City Drawing

Sharpen your drawings skills and understanding of the city in the second iteration of this special Masterclass series led by artist Mark Bletcher.

Running across May and June 2025, the second iteration of the City Drawing Masterclass will take place en plein air. Under the expert guidance of artist Mark Bletcher we will head out into the urban landscape to explore and depict the modernist city.

Bletcher will help you take advantage of a range of drawing techniques and processes to deepen your understanding and approach to observational drawing – learning how to add light, depth, and colour to our sketches.

The course will be supported by a further guided tour and special access to our exhibition Brasília of the North, with unique insights from its curators providing context to the city you will be drawing.

Refreshments and materials will be provided, and each participant will receive a sketchbook to continue their drawing practice beyond the course.

This Masterclass series is suitable for all levels and is an excellent opportunity for those wanting to hone their craft or to try something new.

4 May – Week 1: Architecture

In our first session we will begin with a curator-led tour of the exhibition Brasília of the North and discussion of the Concrete Dreams project of which it is part. From there, we will head over to the iconic Civic Centre as well as explore some of the notable modernist buildings on the Newcastle University campus.

18 May – Week 2: Infrastructure

Infrastructure will be the focus of the second Masterclass as we take advantage of the Farrell Centre’s location in the city centre to depict some of the city’s striking carparks, elevated walkways and, of course, the concrete delights of the Central Motorway.

1 June – Week 3: Landscape

Newcastle is unusual in having such a large expanse of landscape in the shape of the Town Moor so near the city centre. Yet this too bears the imprint of the city’s modernist moment, with two hills created from the spoils from excavating the Central Motorway. In this session, we explore how to depict the city’s ‘modernist greenery’.

15 June – Week 4: Develop

In our final session we develop our sketches from the first three sessions in the studio setting of the Farrell Centre and reflect on our portfolios of drawings.

Booking

The cost for the course is £80.

These masterclasses are design to be informal spaces to share ideas, chat and ask questions. If you have any questions about the course please get in touch.

Please note, you must be able to attend all 4 sessions as refunds cannot be issued.

Image credit: Drawing created by one of the participants in the first City Drawing masterclass in Autumn 2024.