A Flatford Sketchbook

Using a viewfinder (which will be supplied), Carole will demonstrate how to create thumbnail sketches, draw buildings, the river, the landscape and add figures into your scenes – all the skills needed to fill a sketchbook, an essential tool for every artist. We will be using pencil, waterproof or water-soluble pens with watercolours and/or water soluble  pencils and working outdoors, weather permitting.

On Saturday, after an introduction in the studio to sketching techniques and using different types of pens, we will spend the rest of the day sketching around the Mill, or along the river towards Dedham, weather permitting. Should it be too wet or windy to be outside, we will spend time in the studio perfecting sketching techniques from suitable vantage points or working from Carole’s photos.

Carole Massey

Carole Massey is a popular and supportive tutor who has been teaching at Flatford Mill for over 20 years. She managed her own successful design partnership before returning to her first love of painting, which currently involves tutoring in the UK and abroad, demonstrations, private commissions, and exhibitions.
A portrait commission for the Bank of England of Sir Charles Bean, deputy governor now hangs in the bank in perpetuity. She has written many teaching Art books, published by Search Press, with international sales exceeding 250,000. “Drawing for the Absolute Beginner” and “The Beginners’ Guide to Drawing Portraits” are best sellers.
She has exhibited and demonstrated at the Mall Galleries, London, and her work is in a number of private collections in the UK and abroad. In 2026 Carole will tutor painting holidays in Gibraltar Italy and the Peak District. She is President of Felixstowe Art Group and runs monthly workshops in Trimley St Martin and Leiston, Suffolk, where she lives.
EMAIL ADDRESS:   [email protected]
WEBSITE: www.carolemassey.com

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  Expert Tuition
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  Free Wi-Fi
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  Hot and Cold Drinks

Refreshments are included for all but please bring lunch with you.

What to Bring

• A Sketchbook; I prefer to use a hard backed casebound sketchbook either landscape or portrait format between A4 & A5 size, (300 x 210mm to 210 x 150mm / 12” x 8” to 8” x 6” approx.) containing good quality cartridge paper, durable enough for light watercolour washes.  Seawhite of Brighton “Popular Portrait” or “Landscape” black cloth casebound sketchbook 250 x 190mm can be bought at Hobbycraft or online at www.artsaver.co.uk
• 2B or 3B Graphite pencil or a propelling pencil or clutch pencil 0.5 or 0.7 is ideal for sketching and doesn’t need frequent sharpening
• Waterproof Pens - Black or brown fibre tipped drawing pens e.g. Pilot or Faber Castell or equivalent, sizes 03 or 05, or 0.8
• Optional: A Pentel Brushpen, black
• Optional : Watersoluble Pens: Brown or black, e.g. Zig or Tombow, or any pen that is non permanent.
• Watercolour paints: A portable set of pans, or tubes squeezed into a folding palette.
• Watercolour brushes – round Sizes 5, 8 & 12
• Optional: Several wax crayons or oil pastels e.g. White, yellow, red orange, pale green, raw sienna
• Other materials: A kneadable rubber, a pencil sharpener, several bulldog clips or rubber bands to stop the sketchbook pages flapping in the wind
• A lightweight chair or painting stool (these can also be hired from the office on arrival)
• Suitable clothing for the weather.