11.30am-5pm | 16+ yrs
Discover the fundamentals of charcoal drawing in this beginner-friendly workshop. Using a still life as inspiration, you’ll explore mark-making, tone, and observation skills. This will be through enjoyable exercises, building confidence while learning to translate what you see onto paper.
What will the workshop cover and how will it be taught?
This workshop introduces the fundamentals of drawing using willow charcoal and putty rubbers, providing a hands-on, approachable way to explore this expressive medium. Working from a still life arrangement, you will develop your ability to observe and translate shapes, forms, and proportions onto paper. The course focuses on key technical skills, including mark-making, line, tonal variation, and erasing to create highlights and textures. You will learn how to build up layers of tone, control contrasts, and use putty rubbers to refine and enhance tonal depth, giving your drawings a sense of volume and presence.
Practical exercises will guide you in exploring different approaches to charcoal, experimenting with line, shading, and composition. Teaching methods include live demonstrations, guided practice, group discussion, and one-to-one feedback. By the end of the workshop, you will have greater confidence in using willow charcoal and putty rubbers to produce expressive, well-observed drawings with both technical skill and personal style.
Who is it suitable for?
Suitable for all levels of ability.
Important Information
This course will be held in Studio 3.
What do I need to bring?
- A2/A3 sketchbook of white cartridge paper.
- Willow charcoal.
- Putty rubber.
- Cheap hairspray or artist’s fixative.
If you have any queries regarding materials, please contact our Box Office team, who can put you in touch with the artist tutor: boxoffice@breweryarts.co.uk
About the tutor
Catherine MacDiarmid brings over 30 years of teaching experience to her role, combining extensive classroom practice with the insight of a dedicated, practising artist. She has exhibited widely, including the BP Portrait Award (2001/02), the New Light Art (2021/22 and 2023/24), and regularly at the Mall Galleries. Her work has received numerous accolades, most recently the Watercolour Materials Award at the Jackson’s Painting Prize in 2023 and the People and Faces Award 2025 at the Lake Artists Society. She is an elected member of the Lakes Artists Society and the Contemporary British Portrait Painters. Catherine has also appeared on Portrait Artist of the Year (2014 and 2018), reaching the semi-finals in 2019. Alongside private portrait commissions, her work is collected internationally, and she is based in her home studio in Kendal.
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A commission of £2.50 - £3.50 is included in the ticket price, to support our administration costs and the maintenance and development of our historic venue, helping ensure we are here for future generations. Creative learning classes & workshops are exempt.
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Some live events may carry strict age restrictions, these are outlined on our website. Under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult at all times during evening events.
Please note: Our Bar & Restaurant is closed on Sundays
