Our Painting Courses

Whether you're picking up a brush for the first time or refining your technique, we offer structured courses across multiple disciplines. Each program is designed to build skills progressively, from understanding materials to developing your personal artistic voice.

Oil Painting Fundamentals

Learn the essential techniques of oil painting, from preparing canvases to mixing colours and layering. This course covers brush handling, composition basics, and understanding light and shadow. Students work with still life subjects to develop observational skills. We provide guidance on choosing quality materials and maintaining your tools. By the end, you'll complete several finished pieces and understand the medium's unique properties. Suitable for complete beginners with no prior experience required.

£285
8 weeks • 2 hours per session
  • All materials included
  • Small group of 8 students
  • Take-home projects

Watercolour Techniques

Explore the fluid nature of watercolours through hands-on practice with washes, glazing, and wet-on-wet methods. This course teaches control and spontaneity in equal measure, working with landscapes and botanical subjects. You'll learn paper selection, pigment properties, and how to plan compositions that work with the medium's transparency. We cover common challenges like blooms and hard edges, turning them into creative opportunities. Students develop their own colour palette and learn proper brush care throughout the program.

£240
6 weeks • 2.5 hours per session
  • Professional paper provided
  • Maximum 10 participants
  • Outdoor session included

Acrylic Painting Workshop

Master the versatile acrylic medium through structured exercises that demonstrate its range from thin washes to thick impasto. This workshop focuses on colour theory, texture creation, and fast-paced painting methods. Students experiment with different surfaces and learn to mix mediums for varied effects. We cover both realistic and abstract approaches, allowing you to find your preferred style. The quick-drying nature of acrylics means you'll produce multiple works during the course, building confidence and technical skill rapidly.

£195
5 weeks • 2 hours per session
  • Canvas boards supplied
  • Groups of 12 maximum
  • Mixed media exploration

Portrait Painting Course

Develop the specific skills needed to capture human features and expressions through systematic study of facial anatomy and proportions. This course uses both photographs and live models, teaching you to see and render skin tones, bone structure, and character. We work primarily in oils, though techniques translate to other media. Students learn to establish a strong underpainting before building up layers and detail. The program includes exercises in capturing different ages, lighting conditions, and emotional states through brushwork and colour choices.

£380
10 weeks • 3 hours per session
  • Live model sessions
  • Limited to 6 students
  • Individual feedback

Landscape Painting

Learn to interpret and paint natural scenes through a combination of outdoor sketching and studio work. This course teaches atmospheric perspective, colour temperature shifts, and compositional strategies for capturing depth and space. We work from locations around London, weather permitting, with studio sessions for developing larger pieces. Students learn to work quickly on location and translate sketches into finished paintings. The program covers different seasons and lighting conditions, helping you understand how environment affects colour and mood in landscape work.

£320
8 weeks • 3 hours per session
  • Outdoor locations
  • Portable easels provided
  • Weather alternatives planned

Abstract Painting Workshop

Explore non-representational painting through exercises that emphasise composition, colour relationships, and mark-making. This workshop encourages experimentation with tools, techniques, and approaches beyond traditional brushwork. Students work on developing a visual language that communicates through form and colour rather than recognisable subjects. We study works by established abstract painters to understand different approaches and philosophies. The course provides freedom to explore personal expression while learning principles that make abstract compositions effective and intentional rather than random.

£210
6 weeks • 2 hours per session
  • Mixed media encouraged
  • Large format work
  • Exhibition opportunity

Botanical Art Course

Study the detailed observation and accurate rendering of plant specimens through traditional botanical illustration methods. This specialised course combines scientific accuracy with artistic sensitivity, teaching you to capture form, texture, and colour of flowers, leaves, and stems. We work primarily in watercolour, the historical medium of botanical art, focusing on precise brushwork and colour mixing. Students learn composition for single specimens and arrangements, understanding both the artistic and documentary aspects of this discipline. The course includes visits to botanical collections for inspiration and reference.

£295
8 weeks • 2.5 hours per session
  • Fresh specimens provided
  • Magnification tools available
  • Small class of 8

Advanced Techniques Masterclass

Refine your existing skills through focused study of advanced methods including glazing, scumbling, impasto, and mixed media approaches. This masterclass is designed for painters with solid foundational skills who want to expand their technical repertoire. We examine works by master painters to understand their methods, then apply similar techniques to your own projects. The course allows individual direction based on your interests and goals, with personalised guidance on developing a cohesive body of work. Students should have completed at least one foundation course or equivalent experience.

