Adult Beginners Art Class

Beginner Adult Art Lessons Plan (January–June 2026)

Schedule: 2nd Saturday of each month, starting January 2026

Duration: 2 hours per session

Fee: £25 per person (minimum 6 participants)

Level: Beginner adults

Format: Guided studio practice with demonstrations and group discussion

Program Overview

This monthly course introduces adults to the fundamentals of drawing and painting through observation, technique, and creative exploration. Each session builds on previous lessons, moving from line and form to tone, colour, and figure work.

January — Lesson 1: Basic Forms

Medium: Graphite pencils and graphite sticks

Theme: Drawing geometric forms

Focus: Fundamentals of drawing, line quality, form, and measurement

Structure:

Warm-up: lines, circles, crosshatching, shading exercises

Remaining Time: Drawing still lifes of geometric shapes, learning pencil measurement, understanding light and shadow.

Outcomes:

• Control of line and tone

• Visual measurement and proportion

• Seeing 3D form on 2D surface

Materials:

• Graphite pencils (2H–6B)

• Graphite sticks

• Drawing paper

• Erasers

• Geometric shapes

February — Lesson 2: Everyday Objects in Charcoal

Medium: Charcoal

Theme: Translating basic forms into real objects

Focus: Exploring light and shadow, composition, and tonal range

Structure:

To Start: Charcoal handling, blending, erasing highlights

Remaining Time: Still life drawing with overlapping objects, focusing on contrast and composition

Outcomes:

• Understanding value range

• Observing and simplifying forms

• Using charcoal expressively

Materials:

• Charcoal sticks/pencils

• Paper suitable for charcoal

• Fixative

• Still life props (e.g. cups, bowls, fruit)

March — Lesson 3: Introducing Watercolour

Medium: Watercolour paint

Theme: Still life fruit painting

Focus: Introducing colour, water control, and layering techniques

Structure:

To Start: Colour mixing, washes, and brush techniques

Remaining Time: Painting still life, building colour through transparent layers

Outcomes:

• Understanding colour mixing and value

• Control of water and pigment

• Observing light and texture in colour

Materials:

• Watercolour paints

• Brushes

• Watercolour paper

• Palette

• Water containers

• Still life setup of fruits

April — Lesson 4: Vase and Flowers in Soft Pastel

Medium: Soft pastels

Theme: Still life with vase, flower, and fruit

Focus: Colour blending, composition, and layering

Structure:

To Start: Colour theory basics (warm/cool, complementary colours)

Remaining Time: Drawing still life of vase, flower, and fruit arrangement

Outcomes:

• Blending colour and layering techniques

• Composition and focal point development

• Observing colour harmony and light

Materials:

• Soft pastels

• Pastel paper

• Fixative

• Vase with flower and fruit still life setup

May — Lesson 5: Still Life in Acrylics

Medium: Acrylic paint

Theme: Repeat of previous still life with new arrangement

Focus: Introducing opaque media, layering, and texture

Structure:

To Start: Brushwork, mixing, blending, and layering

Remaining Time: Painting still life with vase, flower, and fruit in new composition

Outcomes:

• Understanding differences between transparent (watercolour) and opaque (acrylic) media

• Building form through layering and colour blocking

• Developing painting confidence

Materials:

• Acrylic paints

• Brushes

• Canvas boards or heavy paper

• Palettes

• Water containers

• Still life setup

June — Lesson 6: Introduction to Figure Drawing

Medium: Ink

Theme: Simple wooden figure poses and non-dominant hand reference

Focus: Proportion, gesture, and simplified anatomy

Structure:

To Start: Gesture drawing warm-ups (short timed sketches)

Remaining Time: Drawing wooden mannequin in poses and using non-dominant hand as reference

Outcomes:

• Understanding human proportion and movement

• Observational skills through gesture and contour

• Building confidence through expressive drawing

Materials:

• Ink (bottled or pen)

• Sketch paper

• Wooden mannequin figure