Summer School: Sketchbooks with Sarah Dyer

A sketchbook can be your best friend – a personal space for exploring new ideas, recording your experiences of the world and experimenting with new materials. In this three-day Summer School, award winning illustrator & picture book maker Sarah Dyer will help you cultivate a better relationship with your sketchbook, introducing the exercises you need to establish a daily drawing habit.  

This course will be a unique opportunity to learn directly from Sarah at the Draw Studio in Brighton. If you find yourself paralyzed by the blank page, struggling to find the time to draw or you just wanted to spend three days playing with new process and materials in great company then this Summer School is for you!  

What to expect 

This will be a creative, experimental course with plenty of one to one support from tutor Sarah. The three day course will cover:  

Day 1: An introduction to using your sketchbook, taking the Draw studio as inspiration. 

Day 2: After a morning drawing from a model, Sarah will expand on Day One with playful exercises to get the most from your sketchbook 

Day 3:  On our final day, Sarah will take you out of the studio to draw on location around Brighton, before returning to consolidate everything you’ve learnt. 

Places are limited to 15 students and pre-booking is essential. If you have any questions email us at [email protected] The workshop runs from 10am-5pm on Monday 29th, Tuesday 30th & Wednesday 31st July 2024, with a 1-hour lunch break - you are welcome to bring a packed lunch, or to pop to the nearby Sainsbury’s, or a café on London Road. There will also be extra teabreaks throughout the day.

What you need to bring  

All materials will be provided, although we welcome you to bring along any empty sketchbooks you have at home which you'd like to start using! Padded & backed chairs, drawing boards and tables are provided for all students.  

Getting to the studio

You’re welcome to arrive from 9.45am on the Monday. Approach New England House from the New England Street side of the building and walk up to the locked blue double doors next to the sign for the ‘Building Manager’s Office’. Wait to be let in or call the number on the door for entry - the studio is on level 5, Unit 1 South, just knock and walk in. There is parking at London Road car park, Elder Place & Trafalgar St car parks; Brighton station is a 5-minute walk from the studio.

Discounts

The discounted rate is available for anybody on low income, students or Patreon supporters. Sign up to the Draw Patreon from just £3.60 per month to get access to the discount, online life drawing course, live online classes and personal feedback from our tutors. Whether you are a Patreon supporter or not, you can post your drawings on the Draw community Facebook group HERE and you are welcome to tag us with @draw_brighton and #drawbrighton on Instagram.

Safety & accessibility

For the wellbeing of everybody at the class please don’t come to the class if you are ill with contagious symptoms. If you have any accessibility needs, please do let us know beforehand and we will do everything we can to make sure you can enjoy the life classes here. The building has a wheelchair ramp at the North side of the New England Street entrance and lifts up to level 5 with gender-neutral toilets & accessible toilets on floors 4 & 6 accessed by lift. Fixative spraying is not allowed in the studio and is done outside; oil paints will be used at this session and we will be using odourless solvent (no turps) throughout the course - our air purifier and good ventilation help control fumes.

We keep the studio a safe environment by providing:

• Monitored ventilation (aiming for <900ppm CO2)
• Air purification with HEPA filters
• Sick pay for our freelance life models
• If you have covid, flu or bad cold symptoms we ask you not to attend - you will receive a refund as well as our appreciation!

Cancellations

Bookings are non-refundable. If you are unwell with a contagious illness you may not attend the class - you can request a refund here on Eventbrite and we can issue a full refund, minus Eventbrite's fees. If you are unable to attend, please do get in touch with us on [email protected] to discuss the options for giving up your place in exchange for credit at other Draw Brighton courses, or transferring your place to another attendee.

Host or Publisher Draw Brighton