The Unfinished Portrait with Amy Dury

Discover the art of the unfinished portrait at this inspirational weekend workshop, led by renowned artist and tutor Amy Dury.

We are delighted to welcome artist and tutor Amy Dury to the Draw studios for this inspiring weekend of creativity and painting. Discover the art of the unfinished portrait - instead of chasing perfection, we celebrate the allure of incompleteness. Dive into a creative journey where the magic lies in the process, not the final product. We will look at techniques used by renowned artists who intentionally left their portraits incomplete. Learn the power of suggestion and explore personal interpretation.

Amy says about her work “I paint with a strong idea of colour to begin. I use both oil and acrylic paint, alongside charcoal and pencil drawings. My background as a printmaker informs my use of layers and structure, yet I allow the process to move and evolve the work as it is constructed. Loose and textured painterly marks exist alongside more precise detail. A strong grounding in portrait and figure drawing gives freedom to describe or suggest.”

What to expect

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, this class offers a fresh perspective. If you have any questions email us at [email protected] Places are limited to 10 students and pre-booking is essential.

The workshop runs from Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th March 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 tea-breaks throughout the day.

What you need to bring

Easels, padded & backed chairs, drawing boards and small tables are provided for all students and materials are included in the cost of the course. All materials will be provided, including oil paint, solvent and oil painting paper, palettes and palette knives.

Students will need to bring:

A pre-primed surface – panel, canvas or paper

Brushes suitable for oil painting

Apron & Rags / Kitchen Roll

Getting to the studio

You’re welcome to arrive from 9.45am. 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!

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Draw Brighton, Studio 1 South Level 5, New England House, Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom