Exploring Drawing Using Mixed Media

Discover the expressive qualities of varied drawing media including pencils, charcoal, chalks and pen and ink.

Over five weeks, learn how to draw from observation and imagination, about proportion and expressive distortion, and explore realism and abstraction. Beginners are welcome as an introduction to the possibilities of drawing, as are those with experience who wish to develop skills and ideas and try new approaches to drawing.

Each week the tutor will demonstrate the various qualities of a particular drawing medium and suggest an approach to its use, such as drawing realistically – exploring accurate representation, or drawing more abstractly to discover the expressive possibilities a medium has to offer.

We will explore the detail offered by pencils, the tonal and textural possibilities of graphite sticks, the flexibility of charcoal, the clear, graphic, illustrative qualities of pens. As well as working on white paper we will work on toned and black paper to explore the possibilities of black and white chalks.

We will work from various visual source materials including landscape photos provided by the tutor and students, natural forms and still life. You’re encouraged to bring your own source material if you wish to make your work more personal, which might include photos, sketches, previous paintings, or memories and imagination.

About the tutor:

Tutor Peter Clayton holds a Fine Art degree and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. Over 40+ year career he has shown in over 160 solo and group exhibitions in commercial and public galleries.

He has collaborated widely with artists of various disciplines, undertaken residences, painted murals and worked with local authorities, museums, interior designers and publishers. His personal work has encompassed a wide variety of painting and printmaking media. Subject matter has been inspired by the landscape (particularly woodland), architecture and family history. Pete is a member of Leicester Society of Artists and Leicester Print Workshop and has taught courses in Adult and Further Education at numerous venues, including Attenborough Arts, for many years.

Further information:

All materials will be provided.

This 5-week course will run on Wednesday afternoons, 2pm – 4:30pm, starting on 13 January, with the final session on 10 February 2027.

Participants must be aged 18+.

If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list – simply contact our box office team on 0116 252 2455 / arts-centre@le.ac.uk and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans!

We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome – just remember to book t