£425
10 weeks • 3 hours per session
  • Prerequisite required
  • Maximum 6 students
  • Portfolio development

Student Gallery

Explore artworks created by our students during their learning journey. Each piece represents dedication, skill development, and creative expression across various painting techniques.

Sunset Seascape
Oil Painting

Sunset Seascape

A vibrant coastal scene capturing the golden hour light reflecting on water. This piece demonstrates advanced color mixing and atmospheric perspective techniques learned during our 12-week intensive programme.

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Botanical Study
Watercolor

Botanical Study

Delicate floral composition showcasing wet-on-wet and dry brush techniques. Created by a student who completed our watercolor fundamentals course, focusing on transparency and layering methods specific to this medium.

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Character Portrait
Portrait

Character Portrait

An expressive character study emphasizing facial structure and emotion. This work reflects skills acquired in our portrait painting workshop, including accurate proportion measurement and skin tone rendering using limited palette.

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Urban Landscape
Acrylic

Urban Landscape

Contemporary cityscape featuring bold brushwork and dynamic composition. Completed during our acrylic painting module, this piece demonstrates quick-drying techniques and layering strategies unique to acrylic medium on stretched canvas.

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Still Life Composition
Oil Painting

Still Life Composition

Classical arrangement featuring varied textures and surfaces. This student work showcases understanding of light source direction, shadow casting, and the glazing technique taught in our traditional oil painting sessions over 8 weeks.

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Mountain Vista
Watercolor

Mountain Vista

Expansive landscape demonstrating atmospheric depth and color temperature shifts. Painted by a student in our landscape specialization track, utilizing graduated wash techniques and negative painting to create distance and dimension.

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What Our Students Say

Real experiences from people who joined our painting courses

4.6 ★

Based on 127 reviews from students across London, Manchester, and Edinburgh

Sarah Mitchell

Brighton

I attended the watercolour landscape course last autumn and it completely changed how I approach painting. The instructor, James, demonstrated techniques for capturing light that I had struggled with for years. Within three sessions, I was creating pieces I'm genuinely proud of. The studio space near Victoria Station is well-equipped with natural light, and the small class size meant I received proper attention. I've since completed two more courses and recommended Fafime to five colleagues from my art club.

Watercolour Landscape November 2024
David Thompson

Manchester

Good course overall. The acrylic techniques were well explained and I learned proper brush handling. My only note would be that the course ran slightly over schedule - finished at 6:15pm instead of 6pm on two occasions, which made my train connection tight. The materials provided were professional grade though, which I appreciated.

Acrylic Techniques October 2024
Emma Richardson

Edinburgh

Brilliant value for £285. The portrait painting course covered everything from proportion measurement to colour mixing for skin tones. I came in as a complete beginner and left with a finished portrait that my family couldn't believe I painted. The instructor's feedback was constructive and specific.

Portrait Painting September 2024
James Patel

Birmingham

The course met my expectations for learning oil painting basics. Instruction was clear and the studio had decent ventilation. However, I found the pace quite fast for someone with no previous experience - would have benefited from an extra session. The materials list could be more detailed before starting. That said, I did learn the fundamentals and can now practice at home.

Oil Painting Basics December 2024
Lucy Anderson

Bristol

The abstract art course opened my eyes to composition and colour theory in ways I hadn't considered. I particularly valued how the instructor explained the reasoning behind different approaches rather than just showing techniques. After six weeks, I sold my first piece at a local gallery event.

Abstract Art August 2024
Oliver Hughes

Leeds

Solid course with experienced instructors. The still life painting sessions taught me proper observation skills and how to build up layers effectively. Would be nice to have more variety in the subjects we painted - we did three fruit bowl arrangements which felt repetitive. Otherwise, no complaints about the teaching quality or facilities.

Still Life Painting October 2024
Sophie Collins

Cambridge

I'm so happy with this course! The mixed media workshop pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way. We experimented with combining acrylics, collage, and ink, which created textures I never knew were possible. The instructor encouraged creative risk-taking while providing technical guidance. I've filled two sketchbooks since finishing the course and have a completely different approach to my art now.

Mixed Media Workshop November 2024
Michael Foster

Liverpool

Professional setup and excellent communication throughout. I booked the landscape painting course for my wife's birthday, and the team accommodated a schedule change when she had a work conflict. The course itself exceeded her expectations - she came home each week excited to show me what she'd learned. Three months later, she's still painting regularly and has transformed our spare room into a studio.

Landscape Painting September 2024