Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Venue: ESOP Main Studio, Wood Green, London, N22
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Fee: £385
Materials: All art materials included, except for canvases (available at a discounted rate).
Start your oil painting under the expert guidance of Alison Harper, ESOP’s Artistic Director and head of our faculty of artist-tutors. This inspiring 10-week studio-based course is designed to provide a step-by-step introduction to oil painting, ideal for beginners or those refreshing their skills.
Alison will guide you through the essentials of oil painting, including selecting surfaces and supports, understanding brushes and paint mediums, and learning the art of colour mixing. You’ll explore key techniques such as tonal contrasts, layering, texture, and the tactile joy of paint application—all while working on carefully crafted projects that build confidence and technique.
The course begins with simple still-life compositions, offering a hands-on approach to learning. With the number of participant limited to no more than 12, we ensure the you are supported as you develop your skill and you benefit from one-to-one feedback and group crits.
Held in our spacious and light-filled studio in Wood Green, this course offers a welcoming environment to immerse yourself in the world of oil painting. All you need to bring is your enthusiasm—and we will take care of the rest!
About Alison
Alison Harper Artist, is the Artistic Director and a co-founder The Essential School of Painting (ESOP). A multi-talented artist, Alison is a graduate of the Glasgow School of Art and is known as one of ‘The Glasgow Girls’.
The holder of multiple awards including the Commonwealth Scholarship, Alison has exhibited widely both in the United Kingdom and abroad.
Selected exhibitions & Awards
Invited artist to the Royal Scottish Academy annual exhibition May 2016; The National Portrait Gallery, London
The Royal Academy, London; Leicester City Art Gallery; Stirling Museum; The Boundary Gallery, London; The Compass Gallery, Glasgow; The Collins Gallery, Glasgow; The City Arts Centre, Edinburgh; The Graphic Museum of Tokyo, Japan; The India Today Gallery New Delhi, India and The National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi.
Alison is a recipient of several awards including the Commonwealth Scholarship, Norwegian Government Scholarship, the Cheltenham Drawing Prize, Ruth Davidson Memorial Award and The Prince’s Drawing School Bursary Award. Alison is included in the following publications, Who’s Who in Art and Who’s Who of Women in the World.
Testimonials on Alison Harper
The impact you’ve had on my life
“I always meant to thank you. The last time we met – more than twenty years ago – I was still reeling from my Art School experience and had given up on art, more or less, completely. When I met you in the street your parting words were, ‘Don’t let them take away something from you that you love. Re-claim it for yourself. It was once really important to you and it could be again, but just for you, you don’t have to show you just have to create’. I can’t tell you the impact that conversation had on my life. I thank you, Alison – long overdue. I do hope you have had a good life. I have.” Kenny Little
Above image: Painting ‘Goddess of the great above and the great below’ by Alison Harper Oil on canvas
