Leslie Child is a Watercolourist specialising in scenes of local interest," Cityscapes and people are my favourite subjects and I enjoy using pencils and wash for maximum impact. My approach is quite detailed and I tend to favour strong architectural elements in my paintings using figures to give scale and perspective to the overall scene."

During this workshop you will learn techniques with Derwent Watercolour and Inktense Pencils, using loose sketches to capture moments, for use in a travel journal. You will cover topics such as, travel sketching, composition, figures into cityscapes, shadows and reflections on water, creating realistic skies, and painting to capture the atmosphere. A faux suede Derwent travel journal is included as a complementary gift in the workshop. To set you off straight away capturing your travels in watercolour in the fabulous Lakeland scenery.

Workshops run between 10.30am – 4.30pm. £40 per person per workshop. A 10% discount is offered for any two or more workshops booked at any one time.

All materials for the day’s tuition are included in the cost of the workshop. Paper, pencils, fixing spray, brushes etc.., will all be provided per person. You will be working from a tin of 24 pencils, which will give you the opportunity to experiment with light, tone, and texture of the pencils.

A lunch break of 45 minutes will happen around 1pm. Where you will have the opportunity to take a complimentary visit around the Museum, visit the Derwent Retail shop selling the full range of Derwent Pencils, or visit the Museum Gallery.

Lunch can be purchased additionally from Sketchers Coffee Shop. Complimentary tea, coffee and Sticky Afternoon Treats will be served throughout the day.

Please call the Museum on 017687 73626 to book a place.

FREE Demo Event. Stephen Caine trained as a museum natural history conservator; his duties involved illustration of specimens, diorama building and painting of backgrounds. It was while working for museums and universitie's he had the opportunity to study plant fossils and some great 18th and 19th century botanical art which became a major influence on his work and led to specializing in palaeobotanical art.

His subjects are to be found at fossil sites and in museum storerooms where there are still many discoveries to be made and plant fossils to be worked on. Working as the main artist for the Rhynie research group at Aberdeen University he had the chance to do illustrations and make models of this unique group of Devonian plants and had access to some fantastic material.

Now living in the north east of Scotland he maintains strong links with Aberdeen University and has just been commissioned to make a new diorama of the extinct plants found as fossils in that area. In doing so, Stephen now works for various museums and university's reconstructing extinct flora and teaching botanical and research students’ botanical painting and drawing. Stephen will be using both graphite and watercolour pencils to help you with the basic beginnings of this fascinating botanical subject. Demonstrations run between 10am until 4pm. Please collect a ticket from reception which entitles you to one hour's FREE tuition.

FREE Demonstration event. Susan started drawing from the tender age of two, which developed into a lifelong passion for art. Mainly self taught her passion remained a hobby until 5 years ago when she became a professional artist.

Susan will be showing you techniques with Derwent coloured pencils on Velour Paper. This is a first for the Museum and we are all really looking forward to Susan working with the new medium using our Derwent Artsist and Drawing Pencils.

Derwent Artsist Pencils were the first coloured pencil Derwent ever developed, and is still one of the most popular on the market. Artists has a traditional, round wooden barrel and a large diameter, break-resistant colour strip. Perfect for broad strokes and free, expressive drawing, Artists’ slightly waxy texture is ideal for multiple layering and blending to produce an infinite spectrum of subtly different hues and tints. Where as Derwent Drawing Pencils have an extra wide, creamy textured strip which produces a beautifully soft, velvety finish. It is the perfect medium for wildlife and nature studies, Drawing are available in 24 subtle shades, including a wide selection of traditional sepia tones together with soft neutral greys, greens, blues and creams.

Demonstrations are free and run from 10am - 4pm each day. Please collect a ticket from reception which entitles you to one hours free tuition.