Drawing and Painting Foundations 3: Oil Painting for Beginners

Lewis MacKenzie (b. 1981) is a contemporary impressionist painter based near Glasgow. His work has been exhibited by the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, the Royal Glasgow Institute, and the Paisley Art Institute, and is held in numerous private collections. He has shown with galleries in Glasgow, Edinburgh and London, appeared on Sky Portrait Artist of the Year, and has been shortlisted twice for the Scottish Landscape Awards. In 2023, he was awarded the Murray and McGregor Prize at the Scottish Prize for Fine Art.

An art school drop-out turned biologist turned painter, Lewis rekindled his lifelong passion for drawing and painting in the early 2010s. In 2014 he was awarded a summer scholarship to the Florence Academy of Art, where he studied traditional techniques of drawing and painting from life. His artistic influences include Velázquez, Vermeer, Guthrie, Sargent, and the Boston School Impressionists, whose sensitivity to light and form continue to inform his approach.

Lewis has taught portrait painting and drawing at the Edinburgh Drawing School and is a core mentor with the Scottish Contemporary Collective. His teaching combines clarity and structure with warmth and humour, aiming to make traditional principles of drawing and painting accessible to artists at every level.

This 10-week practical course develops the essential skills of tonal modelling and structured colour study. Through guided studio exercises and demonstrations, you’ll learn to analyse complex light and shadow, construct form through mass, and translate tonal understanding into disciplined colour work.

While this term builds naturally on the principles introduced in Ways of Seeing & Drawing, it is open to beginners and returning students alike. Each term stands alone, while together they form a coherent year-long foundation in drawing and painting.

Working in charcoal and soft pastel, students complete sustained studies that deepen technical control and visual sensitivity, culminating in a resolved portrait project.

All materials are provided — you just need to bring curiosity and commitment.

Designed for beginners and returning learners, the course builds a strong foundation for further study in drawing and painting. It forms the first term of a year-long Drawing and Painting Foundations programme, with later terms expanding into expressive media such as charcoal and red chalk, and finally into the use of colour and paint. You’re welcome to take all three terms as a complete year-long foundation, or simply join the individual courses that interest you most — each term stands alone while contributing to a coherent learning pathway.

All materials are provided — you just need to bring your curiosity and enthusiasm.

• What You’ll Learn

  • Organising complex light and shadow into clear tonal structures

  • Drawing in mass using additive and subtractive charcoal techniques

  • Understanding value as the foundation of colour

  • Controlling colour temperature and chroma in soft pastel

  • Translating tonal studies into structured colour work

  • Developing sustained, resolved studies over multiple sessions

  Across the term, exercises build progressively — strengthening observation, discipline, and confidence week by week.

• All paints, solvents, mediums and studio consumables provided

• Easels and all studio equipment supplied

• Students need only bring brushes and painting surfaces - a full materials list will be provided ahead of class

• Small group teaching (maximum 10 students)

• Guidance suitable for beginners and intermediate artists alike

• Refreshments available during the break

Classes are held at House of Toad, Park Circus, Glasgow G3.
The venue is easily accessible by public transport, with on-street parking and nearby subway connections.
Full directions and access information will be included in your confirmation email.

Save £30 when you book before 13 December.
Limited to the first four students.

Do I need experience?
No experience is required — this course is designed for beginners as well as those looking to strengthen core skills.

What materials do I need to bring?
All materials are provided. Just bring your own curiosity and creativity.

Can I miss a class?
You’re encouraged to attend each week, but if you miss a session, you’ll receive guidance on how to catch up independently.

Can I book only part of the course?
Students must register for the full 10-week course. However, if you’re unable to attend the full term, you’re welcome to transfer your place to a friend for the remaining sessions.

What is your refund policy?

• You’ll receive a full refund if you cancel more than 3 weeks before the start of the course

• If cancelling 2–3 weeks before the start date you’ll receive a 50% refund.

• Cancellations less than 2 weeks before the start date are non-refundable, but you may transfer your booking to a friend if you can no longer attend.

• If the course is cancelled by the organiser (for example, due to illness or low enrolment), a full refund or reschedule will be offered.

Are spaces limited?
Yes — classes are limited to 10 students to ensure individual attention and plenty of space to work.