Classical Life Drawing Workshop

Birchwood Art Studio is hosting a Classical Life Drawing Workshop on Sunday 1 November, from 10am to 3pm. It's led by tutor Suzanne Kemplay, and the whole session is built around classical figure drawing with Conté pencils. You'll work through contour, shading and anatomy, taking inspiration from Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci with detailed studies of parts of the body. It leans on longer poses, and it's run in a small group so there's plenty of individual attention. It suits those with some drawing experience best, though beginners are welcome, and all materials are supplied.

Birchwood itself opened in Craiglockhart in 2020, when two friends, Clare and Sam, set out for one last 'hoolie' before they crumbled. Clare retired, leaving the creative dreamer Sam and the team — Beth, Beata and Raphie — plus a studio full of experienced, good-humoured artist tutors to keep pushing the idea that anyone can draw, paint and make. The studio takes its name from Sam's childhood home, the beloved cottage of illustrator Jim Proudfoot, whose work you can find in the shop. It's that same spirit — a bit of a creative hub run by people who just love the work — that carries through into the workshops they put on.

If you've ever wanted to get a proper handle on figure drawing without feeling rushed, this is a good place to start. Working with Conté pencils gives you a rich, charcoal-like line that's great for the kind of shading and anatomical detail the session focuses on, and the longer poses mean you can actually sit with a drawing rather than rushing to finish it before the model moves. It's a full day's session, so you'll have time to really settle in. The workshop runs from 10am to 3pm on Sunday 1 November at Birchwood Art Studio, Ashley House 1F Ashley Terrace, Edinburgh EH11 1RF, and costs £90.