Fine art is knowledge made visible.
Gustave Courbet
You don't have to live in the capital to enjoy cultural outings and inspirational artwork. A dozen museums dot the city of Manchester, and one can wander through galleries all day long and admire the work of past and present masters.
The Rainy City saw the creation has been at the centre of British art from the time it led to the Industrial Revolution. The Manchester Academy of Fine Arts was founded in 1859 and electing the best Mancunian artists to its board ever since. Since its inauguration, The Academy has been organising exhibitions of drawings, paintings, and sculptures in Manchester and all across the North East England region to promote fine arts in parts often forgotten by London's snobby artistic scene.
The city doesn't lack options for art classes either. Many independent art studios offer one-day sessions or long courses that will tutor you in the subtilities of drawing, sketching, or painting. Therefore, without further ado, let's take a look at the various drawing and sketching courses offered in Manchester.
If you're heading to Leeds, you could go to an impromptu class at one of the many great drawing courses in Leeds.
Where are the Best Drawing Courses in Manchester?
With a city as populated and culturally significant as Manchester, you are bound to find many art studios and academic institutes offering drawing and sketching courses. So, without further delay, let's take a look at some of the best drawing classes in Manchester and the surrounding areas.
The Independent Art School at The Whitworth
The Independent Art School started in 2009 and became one of the best drawing schools in Birmingham. Following the successful opening of its second spot in London, the school established its third location in Manchester.
Their professional teachers and artists focus on making art more accessible to people of all ages and levels of skills. All the tutors are carefully selected and are experts in their fields with a passion for teaching their craft to new artists who desire to learn new things.
The Manchester Independent Art School operates from two different locations, one in the Methodist Central Buildings, on Oldham Street (M1 1JQ), the other at the Zion Arts Centre, and Stretford Road (M15 5ZA).
The school offers an Introduction to Art class where beginners can learn the fundamentals of still-life drawing. In this class, students will be guided through the process of drawing and painting during a 2-hour session that approaches the basis of line drawing, proportion and shadings.
If you're hooked on art after this first session, you can join the "Life Drawing for Creative Development" workshops that the school holds every Wednesday. By attending this course, students are taught to focus their work and effort on drawing life models, the most complex subject matter.
Thankfully, the drawing courses at the Independent Art School are adept for beginners, intermediate or advanced students; everyone can join. Beginners will be closely coached by tutors, while intermediate and advanced artists will develop their skills further or even work on their professional portfolios.
If Manchester isn't enough for you, read more about some drawing classes in Glasgow.
Realistic Academy At Walton Hall
If you wish for a more structured class, joining the six-week drawing course at the Realistic Academy at Walton Hall in Manchester might be what you were searching for.
The Realistic Academy Manchester (RAM) provides a classical academic program for drawing and painting in the region of Manchester. It is a perfect school if you want to commit to learning the fundamentals of traditional art, including drawing and sketching.
Their 6-week course is held every Saturday, each session lasting three and a half hours. During that time, you will perform many exercises focusing on figure drawing and portrait sketching. To get to know what you're signing up for, the following highlights how the course is divided into five parts:
- The First Week: fully dedicated to learning how to draw lines and shapes; during the sessions held on the first week, you will be taught how to control your pencil to draw perfect lines and render curves and shapes as accurately as possible.
- The Second Week: it's important to state that the second week is dedicated to learning how to represent perspectives and proportions. One, two and three-point stances will be thoroughly studied and once mastered, you will practice putting elements of a subject together.
- The Third Week: all of the sessions conducted during the third week of classes are dedicated to understanding the negative and positive spaces, how to draw a silhouette and use shadows and light.
- The Fourth Week: if you were looking to draw emphasis on light and shades, you would be happy to find out that that is the content of the fourth week of lessons.
- The Sixth Week: the sixth week of study is dedicated to mass drawing, which consists of depicting the matter of the subject using masses of tone and colours over lines and edges, which are critical skills to drawing and painting like a real artist.
- The Final Week: sadly, every good thing must end; however, the final week of classes focuses on atmospheric perspective where the artists render the effect of the distance of the surrounding on the perception of a subject. Both near and far objects will be studied, and you will play with the contrast of edges, the details and the intensity of colours.
If the capital attracts you, read about where to find the best drawing lessons in London.
Students are encouraged to practice what they have learned between sessions each week, but this thorough program will get you from absolute beginner to confident drawer in less than two months; that's lovely progress!
