benson. The class has the benefit of 1:8 model to student ratio, as well as tuition from a talented professional artist. Students will produce at least four oil sketches on the first day and at least one more 'finished' painting by the final day. Under Tim’s guidance, students will concentrate on tonal painting allowing the emphasis to be on the form. During the course of the painting there will be an in-depth look at how to mix up colours. The tutor will also be working alongside the students demonstrating a 'wet in wet' technique. This exciting course is an intensive three days that offers a high level of tutor contact time.
Portrait Sculpture For All£335.00Course CodeSC2004039TutorEllen ChristiansenCourse DatesMonday - Friday, 9th August - 13th August 2021Days5Times10.00am – 4.00pmExperience LevelAll LevelsFee£335LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRPortrait sculpture is an immensely absorbing and enjoyable discovery with every new sitter. This week-long course aims to introduce you to the process; to observe and translate your observation into a clay portrait sculpture from a life model.Whether setting out a portrait head from a structural point of view with a clear path of constructive method and/or searching for a more expressive manner of approach, you will benefit from exploring with a professional sculptor to help build upon your own sculptural experience.
Young Artists: Animation ChallengeSold OutCourse CodeSC2004022TutorEmma SeachCourse DatesMonday - Friday, 9th August - 13th August 2021Days5Times10.30am – 4.30pmExperience LevelAges 12-16, All LevelsFee£335LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRThis fun five-day course for students aged 12-16 provides a skills-based experience and expert tuition in animation. Students will be taught skills in stop motion, 2D drawing and the use of Adobe Creative Suite as an animation tool. The days will be themed and split in half; the mornings will focus on skills development and the afternoons will focus on creating an animation using the skills learnt. The course will culminate in a screening of work to peers and parents. Students will be encouraged to work in groups and independently while challenging or responding to ideas and new skills in an enjoyable and creative space. Please note, you must complete a consent form before your child can join our Young Artists programme. This form is available for download here. Please email your completed form to shortcourses@artacademy.org.uk. Your child may also bring a completed hard-copy version of this form with them on the first day of their course.
Young Artists: Drawing, Painting and Sculpting the Figure£335.00Course CodeSC2004119Course DatesMonday - Friday, 9th August - 13th August 2021TutorAlice ClarkeDays5Times10.15am - 4.15pmExperience LevelAges 12-14, All LevelsFee£335LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRYoung Artists is an exciting five day course for ages 12-14 providing high level art tuition, including drawing workshops, contemporary painting, specialist sculpture techniques, and using experimental media. Focused classes create a supportive environment, and there is a strong focus on personal outcomes and solutions to develop independent judgement. Access to specialist materials and facilities improve technical skills, and discussion and presentation sessions build confidence and critical understanding. This course is ideal for those studying a range of arts based GCSE subjects, or wanting to advance their artistic skills and creative confidence.
WEEK 5
Etching Workshop£270.00Course CodeSC2004PR03TutorFrederic MorrisCourse DatesMonday - Thursday, 16th August - 19th August 2021Days4Times10.15am - 4.15pmExperience LevelAll LevelsFee£270LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRThis course is designed to give a broad yet intensive introduction to etching in all its shades of grey. You will develop a composition through line, texture and tone by etching a zinc plate in a mordant of saline sulphate. This 5 day workshop concentrates on hard-ground (fine line) and soft ground combined with aquatint (tone) in its various forms. The course is flexible in its composition allowing attendees to work at their own speed within the medium. Students may also work on their own individual etching projects.
Introduction to Oil PaintingFrom: £335.00Course CodeSC2004137TutorKate DunnCourse DatesMonday - Friday, 16th August - 20th August 2021Days5Times10.00am – 4.00pmExperience LevelBeginnerFee£335LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRA well-structured and systematic course for those who have never painted before or want to start from the beginning. Students learn to see colour, shape and tone and relate all these elements together through composition. This course aims to foster self-confidence and enjoyment of painting in a stimulating community environment. There will be work from both still-life and life models. Students will learn how to handle oil paint and understand different ways of approaching painting. Throughout the course students will learn from works of many artists to improve their development. There is plenty of guidance from the tutor and the course is fun and relaxing.
