2 Day Photography into Painting Workshop

A 2 day workshop with photographer Jennifer Pattison and Kirsten Norbury

Course dates:

Starts: Thursday 6th and Friday 7th

Times: 10 - 4pm (with a break for lunch)

Materials A materials list will be sent to you via email.

Fee: £295 (for 2 days)

Have you ever taken a photo of a scene you loved, only to find it doesn’t make a particularly good painting?

This friendly two-day workshop is designed for anyone who wants to improve both their photography and painting skills. Whether you’re new to using your smartphone as a source of

reference, or you’re an experienced painter who feels their paintings don’t quite capture what you saw, this workshop will help you understand what to look for before you start painting.

Over two days, you’ll learn how to spot interesting light, shapes and compositions, take stronger reference photographs, and then turn those photographs into paintings with more

depth, focus and visual impact.

Suitable for beginners through to intermediate painters, this workshop is about learning to see like both a photographer and a painter.

Day 1 – Creating Better Reference Photographs

Delivered by photographer Jennifer Pattison

Many of us take quick snaps on our smartphones with the intention of painting them later, only to discover that the photo doesn’t quite work.

Jennifer will show you how to use your smartphone more intentionally, helping you spot the kinds of scenes, lighting and compositions that make successful painting references.

You will learn:

What makes some photographs work well as paintings and others fall flat

How to use your smartphone to capture stronger reference images

How to spot interesting light, shadow, shape and mood

Which lighting conditions are most useful for painters

Simple photography techniques that can improve your images

Basic editing tools to help improve your reference photos

You don’t need any photography experience, and there’s no complicated camera jargon involved.

Day 2 – From Photograph to Painting

Delivered by artist Kirsten Norbury

Once you have a good photograph, what happens next?

Day two focuses on how artists use photographs as a starting point rather than something to copy exactly. You’ll learn how to simplify, edit and strengthen what you’ve captured to create

a more successful painting.

Working from your own photographs, we’ll look at:

How to decide whether a photo is worth painting

Understanding light and dark shapes through simple Notan studies

Creating a clear focal point

Simplifying busy areas and unnecessary detail

Creating depth and atmosphere

Editing and improving a composition before you start painting

The aim is not to paint every detail in the photograph, but to learn how to make artistic decisions that create a stronger final painting.

By the end of the workshop, you’ll have a better understanding of what to photograph, how to photograph it, and how to turn those images into paintings that feel more considered, confident and personal.