The Manchester Creative Art Courses
Another great school located in the Manchester area is the Creative Art Courses. An independent art school and studio, the Manchester Creative Art Courses offers a wide range of workshops in Manchester to accommodate both complete beginners and experienced artists. The beginners' course that is currently available will include an emphasis on developing your observational skills while getting to understand the essential drawing techniques, and it will also introduce you to watercolours and acrylic painting.
There are various timeslots to study drawing through Manchester Creative Art Courses. For example, evenings or weekends are perfect for adult drawing lessons. Also, children and youth courses or life drawing workshops offered by this studio will take care of all your drawing cravings!
Through their instruction and your exploration of painting and drawing, you will build confidence and technical skills.
Chorlton Alternative Art
As one of the more modern art schools featured on our list, The Chorlton Alternative Art was founded in 2010 and focused on a life drawing class in London.
It's worth stating that the drawing or sketching classes offered by The Chorlton Alternative Art School are not led formally; you will be given lots of tips and advice on how to improve your drawing skills.
During the drawing sessions, you will be working on one or more life models taking different poses, each one for 15 to 20 minutes. Basic materials such as charcoal, pencils, paper and drawing boards will also be provided.
These sessions are great if you want to practice what you've learned by yourself or through the guidance of a laid-back art teacher. At Chorlton, they will give you the chance to experiment with different styles, which is one of the ways to improve your techniques.
While all of the previously mentioned art schools and drawing classes mentioned in today's article are of supreme quality, we remarkably suggest checking out their websites and Google reviews to see if they are still conducting the same classes that we have outlined.
Why's that? Well, in today's unpredictable world, courses are sometimes cancelled or moved online for virtual training. So, by checking out the available systems frequently, you're avoiding any unwanted, last-minute surprises.
But, are there other ways to take drawing classes in Manchester? Absolutely. Read the following subheadings to find out more!
Can You Take Self-Taught Drawing Courses in Manchester?
While there are so many brilliant advantages to going to academic institutes and art studios in-person to take drawing classes, it's worth mentioning that there are additional methods to master the basics of sketching. Such as? By taking self-paced drawing courses, you can watch informative videos to learn more about drawing techniques.
The following are a few educational websites that offer self-taught drawing courses for individuals living in the Manchester region:
- Domestika: offering informative, low-cost, and highly recommended drawing courses; Domestika has sketching classes known as Creative Watercolour Sketching for Beginners, The Art of Sketching, and Drawing for Beginners.
- Udemy: another highly recommended online resource offering short-term drawing courses is Udemy. Using Udemy, you can purchase your drawing class and learn more about sketching whenever you have some free time.
By using the previously mentioned websites, you'll be sure to find interactive and engaging art courses that you can take in your Manchester flat!
Is it Possible to Learn More About Drawing With an Instructor on Superprof?
Another brilliant method to take drawing courses that have become popular in recent years in Manchester and other areas is that of private tuition with a drawing educator. So, if you prefer to hire a private tutor to come to you to teach you how to draw, that can be done.
Nonetheless, since there are so many different tutoring communities online today, you may be asking yourself, where can I find the best sketching instructors in Manchester? The answer is Superprof.
With millions of tutors regularly offering their services on Superprof worldwide, you can acquire the fundamentals of 1000+ academic disciplines and topics of interest. The following list mentions a few reasons why Superprof is the best tutoring site:
- Affordable tuition,
- An easy-to-use lesson booking system,
- A variety of professional tutors that specialise in sketching and drawing,
- A fantastic tutor/student support staff that is ready to answer all of your questions,
- The possibility of learning with a drawing tutor online or in person.
Find the perfect drawing teacher in Manchester on Superprof, read the reviews former students have left and check if they're available when you are. Superprof offers a wide range of tutors, all vetted and professional artists, who will be able to teach you everything you ever wanted to know about the techniques and methods used to draw and paint your favourite artwork.
In conclusion, after considering all the practical suggestions in today's article, it's safe to say that learning to draw in Manchester has never been so easy!
If you do not live in Manchester, check out our UK guide to the best drawing classes.
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Hi I’m looking to send my niece to a class.
She’s really in to drawing animay.
She’s quite good so we think.
But lacks confidence.
So I’m hoping to book her a course of classes to bring her confidence up.
Do you have anything that will suit.
Many thanks