Short Course

Introduction to Painting

  • Duration

    9 Weeks

  • Cost

    £310

  • Tutor

    Lexi Strauss

  • When

    Friday Afternoons

introduction to painting student work

Whether you’re a complete beginner or just brushing up existing skills, this fully comprehensive painting course will build confidence through solid exercises and enjoyable experiments in colour and technique.

Course Overview


This course is designed to develop your knowledge and confidence when working with painted colour. Focusing on acrylic (used both as impasto and water colour) and water-based oils, you will investigate colour, form and different methods of applying paint to a surface in a supportive and dynamic environment. Various limited palettes will offer you a deeper understanding of colour- introducing you to hue, tone and temperature through fun exercises and experiments. By the end of the course, you will have sound advice and experience in still life, landscape, abstract and portrait painting.

Ideal for beginners or those looking to build confidence in painting, the course will guide you through still life, landscape, abstract, and portrait painting. We’ll provide basic materials to get you started and offer advice on additional supplies tailored to your personal goals as you progress.

What we do...

Introduction to Painting short course student work hca

About the Tutor


Lexi completed her MA in painting at the Royal College of Art in 2014 and her degree in Fine Art at Hereford College of Arts in 2011. 

Primarily a painter, she also creates theatrical installations that animate her work, and is a trained art clown performer, regularly creating performances that span the art, theatre and comedy world’s. 

Current work includes a series of portraits of her diverse clown community, and she was recently funded by the Arts Council, England to explore the relationship between humour and trauma. 

She frequently exhibits and performs nationally and internationally, including the John Moore’s painting prize and the Jerwood Drawing prize. Lexi was also nominated for Saatchi New Sensations (2014) and Shortlisted for New Contemporaries (2013). Her paintings are on permanent display at the Women’s Art Collection at Cambridge University.  

Venue, Dates, Times


All sessions will be held at our College Road Campus. Sessions will start at 1.30pm and will finish at approximately 4pm.

Term starts on 11th October. There will be 9 sessions, and there will be a half term break on the week of 28th October. All session dates listed below: 

  • 11th October
  • 18th October
  • 25th October
  • 8th November
  • 15th November
  • 22nd November
  • 29th November
  • 6th December
  • 13th December

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