Image of paintings made by students in this course in 2021

Painting I / Foundation Course for Beginners

Level: Beginner

2024 Dates TBA
Saturdays 1 – 4pm

$560 / includes all quality materials


Limited to 8 students

Tutor:  Carmel Byrne

This is a methodical painting course that explicitly demonstrates the strength of creating structure through the layering of tone and colour in painting. The structured nature of the course supports students while they figure out the concepts and practicalities of creating form and space in painting.  This Flemish approach unpacks the structure of a painting, and is a solid foundation to how painting works in regards to creating the illusion of space.

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This seven week painting course is a natural follow-up to our Drawing Courses. Techniques, colour, brushwork and art history will be discussed as we move through the course. After learning these long-hand basics you’ll be able to streamline your painting skills to suit your interests. 


This is an intermediate course and students will need to know the Foundations of art – line, tone, value, form, and texture. Contact us if you’re unsure of your skill-levels.

Week 1: Preparation / Drawing the still life & gesso paper for painting
Week 2: Value structure & underpainting
Week 3: Tonal correction and expansion
Week 4: The dead layer
Week 5: First colour layer
Week 6: Second colour layer
Week 7: Finishing colour layer with highlights & the darkest values

Quality acrylic paint is provided for this course.  We also recommend Colour Mixing for painters.


Painting I for Beginners student works from 2021

Painting I for Beginners student works from 2022

After this course we recommend students take up our follow up painting course Painting II / intermediate

Painting II . Intermediate

2022 Students that went on to the intermediate painting course make these great paintings studying a Master work. They now have all the skills to continue painting with confidence.

a collage of 2022 student works