Bringing Modern Masters to Milton Keynes
Our mission is simple: to bring world-class art instruction directly to our local community. We host intensive weekend and week-long courses across various venues in Milton Keynes, giving you the opportunity to learn from highly regarded professional artists without the need for extensive travel.
We are consistently working to secure exceptional guest tutors for these sessions. Keep an eye on this page for upcoming announcements, as all course details and direct ticket bookings are handled right here on the site.
Anastasia Pollard - 2-Day Traditional Academic Figure Painting from Life
Join us for an intensive two-day figure painting workshop led by award-winning artist Anastasia Pollard. This is a rare opportunity for local artists to work directly from a life model under the guidance of a highly regarded professional.
The Details
Dates: Friday 30th & Saturday 31st October 2026
Time: 10:00 to 16:30 (1 hour lunch break)
Venue: Springfield Centre, 45 Springfield Boulevard, Springfield, MK6 3JH
Free parking
Medium: Oil painting from a unclothed live model
Price: £210
This workshop explores a traditional academic approach to figure painting from life. Working from a sustained pose, students will complete a single finished painting while learning a structured approach that develops careful observation, strong drawing, and a deeper understanding of light, form, and colour.
The workshop will guide you through each stage of the painting process, beginning with an accurate under drawing before progressing to the careful development of values, colour relationships, edges, and form. Demonstrations throughout the course will illustrate each step of the process, with plenty of individual guidance to help you develop both your technical skills and your confidence.
Suitable for painters with some previous experience in drawing or painting, this workshop is ideal for artists wishing to deepen their understanding of traditional figure painting in a supportive and engaging studio environment.
About the Tutor Anastasia Pollard is an elected member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters (RP). She received her classical training at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Florence Academy of Art. Her work is firmly rooted in the tradition of working from life, focusing on honest observation and strong structural drawing. She has exhibited extensively across the UK, including multiple selections for the BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Her website : https://anastasiapollard.net/portrait
Please bring the following materials to the workshop:
Supports
• 1 canvas or panel, approximately 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 in) or 40 × 50 cm (16 × 20 in), primed (oil-primed or acrylic gesso-primed) and toned with a thin pale grey imprimatura.
Paints (Oil Colours)
• Titanium White (large tube)
• Yellow Ochre or Transparent Yellow Oxide
• Cadmium Red (either light or medium, depending on brand, not deep)
• Alizarin Crimson (Permanent Alizarin is also suitable)
• Ultramarine Blue or Cobalt Blue
• Raw Umber
• Ivory black
Brushes
A selection of brushes in various sizes, including:
• Filberts (sizes 0,2,4,6)-either bristle or synthetic (Anastasia uses synthetic)
• A few small rounds for finer passages
• One larger brush for broad applications
Mediums & Solvents
• Odourless mineral spirits (OMS)
• Linseed oil or your preferred painting medium
• Two brush cleaning pots with lids (recommended)
Other Equipment
• Palette (wood, glass, or disposable paper-preferably grey and not white)
• An offset palette knife
• Paper towels or clean rags
• Small mirror for checking your painting