Life DrawingFrom: £335.00Course CodeSC2004001TutorZoe ToolanCourse DatesMonday - Friday, 16th August - 20th August 2021Days5Times10.15am - 4.15pmExperience LevelBeginner+Fee£335LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRUnderstanding the structure of the human figure and the way it is situated within a space is an essential practice for anyone keen to develop their drawing and observational skills. Each day you will have a different theme to explore, working from the model with guidance from our highly experienced tutor. With an encouraging focus exploring your own approach to drawing, you will work through a series of exercises using a wide range of materials including charcoal and graphite. This course teaches skills and expressive drawing in a unique way to bring your drawing on most effectively and is suitable for more advanced drawers as well as beginners.
Pewter Casting using the “Lost Wax” TechniqueSold OutCourse CodeSC2004032TutorRobert Worley MRBSCourse DatesMonday - Thursday, 16th August - 19th August 2021Days4Times10.00am – 4.00pmExperience LevelAll LevelsFee£270LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRThis practical course is suitable for beginners and experienced artists who want to experiment with metal cast sculpture. Pewter is a metal that can be cast and finished in your own studio, with relatively basic equipment, and without the need of a foundry. Pewter is a silver coloured tin metal alloy which melts at low temperatures. During the course you will model a sculpture in wax, learn how to cast in pewter using plaster waste moulds and the ‘lost wax’ casting technique. Bring your own ideas or come with an open mind and be inspired to work with new materials and sculpture techniques. This is a practical workshop based course with one to one and group guidance from the tutor.
Portrait PaintingFrom: £335.00Course CodeSC2004218TutorCharlie SchafferCourse DatesMonday - Friday, 16th August - 20th August 2021Days5Times10.00am – 4.00pmExperience LevelBeginner+Fee£335LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRThis is a well structured course with an emphasis on learning to understand the construction of the head and its features and using these skills to better create more intense, expressive portraits. Working with oil paints students will develop a series of artworks, from short expressive painting sketches, to longer more detailed pieces. The students will also be encouraged to work intuitively and expressively in tandem with an emphasis on accuracy of observation. The class has the benefit of 1:8 model to student ratio, as well as tuition from a talented professional artist, Charlie Schaffer. Students will receive one-to-one guidance throughout the course, and Charlie will be on hand to give regular feedback and constructive advice. He will also be demonstrating and painting alongside the students.
Portrait Painting Masterclass with Andy PankhurstFrom: £395.00Course CodeSC2004250TutorAndy PankhurstCourse DatesMonday - Friday, 16th August - 20th August 2021Days5Times10.30am – 4.30pmExperience LevelAdvancedFee£395LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRFor some artists the portrait can be about purely formal aspects, with no relevance placed on the character of the sitter. Under the tuition of Andy Pankhurst you will be encouraged to explore and discover what you personally want to "paint about", working from a model throughout the week. Starting with preliminary drawings on day one you will be introduced to the concepts of measurement and proportion, form, tone, space, composition and pictorial structure. The focus will then be on producing a colour oil sketch from the portrait model with a particular emphasis on colour and temperature. The final three days of the course will be spent on a large-scale portrait painting of a sustained pose. This exciting course is an intensive five days that offers a high level of tutor contact time.- Young Artists: Drawing, Painting and Mixed Media£335.00Course CodeSC2004228Course DatesMonday - Friday, 16th August - 20th August 2021TutorAlice Clarke, Gail Seres-WoolfsonDays5Times10.15am - 4.15pmExperience LevelAges 12-14, All LevelsFee£335LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRIn this interesting new course, you will experiment with a range of materials that you may not be familiar with, including different paints, textiles, plaster casting and mixed-media. The course aims to help you develop a new range of skills and expand your artistic vocabulary, and culminates in a personal project on the final day where you can translate your ideas and interests into a finished artwork using the techniques and media you have learned about. There will be time for one-to-one guidance and input from the tutor on days 3 to 5, to further help and encourage you to develop your own ideas and artistic projects.
