Our final lesson of this course was Puffin perfection! We used watercolour to create this colony of lovely paintings. Watercolour can be a really tricky medium to master and you all did brilliantly in the short amount of time we had on this. Watch this space for a new watercolour course coming in the new year.
Below are some of this week’s pictures and you can see more on our Instagram page at: @leedsartgroup.
Thank you for all your hard work over the past 7 weeks. Hope you’ve all enjoyed it.
So how do we paint a blackbird on black paper? We fill the rest of the paper with colour of course! We used watercolour paint to create the patterns in the background and added white gouache paint to each colour to make it more opaque so that it stands out against the black. We all chilled out and got a bit zen painting these patterns. Sometimes it’s nice to just go with the flow and paint whatever comes to you.😁
Below are some of this week’s pictures and you can see more on our Instagram page at: @leedsartgroup.
Well, what a hoot we had this week painting these owls!🦉😁We first prepared the background using acrylic paint then worked over the top with black and white Derwent Inktense blocks and using gouache paint for the eyes. I think you all did a great job. Well done!
Next week, something different.
Below are some of this week’s pictures and you can see more on our Instagram page at: @leedsartgroup.
This week we went nutty for Nuthatches! 🌰🐣These gorgeous little birds are perfect for practising colour mixing with their bluish and orange-ish colours. We used watercolour pencils to create these gorgeous paintings. Keep doing what you’re doing folks. I’m so pleased with the progress you’re all making! Fantastic work, well done!👏
Below are some of this week’s pictures and you can see more on our Instagram page at: @leedsartgroup.
Cor! What a lot of lovely crows! A “murder” of crows to be precise. This week we used charcoal to create these expressive drawings. We produced timed drawings, gradually reducing the time per drawing from 20 minutes to 5 minutes. These exercises help you to focus quickly on the key elements of the image. A difficult task but you all did a great job. Well done.
Next week maybe something slightly less messy.😁
Below are some of this week’s pictures and you can see more on our Instagram page at: @leedsartgroup.
Time for a blast of colour and this male Mandarin ducks’ feathers gave us the perfect opportunity to use all those bold colours. We used soft pastel for these drawings which is great for really vibrant colours. Beautiful work everyone! Hope you all enjoyed it.
Below are some of this week’s pictures and you can see more on our Instagram page at: @leedsartgroup.
Welcome back everyone! First week of the course and you’re already producing great drawings. We created these Mallard ducks using coloured pencil, black fineliner and cross hatching technique. Fab work everyone! Well done.
Below are some of this week’s pictures and you can see more on our Instagram page at: @leedsartgroup.
Hi everyone I will be running the Beginners Birds Drawing Course 2 from Monday 29th September 2025. Please note the closing date is Friday 19th September 2025. Scroll down for further information.
Beginners Birds Drawing Course 2
Headingley Parish Hall, St Michael’s Road, Headingley, LS6 3AW.
Start date: Monday 29th September 2025 – this course will run for 7 weeks.
Price: £70
In this course we will use images of the birds we see around the UK as inspiration for drawings and paintings. Each week we will focus on a different bird and use different media. We will explore a range of materials and techniques and use a series of simple steps to build up a picture. This course is designed for beginners and is ideal for anyone with a love of birds or who would like to improve their drawing/painting skills whilst experimenting with a variety of materials.
Please note: You do not need to have completed the Beginners Birds Drawing Course 1 in order to do this course. The ability level is the same but the course content will be different.
This course will run twice on Mondays, please state which time slot you would like when booking.
All materials will be provided during the lessons.
All classes will be taught by myself, Wendy Atton BA (Hons). If you would like to view my work please visit my website at http://www.wendyatton.co.uk or my instagram page @wendyatton_artist. Please note that places cannot be reserved without full payment and all fees are non-refundable in part or in full. These classes are open to anyone aged 18 or over.
If you have any questions or would like to book a place please get in touch by either email:leedsartgroup@yahoo.co.uk or telephone: 07788 871286. Payment can be made by bank transfer or cheque. If you already have my online payment details please use the correct reference when booking and please drop me an email when you have paid so that I can confirm receipt and book you on the correct class.
Online tutorials
I won’t be running any online courses via Zoom this term but there are several courses available on my Patreon page and individual lessons can now be purchased for £3 without subscribing.
If you don’t yet subscribe to my Patreon page and would like to join for free please click on the following link and select “Membership options” then “Start 7 day free trial”; Get more from Art by Wendy Atton on Patreon. This will give you free access to over 100 videos. If you wish to keep your subscription after the free trial, the cost is £6 +VAT (=£7.20) per month and you can cancel at any time.
If you have any questions please get in touch and I hope to see you soon.
This week was the final lesson of the course and we finished with watercolour. A tricky medium to work with but great for mixing flesh colours and layering up different tones. Great work everyone and thank you so much for all the effort you’ve put into this course each week.
The next course will be starting in September, details to follow soon.
Below are some of this week’s pictures and you can see more on our Instagram page at: @leedsartgroup.
This week we continued looking at light & dark tones and how they describe the contours of the face. Then we added colour using soft pastels. These pastels are great for creating smooth changes in tone and colour because you can blend them easily using fingertips. Well done everyone, great work again!
Below are some of this week’s pictures and you can see more on our Instagram page at: @leedsartgroup.
See you next week for the last lesson of the current term.
Leeds Art Group 