About The Essential School Of Painting

The Essential School of Painting (ESOP) is an alternative art school based in Wood Green, London, specialising in painting and drawing classes taught by leading contemporary artists. The ESOP offers exciting, intellectually rigorous courses with the intention of advancing painting. Classes are available for all levels of experience.

The Fundamentals of Painting: Materials, Methods & Ideas 11 Jan – 28 Jun 2021

(LIMITED PLACES AVAILABLE) The Foundation Painting Year is a practical course which aims to fill in all the gaps you never knew you had in your understanding and practise of the age old activity of manipulating colour on a surface called painting. Continue Reading →

ONLINE: Weaving the Thread: Painting and the Imagination with Adrian Wiszniewski RSA – 11 Jan to 22 Mar 2021

First anachronism of the day by Adrian Wiszniewski RSA 2011

On this 10 week course, through guided exercises, Adrian shows us how we can access the resources of our imagination; Continue Reading →

The Painting Year I: 12 Jan – 29 Jun 2021 Tuesdays 10-5pm

The Painting Year is a practical course for those looking to advance their practise, developing their skills and content whilst being guided by two experienced and celebrated painters Dan Coombs RCA and Guy Allott RCA Continue Reading →

LANDSCAPE: A DOMAIN FOR PAINTING with Peter Ashton Jones – Sat 23 Jan 2021

This intensive one-day online practical course will explore ways of making landscape painting. It will also involve looking at the way landscape which is probably the oldest genre in painting, has been used from cave painting right through to abstract painting. Continue Reading →

ONLINE: The Super-power of a sketch book with Guy Allott: 14 Jan to 25 Mar 2021 -Thursday evenings 6-9pm

The aim of this course is to develop the skills required to produce sketchbooks which are an inspiration, and which contain all the nuts and bolts of experimentation. Continue Reading →

ONLINE: Through the Looking Glass: Painting from the imagination with Dan Coombs – 11 Jan to 22 Mar 2021

On this 10 week online course Dan Coombs will demonstrate some of the techniques and devices required to paint from the imagination. Often it is quite difficult to find a way in to working from the imagination. Continue Reading →

ESOP Online Open Day Dec 30th 2020 – 9am to 9pm

Book yourself an appointment to speak to one of our tutors about the courses, workshops and mentorship at the Essential School of Painting… courses are available from January for Continue Reading →

The Painting Year II – 30 Sept 2020 – 30 Jun 2021 Wednesdays 10-5pm

(FULLY BOOKED) The Painting Year is a practical course for those looking to advance their practise, developing their skills and content whilst being guided by two celebrated artists Dan Coombs RCA and Melissa Kime. Continue Reading →

Painting Personal Projects: Saturdays 03 Oct 2020 to 03 July 2021 – 10am to 5pm

(FULLY BOOKED) Painting Personal Projects is a programme taught Dan Coombs with the support of Alison Harper. It’s aim is to give students an opportunity to develop their own work whilst receiving guidance and mentoring in a supportive community of artists and is intended to increase confidence, creativity and a sense of direction; helping to provide strategies for establishing and growing a body of work. Continue Reading →

ONLINE: Contemporary Fine Art Practice with Bob Matthews and Liane Lang – Fridays 02 Oct 2020 to 02 July 2021

(FULLY BOOKED) The Contemporary Fine Art course is aimed at a broad range of artists and levels of experience and seeks to develop a community where practical and theoretical skills can be explored and established with emphases on making, presenting, talking and thinking about art. Continue Reading →