Life Drawing: Charcoal & Pastels

This event will be bookable on Monday 3 August 2026.

Rendering the human form in charcoal and pastels.

During this 9-week course, tutor Scott will show you how to develop your drawing skills with a focus on using charcoal and pastels. Find your preference for different colour palettes vs working in monochrome, experimenting with coloured papers and different drawing surfaces to fully exploit the potential of these media.

This course is an ideal introduction to using pastels for anyone new it, or a great opportunity for those with more experience to apply the media in new and exploratory ways.

Each week we’ll undertake a series of short poses, and one longer pose to give us chance to really explore the potential of drawing with pastels.

Scott will talk participants through each exercise, showing examples of his own work to demonstrate and inspire, and offer advice and feedback via individual tuition and group discussions.

About the tutor:

Tutor Scott Bridgwood is a working artist with over 30 years experience after graduating from Chelsea School of Art in 1992. He worked and taught art in Rome (Italy) for 10 years before moving to Leicester. It was during his time in Rome that he developed his passion for drawing/painting the human form, which continues to the present day. Scott has taught at the Attenborough Arts Centre for nearly 20 years. He also teaches Life Drawing at De Montfort University and from his home studio in Leicester.

Further information:

All materials will be provided.

Participants must be aged 18+.

The course will run for 9 sessions on Friday afternoons, 2pm – 4:30pm, starting on Friday 15 January and ending on 12 March 2027.

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!

Please ensure that you read and agree to our updated Terms & Conditions before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable if cancelled within 21 days of the start date for any reason.

We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome – just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you’d like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email arts-centre@le.ac.uk, pop in or call 0116 252 2455, open 7 days a week.

We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied.

Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).