City Drawing Masterclass

Over four Masterclasses, artist Mark Bletcher will teach you a range of drawing techniques and processes to deepen your understanding and approach to observational drawing.

Throughout the course we will create a collection of drawings and studies from different city vantages, from the Farrell Centre’s galleries to the top floors of university buildings - learning how to add light, depth, and colour to our sketches.

The course will be supported by a guided tour of our exhibition, Concrete Dreams, from its Curators, providing architectural insights and context to the city views you will be drawing.

Refreshments and materials will be provided, and each participant will receive a sketchbook to continue their drawing practice beyond the course.

This masterclass series is suitable for all and is an excellent opportunity try something new or develop a portfolio to support further studies and independent practice.

20th October - Week 1: Sketch

In our first session we will begin with a Curator led tour of the exhibition Concrete Dreams. Mark will then lead series of speed sketching exercise from the Farrell Centre Galleries. These exercises will loosen up our drawings and allow time to experiment with materials.

3rd November - Week 2: Line

We will explore line drawings in our second Masterclass, looking to Ralph Erskine’s Byker sketches as inspiration. We will create a series of drawings embracing the simplicity of a single line.

We will visit the 7th floor of the School of Architecture to access new views of the city.

17th November - Week 3: Light and Shade

Building on our line drawings, we will learn about adding washes of tone to our drawings, as well as details like plants, people, and pets!

1st December - Week 4: Sustained Study

In our final session we will reflect on our portfolios of drawings and chose a piece to work back into, refining and tuning our study.

These masterclasses are design to be informal spaces to share ideas, chat and ask questions.

The course costs £120, you must be able to attend all 4 sessions as refunds cannot be issued.

Host or Publisher Farrell Centre