About The Essential School Of Painting

The Essential School of Painting (ESOP) is an independent art school in London, built on our belief that painting is a living discipline, progressed through sustained practice. We are a place where painters teach painters, carrying a painter from first steps, through year-long courses, to our postgraduate two-year Advanced Painting Course. For over twenty years, painters of the first rank, Academicians and artists of international standing, have taught, exhibited and spoken in our studios. We openly welcome all to join our community. That welcome is encapsulated in our motto, Animus ad Creandum, the courage to create.

ONLINE: Painting from the Imagination with Dan Coombs – 9 Feb to 13 Apr 2023

On this 10 week online course Dan Coombs will demonstrate some of the techniques and devices required to paint from the imagination. Continue Reading →

ONLINE: Advanced Painting Personal Projects with Adrian Wiszniewski RSA and Guy Allott – Mondays 9 Jan to 3 Jul 2023

Last place available – Advanced Painting Personal Projects is a year long online course one day a week on Mondays 10 -5pm. This course will give you an opportunity to develop your own work whilst receiving guidance and mentoring in a supportive community of artists. It is intended to increase confidence, creativity and a sense of direction; helping to provide strategies for establishing and growing new bodies of work culminating in an online exhibition at the end of the year. Continue Reading →

In studio: Untutored Life Drawing – 16 Jan to 13 Mar 2023 – Mondays 6.30-8.30pm

Join us for an evening of life drawing working with the model. Each evening will be an opportunity to get together informally to work with an opportunity at the end of the sessions for us to have a look and comment on each other’s work. All are welcome Continue Reading →

ONLINE COURSE: Painting People: The Figure and Portrait: 12 Jan to 29 Jun 2023

This course aims to explore the elements of portraiture and figure painting and drawing in both systematic and creative ways. Continue Reading →