Oil Painting Workshop

Ash Lab Art Studio is running a guided oil painting workshop at Silvan House Studios on Saturday mornings, starting 24 October. It's a small-group course that runs over six sessions: 24 and 31 October, then 7, 14, 21 and 28 November, each from 10:30 to 12:30. If you've always wanted to try oil painting but didn't know where to start, this is a good way in.

The sessions are built around the fundamentals of traditional oil painting. You'll work through colour theory and mixing, brush techniques, composition, and how to handle light and shadow. From there, the focus shifts to landscape and still life painting, with the aim of helping you develop your own style rather than just copying a set image. It's open to beginners and intermediate painters, so you don't need to have picked up a brush before to join in.

Because it's a small group, you'll get a fair bit of one-on-one guidance throughout the six weeks, and the studio is described as a welcoming, supportive environment. That makes it a decent choice if you're nervous about starting out or just prefer a slower pace to a one-off taster session. Since it runs every Saturday morning, it's easy to slot into a weekend routine without having to clear a whole day.

Each session is two hours long, and the cost is £40 with all materials provided, so you don't need to worry about buying your own paints or brushes before you turn up. The workshop is held at Silvan House Studios, 231 Corstorphine Rd, Edinburgh West EH12 7AT, on 24 and 31 October and 7, 14, 21 and 28 November, from 10:30 to 12:30.