Painting the Human Figure Spring 2026

Date: Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 March, 10:30am -3:00pm
Course length: weekend 
Tutor: Christopher Holloway
Level: Intermediate / Advanced 

Figurative painting has remained a popular subject matter throughout the history of art and maintains its importance as a subject for painting today.
‘Painting the human figure’ offers the opportunity to study the human form over two days.
This class will explore the technical aspects of painting in oil or acrylic with a study of composition, mixing practice, colour and observation. 
We will be working with a variety of techniques in order to produce a final composition(s), starting with preliminary sketching and drawing to gain an understanding of the placement of the figure within the environment. We will be exploring compositional values in response to observation, strengthening the understanding of the painting’s structure and balance, and developing forward to working with colour and tone as a way of controlling light. 
The class will be suitable for those with some painting experience and wishing to develop their practice in response to the figure, whilst seeking tuition with regards to the technical and formal aspects of painting the figure from life. 
This is a taught class within a studio environment, where one to one tuition and feedback will be provided throughout. 
What do students need to bring with them? 
Students to bring with them: Student or Artist Quality Oil / Acrylic Colour: 

• Warm Red e.g - Cadmium Red 
• Cool Red e.g - Alizarin Crimson or Quinacridone Red 
• Warm Blue e.g – Cerulean, Manganese or Phthalo Blue
• Cool Blue e.g - Ultramarine Blue
• Warm Yellow e.g - Cadmium Yellow
• Cool Yellow e.g - Lemon Yellow
• Yellow Ochre
• Viridian Green
• Titanium White
• Black

Students may bring additional colours if they wish.

Also: rags, palette, palette knives, masking tape, flat and or round brushes - if possible sizes 2, 4 and 8, low odour artist white spirit or turpentine (for oil painters), brush washing jar, drawing materials (pencil, charcoal, eraser), an apron may be useful.

Various sized surfaces to paint onto such as – Primed canvas, canvas board, primed oil paper / acrylic paper pad, primed boards, whichever you feel comfortable using.