Young Artists: Manga IllustrationSold OutCourse CodeSC2004123TutorChie KutsuwadaCourse DatesMonday - Friday, 16th August - 20th August 2021Days5Times10.30am – 4.30pmExperience LevelAges 12-16, All LevelsFee£335LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRIn this NEW course students will learn all basic knowledge and techniques to complete their manga comic strip. The course focuses on the uniqueness on manga style, such as how to make pages look exciting and attractive within the limitation of monochrome and how to express the character's emotions effectively. At the same time, it includes the very important basic skills like figure drawing. The students are encouraged to use traditional approach to 'draw and plan' pages and to finalise their work in digital form. The aim of the course is to make sure that all the students feel more confident creating manga illustrations and to complete at least two pages of manga style art.
WEEK 6
Drawing for AllFrom: £335.00Course CodeSC2004009TutorEllen ChristiansenCourse DatesMonday - Friday, 23rd August - 27th August 2021Days5Times10.15am - 4.15pmExperience LevelAll LevelsFee£335LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRA wonderful opportunity for people with all levels of experience to explore the skills of drawing and life drawing. Throughout the course you will work to a variety of themes to learn fundamental drawing skills, including composition, tonal drawing, measurement and movement. Once mastered students are encouraged to develop a creative approach interjected with urban sketching, exploration of different lines, contrasts, compositions, materials and techniques. This is a structured informative, yet fun and stimulating, course that teaches essential drawing skills whilst encouraging a creative approach.
Figure and Portrait Painting with James BlandFrom: £335.00Course CodeSC2004006TutorJames BlandCourse DatesMonday - Friday, 23rd August - 27th August 2021Days5Times10.30am – 4.30pmExperience LevelIntermediateFee£335LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRA fun and intensive week of life and portrait painting appropriate to all skill levels. Less experienced students will enjoy an introduction to portraiture and figure painting while more advanced students benefit from a refresher in figure work from an experienced artist which will progress their practice. The emphasis will be on learning practical skills as well as bringing out intuitive ability. The course will cover planning a painting and executing a portrait over 2 days, a clothed figure composition and a life figure painting over the remaining 2 days.- Young Artists: Drawing, Painting and Sculpting the Figure£335.00Course CodeSC2004219Course DatesMonday - Friday, 23rd August - 27th August 2021TutorGail Seres-Woolfson, Jessica WetherlyDays5Times10.00am – 4.00pmExperience LevelAges 12-14, All LevelsFee£335LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRYoung Artists is an exciting five day course for ages 12-14 providing high level art tuition, including drawing workshops, contemporary painting, specialist sculpture techniques, and using experimental media. Focused classes create a supportive environment, and there is a strong focus on personal outcomes and solutions to develop independent judgement. Access to specialist materials and facilities improve technical skills, and discussion and presentation sessions build confidence and critical understanding. This course is ideal for those studying a range of arts based GCSE subjects, or wanting to advance their artistic skills and creative confidence.
- Young Artists: Manga Illustration£335.00Course CodeSC2004223TutorChie KutsuwadaCourse DatesMonday - Friday, 23rd August - 27th August 2021Days5Times10.30am – 4.30pmExperience LevelAges 12-16, All LevelsFee£335LocationArt Academy London, 165A Mermaid Court, SE1 1HRIn this NEW course students will learn all basic knowledge and techniques to complete their manga comic strip. The course focuses on the uniqueness on manga style, such as how to make pages look exciting and attractive within the limitation of monochrome and how to express the character's emotions effectively. At the same time, it includes the very important basic skills like figure drawing. The students are encouraged to use traditional approach to 'draw and plan' pages and to finalise their work in digital form. The aim of the course is to make sure that all the students feel more confident creating manga illustrations and to complete at least two pages of manga style art.