Join our weekly Summer School where you’ll unlock the secrets of Line and Form, Portraiture, Colour theory and mixing colours, Oil Pastels, Watercolour paints, Negative Space, Chalk Pastels and much more……….
All skill levels are welcome – come explore your artistic potential!
Mondays- except bank holidays: 6.00pm – 8.00pm*
*April 13th to July 27th 2026– Braintree Summer school Sessions with Bianca Garcia.
For all sessions bring an HB pencil, an eraser, your sketchpad, masking tape.
(If a painting session) additionally bring water pots and at least one palette knife for mixing paint, a drawing board would be very helpful.
*Please note prospectus for time and date amendments
| WEEK | SUBJECT | EQUIPMENT |
| Week 1 (April 13th) | Assessment- Line and Form-lets see where you are in your art journey | Sketching graphite pencils, charcoal, pencil sharpener or craft knife, putty rubber, hard eraser, smudging sticks if you have them |
| Week 2: (April 20th) | Portraiture | As above |
| Week 3: (27th April) | Colour theory and mixing colours | Acrylic Paints, heavy body (or thin body and a mixing medium) Palette knife, palette, suitable support, small selection of paintbrushes suitable for acrylic |
| Early spring bank holiday | 4th May- no classes | Early bank holiday |
| Week 4: (11th May) | Oil Pastels- Back to Basics | Oil pastels, suitable support such as pastel paper or mixed media paper, cotton buds or smudge sticks |
| Week 5: (18th May) | Watercolour Paints, glazing and layering – Food & Drink | Watercolour paints, acrylic paints suitable paper, watercolour brushes, acrylic brushes, palette, at least one palette knife |
| Spring bank holiday | 25th May – No classes | Bank Holiday |
| Week 6: (1st June) | Negative space and using blacks
| Watercolour paints etc as above- |
| Week 7 (8th June) | Soft ‘chalk’ pastels | Soft chalky pastels, suitable support such as pastel paper or mixed media paper, cotton buds or smudge sticks
|
| Week 8 (15th June) Please note: Later start and shortened session. 7pm start – 8:45pm finish | Pen and Ink
| Artists drawing pens |
| Week 9: (22nd June) | Water based oil paints | Water based oil paints, a suitable support such as a canvas, canvas board, or canvas paper, or oil painting paper. Suitable brushes, pots for water. |
| Week 10: (29th June) | Liquid Inks and Brusho Liquid Inks and Brusho- An Introduction to liquid watercolour inks, acrylic inks and Brusho powders
Note for week 10, all of these things combined can be quite expensive, so bring the medium you are most interested in, I’ll have a small selection of all three for you to experiment with. If you are not able to bring any of the three, please bring £2.00 for my resourcing.
| Liquid acrylic ink, watercolour ink or Brusho. A palette, thick watercolour or mixed media paper: minimum gsm 240. small selection of suitable paintbrushes, a teaspoon or very small scoop for the brusho |
| No session 6th July | No Session 6th July | No session 6th July |
| Week 11: (13th July) | Introduction to Alcohol pens and Coloured pencils- Mixed Media | Coloured artists pencils, pencil sharpener or craft knife. Alcohol pens: this is a reasonably priced set paper support suitable for alcohol pens |
| Week 12: (20th July) | Gouache Paints | Gouache paints, watercolour paper or suitable support, masking tape, suitable brushes, palette knife. Palette |
| Week 13 (27th July) FINAL WEEK– bring your favourite cake 😊 | The Humble Ballpoint Pen | Ballpoint Pens, and white Ink (bring your normal artists pens too) White gel pen, or white ink and a dip pen etc. A couple of ballpoint pens aka Biro’s black for preference and if you can pick up a few other colours such as blue, red, green or anything you fancy that would be useful, suitable paper. |
Refreshments and biscuits are provided at a cost of £1.00 every four weeks payable in class.
Please note, this may not be a nut free environment, lactose free milk, herbal teas, and decaf ‘options are available. if you require more specific dietary allowances please feel free to bring them along.
*Learners are welcome to dip in and out of sessions, however if you decide that these classes are not for you after enrolling, or if you do not attend three consecutive classes please let the community centre know so that your space is freed up for another prospective learner. No hard feelings, it’s fun to try new things!
Limited parking to the side and rear of the centre. Wheelchair access is available at the front of the Centre.
Class fees are payable on the day at reception on arrival. Workshop fees must be paid 2 weeks before, either in person or by phone unless otherwise stated.
