Usher Gallery Art School
Learn art techniques with experienced art instructors to begin, or elevate, your artistic practice.
Usher Gallery Art School
Usher Gallery Art School -Monthly workshops
Ages 16+
Guided by experienced Art instructor/Artist Jane Frederick (and winner of the Usher Gallery Trust Lord Cormack award 2025), you will learn how to adopt a playful and relaxed approach to drawing from observation. Each workshop can be attended as a stand-alone workshop or join us for the full programme.
Summer dates will be led by experienced Art Instructor/Artist Medina Hammad, who alo leads our weekly Life drawing sessions.
The course will help you to build confidence in your use of dry drawing media including charcoal, conte crayon, graphite and chalk. Taking inspiration from artwork in the Usher Gallery collection, each session will help you to observe and interpret light and tone and encourage you to be bold and playful with your own approach to drawing, enabling you to inject your work with depth and visual impact.
These sessions will be concentrated, but relaxed and quiet.
Sunday 5 July, 10am – 1pm: Blending the grey
Sunday 19 July, 10am - 12pm: Watercolour 1 – ‘Reflections’
Sunday 2 August, 10am - 12pm: Watercolour 2 – ‘How to begin a landscape in watercolour’
Sunday 23 August, 10am-12pm: Watercolour – ‘How to tackle painting mouths in watercolour’
Sunday 6 September, 10am – 1pm: Scuptural surface and reflections
Sunday 20 September, 10am- 12pm: Working with acrylic paint 1 – ‘How to begin a self portrait’
Sunday 4 October, 10am - 1pm: Working on a dark field (1)
Sunday 18 October, 10am-12pm: Working with acrylic paint 2 – 'Iridescence'
Sunday 1 November, 10am - 1pm: Working on a dark field (2)
Upcoming workshops:
‘Classical Pop!’ with Jane Frederick.
The 2026 drawing course will help you to build confidence in your use of wet and dry drawing media including charcoal, chalk pastel, water soluble graphite and erasers.
Taking inspiration from classical antiquity, sculpture, objects and artworks in the Usher Gallery collection, each session will help you to observe and interpret light and tone and encourage you to be bold and playful with your own approach to drawing, enabling you to inject your work with depth and sensitivity.
Each workshop will involve a stimulating new subject to discuss and draw and together and is suitable for complete beginners up to professional artists who may wish to develop their skills. All that is required is curiosity and a willingness to have a go and try something new! All participants will build a portfolio of works so if you are planning on applying for specialist art study in the future, this might be the course for you.
Sunday 5 July - Blending the grey: Exploring sensitive and bold handling of graphite sticks.
In a range of short or longer exercises, participants will be invited to use graphite sticks of various thicknesses and experiment with mark making. They will develop exciting ways of applying graphite to achieve both delicacy and boldness with the medium.
They will learn how to observe and interpret the work of other artists by exploring how they have applied drawing media in an individual way.
The tutor will introduce the activity verbally, they will provide advice, help and guidance throughout the session. They will also provide visual examples.
Participants are free to ask questions and discuss what they are doing with tutor and each other throughout the session.
Sunday 6 September - Sculptural surface and reflections: Exploring the versatility of water-soluble graphite.
In a range of short or longer exercises, participants will be invited to use water-soluble graphite and a range of brushes and sponges to experiment with mark making. They will develop exciting ways of applying graphite to achieve both delicacy and boldness with the medium.
They will learn how to observe and interpret the work of other artists by exploring how they have applied drawing media in an individual way.
The tutor will introduce the activity verbally, they will provide advice, help and guidance throughout the session. They will also provide visual examples.
Participants are free to ask questions and discuss what they are doing with tutor and each other throughout the session.
Sunday 4 october - Working on a dark field (1): Investigating the boldness of working with chalk and pastel on black paper
In a range of short or longer exercises, participants will be invited to use chalk and pastel on a darkened paper support. They will develop exciting ways of applying pastel to achieve both delicacy and boldness with the medium.
