Urban Sketching in the Jewellery Quarter with Ed Isaacs PRBSA.
Urban sketching is a great way of getting to know your town – its architecture and townscape. It is also an immensely satisfying way of developing your drawing skills either individually, or as part of the wider urban sketching community.
This one-day workshop will help you discover Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter and its unique mix of 19th century industry, shops, bars, and housing. We will spend time outdoors sketching and Ed will look at issues such as tackling perspective, understanding architecture, and developing your personal drawing style. We will look at many of the buildings that feature in Ed’s book about the Jewellery Quarter and he will talk about their history and the history of the area in general.
The course will involve walking will not be suitable for people who have very limited mobility
Age group and abilities to be taught
- 18 years and above
- Ideal for beginners and experienced artists
Course aims and skills/knowledge to be taught
- Developing confidence with sketching from direct observation
- Understanding building forms and perspective
Course outline for the day
Morning activity
- Short presentation on perspective
- Sketching on site in the Jewellery Quarter
- Return to Gallery to share work and receive feedback
Afternoon activity
- Return to sketching on site in neighbouring streets looking at architectural details and drawing natural forms and foliage
- Return to Gallery to share work and receive feedback
What you need to bring with you:
- Sketchbooks and something to sketch with; pens, pencils, or coloured pencils, whatever suits you
- A sketching stool if you have one
- Appropriate clothing for being outside
Methods of assessing outcomes
- Feedback from tutor
Booking information
- To book please use the ticketing system below. Alternatively, please call the Gallery on 0121 236 4353 during opening hours to book over the phone. Bookings can also be made in person at the Gallery.
- Booking is essential. Payment in full is required at the time of booking to secure a place.
- Payments are non-transferable and non-refundable.
- Places are limited to 10 people per workshop unless stated otherwise. Allocation will take place on a first-come first-served basis.
- All workshops run from 11.00am – 4.00pm with a 40 minute lunch break, unless otherwise stated. Tea and coffee will be provided, participants need to provide their own lunch.
- Please inform the RBSA Gallery when booking of any health conditions or additional needs as some workshops might not be suitable.
- A valid student ID must be provided to receive a student discount.
Cancellation Policy
- If you, the customer cancels your booked workshop, we are unable to offer you a refund.
- Transfers to an alternative workshop may be possible depending on the circumstance and is at the discretion of the RBSA Gallery.
- In the event of under-subscription, workshops may be cancelled or re-arranged. We will give you as much notice as possible if this happens and you will be able to transfer to another course or receive a full refund. The RBSA is unable to refund additional expenses, such as travel and accommodation.
- If you are booked on a workshop and do not attend on the day, a refund will not be given.
Continual Professional Development (CPD) and Copyright
- We welcome bookings from people attending for Continual Professional Development (CPD). However, our workshops are not designed as CPD. If your employer is paying for the course or you require more details about what you expect from the course, please contact the Gallery in advance before booking.
- The workshop content and any information provided (e.g. handouts, guidance notes, etc.) are the intellectual property of the artist delivering the workshop. They should not be used or reproduced without permission from the artist (e.g. copying handouts to use in any classes workshop attendees might deliver themselves afterwards).
Other information
- The workshop will take place in the RBSA Gallery, floor 1. The space will be closed to visitors and will only be used by workshop attendees. However, staff and volunteers will need to walk through the space at various points in the day to access the staff office, which is located on the same floor.
- Attendees can leave their materials in the workshop space during their breaks but the RBSA will not be responsible for any loss or damages.
- Please bring a packed lunch. Alternatively, there are a number of cafés and sandwich shops within walking distance of the Gallery.
- Please bring an old shirt or apron to help protect your clothing.
- The continuous redevelopment work in the city centre has caused increased traffic, delays, and diversions in and around the City Centre. Therefore, please allow yourself plenty of travel time, plan your route, and check your parking arrangements.
- If you are travelling by car, please ensure your car is clean air zone compliant, or charges may occur.