Est. 1978
2025 Term Dates
We operate four (9 week) terms each year
Term 1 - Fri 31st January to Thurs 3rd April
Term 2 - Mon 28th April to Mon 30th June
Term 3 - Mon 21st July to Fri 19th September
Term 4 - Mon 6th October to Tue 9th December
Please note classes in 2025 will not run during public holidays.
Classes
Classes are Tutored by experienced artists and run Monday to Friday, varying between 2 to 2.5 hours. Terms are 9 weeks in duration.
Classes are open to all current year members of the Brighton Art Society. New members are always welcome please enrol via the Membership menu.
Our bookings and payments are through Try Booking System. These links will take you to the class term booking.
Please note that bookings are required two weeks prior class commencement.
A sufficient number of enrollments are required for the class to proceed. Mid term starts are possible if vacancies allow however full term fees apply.
Please note, classes in general have a maximum of 12 students. Class fees are only refundable if classes are cancelled due to insufficient numbers.
Classes for 2025 Term 2 are now open to be booked.
2025 Term 2 Classes
Acrylic Painting
and Drawing
Paul Anderson
Tuesday 7.00pm - 9.00pm
Paul is an artist with expertise in acrylic painting & drawing. After a long career as a professional graphic designer, he has accrued a wealth of knowledge to help you improve your artistic skills. Students in this class will be given the opportunity to develop their painting style on material of their choice & learn acrylic techniques.
This class welcomes absolute beginners to intermediate painters. This class also suits experienced painters who enjoy painting in a group environment.
Life Drawing
Michelle Zuccolo
Thursday 10.00am - 12.30pm
Michelle has lectured in various colleges and universities, and has worked as Art coordinator in New York for theatre production, stage & costume design.
She has work in collections in Europe, New York, and Australian. Michelle will help you to capture the human figure.
Painting Oil & Acrylic
Vivi Palegeorge
Friday 9.30am - 12.00pm
Vivi is an artist with expertise across all media and has a particular interest in landscapes.
Students will be given the opportunity to learn mixed media techniques.
Weather permitting, outdoor painting opportunities with guidance will be provided to further enhance their painting skills.
2025 Short Courses
An Approach to Tonal Realism
with Tim Murphy
Sunday 22nd June & Sunday 29th of June
10am to 4pm
This workshop explores methods inspired by the Australian Tonalists (where patterns of light and dark are favoured over underdrawing) and is intended to give participants a grounding in oil painting based on direct observation.
Held over two consecutive Sundays, day one will focus on techniques for measuring and plotting, observing tonal shapes and establishing a hierarchy of edges. Day two will include a study of colour temperature and how to apply colour according to tonal order.
Participants can expect to gain an understanding of how to approach tonal painting logically, and it is hoped this knowledge can be used as a reference for further studies. The workshop also provides an opportunity to complete a finished work. All skill levels are welcome.
Sparkling Watercolour
with Malcolm Beattie
6 Weeks : Tuesdays 10.30am to 1.00pm
April 29 through to 3 June
A professional artist, Malcolm places great emphasis on the composition and content of a subject, which combined with sound drawing and an understanding of tonal contrasts and colour, produces paintings which are both visually interesting and straightforward statements of everyday places and things around us.
Malcolm has won many prizes and commendations at regional and Rotary art shows, and is a major prize winner at the Camberwell Rotary Art Show. His first book ‘SIMPLIFYING COMPLEX SCENES IN WATERCOLOUR’ was published in 2003.
With his straightforward approach to vibrant watercolour paintings, Malcolm will demonstrate and lead the participants step-by-step through the painting process, expecting to complete one watercolour painting each session. Advice and critique will be ongoing, with classes covering
• varied subject matter
• drawing
• composition
• controlled wash method
• washes & glazes
• painting wet into wet
• tonal values
• colour harmony
• use and types of papers, brushes etc
Portraiture Short Course
with Michelle Zucculo
All levels welcome
4 Week Short Course - 3 to 24 May
Saturdays 10.00am to 12.30pm
Individual instruction will be provided in each class, focusing on proportion, colour, form, space, specific features, drawing concerns and paint handling.
This course is suitable for all skill levels and participants can draw, use mixed media and/or paint.
Week One – Drawing from plaster casts and references/handouts. Drawing portraits areas covered: Understanding perspective and geometry in the human head, anatomy and specific features on the face, proportion and light source.
Materials: Willow Charcoal (thick and thin), Putty Easer, Paper A1 size, Bulldog Clips
Week Two – Working from a model. Exploring the grisaille process working step by step from a toned canvas, blocking up the major forms and shadows.
Week Three – Working from a model. Further developing key details on the model, including hair and individual features.
Week Four – Working from a model in a second portrait. Mixing skin flesh colours will be explored using a different approach. Skills and knowledge from previous lesson will be incorporated and extended. These include anatomy, perspective, and retaining vitality of flesh tones.
Michelle's Experience
Winner of the prestigious Rick Amor Self Portrait Prize, Michelle Zuccolo has been a finalist in the British Portrait Award, London, Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, Portia Geach Memorial Award, 2020 Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize, The Percival Portrait Prize and Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize. Drawings have been included in the 7th Drawing Biennale, Kedumba Drawing Award, Drill Hall, ANU and Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing.
Learning Procreate
with Richard Impey
3 Week Short Course - 30 April to 14 May
Wednesdays 1.30pm to 3.30pm
In this three session workshop you will learn the fundamentals of digital art creation on Procreat on an IPad and be able to design images and artwork that you can use to produce various types of prints such as Giclee, relief and etchings, greeting cards as well as sketches for paintings.