They will learn how to observe and interpret the work of other artists by exploring how they have applied drawing media in an individual way.
The tutor will introduce the activity verbally, they will provide advice, help and guidance throughout the session. They will also provide visual examples.
Participants are free to ask questions and discuss what they are doing with tutor and each other throughout the session.
Sunday 1 November - Working on a dark field (2): working with pastel on tinted paper:
In a range of short or longer exercises, participants will be invited to use chalk pastel and erasers. They will develop exciting ways of applying pastel to achieve both delicacy and boldness with the medium.
They will learn how to observe and interpret the work of other artists by exploring how they have applied drawing media in an individual way.
The tutor will introduce the activity verbally, they will provide advice, help and guidance throughout the session. They will also provide visual examples.
Participants are free to ask questions and discuss what they are doing with tutor and each other throughout the session.
Upcoming workshops:
With Medina Hammad
These workshops are built around use of particular media.
The aim is to build confidence and ability by exploring some suggested techniques and approaches which extend knowledge and understanding. The sessions are stimulating, relaxing and fun! Individuals are under no pressure and can work at their own pace and in their own way. Open to the experienced and inexperienced....
Participants will be provided with guidance and demonstrations, materials, contextual references, artists samples, subject matter and a set of notes to take away.
Sunday 19 July: Watercolour 1 – ‘Reflections’
Watercolour paint, pencil and inks
Exploring use of watercolour in relation to subject matter which involves the feature of reflection. Looking at how we can use this particular media to creatively capture the subtle and beautiful qualities of this visual phenomenon, using light and colour.
Sunday 2 August: Watercolour 2 – ‘How to begin a landscape in watercolour’
Watercolour paint, pencil and inks
Exploring the use of watercolour in relation to key landscape features. They can seem a bit challenging. But, with some useful strategies and approaches it is possible to produce some exciting and confident studies, which provide experiences that can be built upon.
Sunday 23 August: Watercolour – ‘How to tackle painting mouths in watercolour’
Watercolour paint, pencil and inks
This session is built around painting and drawing the mouth, one of our most expressive and characteristic facial components. Features can seem daunting, but we will explore colour and shape through the sensitive qualities of watercolour in gentle, enjoyable stages.
Sunday 20 September: Working with acrylic paint 1 – ‘How to begin a self portrait’
acrylic paint
This session involves the use of this popular and flexible painting medium. Acrylic is opaque and dries fast, but it also has transparent qualities. It is ideal for quick work that can involve layering and interesting textural properties.
We will explore self-portraits and how to construct them.
Sunday 18 October: Working with acrylic paint 2 – 'Iridescence'
acrylic paint
This second session also hinges on the very flexible qualities of acrylic paint. We will be focusing on capturing the dazzling qualities of this rainbow like, shimmering effect, which is present in many aspects of our visual experience of the world around us.
What to expect:
This workshop is taking place in the Clore Learning room at the Usher Gallery. The Clore learning room is accessible by the entrance of the Usher. To find the Clore learning room, enter the Usher gallery by the glass extension entrance and go to the main door on the left. There are ramps and wide doors to accommodate wheelchairs, and a disabled access toilet oppositive the Clore learning room door, behind the reception desk.
This session will run from 10am till 1pm or 10am - 12pm .
In this event you will be invited to try different techniques and art materials.
The tutor will introduce the activity verbally, they will provide advice, help and guidance throughout the session. They will also provide written notes and visual examples. Participants are free to ask questions and discuss what they are doing with tutor and each other throughout the session.
Some elements of this workshop may be challenging if you have difficulty with dexterity, however our experienced instructors will be available help you. This session will be concentrated, but relaxed and quiet. We have noise cancelling head phones and fidget toys available, please feel free to request this upon your arrival or throughout the session.
Here at Lincoln Museum and Usher Gallery, we welcome all participants; if you still aren’t sure whether this workshop is accessible for you or someone you care for, please email us at lincolnmuseum@lincolnshire.gov.uk and we can discuss your access requirements