The Art of Landscapes with London Fine Art Studios

About the series

From explorations of drawing, to composition and colour harmony, join London Fine Art Studios in a series of practical classes to learn the art of landscape.

A comprehensive  series, combining expert guidance from artist and tutor Ann Witheridge and practical exercises looking at key masterpieces in the exhibition Leighton and Landscape: Impressions from Nature.

Useful information:

• Classes run once a month on the following Saturdays, 10am - 1pm: 11 January, 8 February, 8 March, 12 April, 10 May, 14 June.
• Classes can be booked individually or you can attend  the full series. 
• Classes will take place in the Learning Centre at Leighton House and / or in the museum garden (weather permitting) and will include opportunities to view the exhibition Leighton and Landscape.
• All materials will be provided.
• All levels welcome.

Class 1: The details of landscape: Capri

Saturday 11 January, 10am - 1pm

During his travels, Frederic Leighton often drew and painted directly from nature outside with his easel or pochade box. Inspired by his drawings and especially Study of a Lemon Tree, we will look at his drawing techniques and work from branches from the garden at Leighton House. The drawings are carefully observed and highly rendered.

Class 2: The composition of landscape

Saturday 8 February, 10am - 1pm

Always a draughtsman, Leighton’s landscapes are often compositionally innovative - he avoided popular viewpoints and liked experimented with depth. We will look at the principles of composition and consider the format of canvas and areas of focus in a scene.

Class 3: The structure of landscape: Vistas

Saturday 8 March, 10am - 1pm

This class will explore the more sculptural element of Leighton’s landscapes, the interaction between rock formations and seemingly insignificant buildings.

Class 4: The colour of landscape

Saturday 12 April, 10am - 1pm

Colour has a vital role in landscape painting, with palettes dictating the mood and atmosphere of a work. In this class,  participants will not only learn the basics of colour theory but also how Frederic Leighton favoured certain colour schemes and his view on colour relationships. 

Class 5: The architecture of landscape

Saturday 10 May, 10am - 1pm

This class will study Frederic Leighton’s cityscapes, in connection to the section in the exhibition exploring  ‘Avoiding the obvious’ (The Verey Exhibition Gallery). Offering a different challenge to the artist, these architectural scenes help develop a sense of space, form, and light. 

Class 6: The atmosphere of landscape: Colour harmony

Saturday 14 June, 10am - 1pm

This class will  look at the colour harmony across Frederic Leighton’s landscape painting,  from bright blue skies, lush green gardens and rocky grey mountains. We will discuss how to use harmonies in our own personal work, and the benefit and atmosphere they brings. 

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About London Fine Art Studios

London Fine Art Studios was founded by Ann Witheridge with the aim of teaching the craft of drawing and painting to a community of dedicated artists. This is a formal training in fine art, drawing, oil painting and sculpture working from life. The Studios are based in Battersea and welcome students of all levels, providing a supportive learning environment in which to acquire new skills and a deeper understanding of the figurative tradition.

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