Enjoy making your own decorated and gilded capital letter, which can be used to enhance your calligraphy or to create a vibrant decorative letter, using line, colour and gold (the “real” stuff or gold gouache). You will be very busy on the day and you may wish to research an idea and bring your own exciting letter design to the workshop or perhaps select from the designed resources that will be provided. Further letters can be drawn with a pencil or created with a pen and illuminated and painted.

In this one-day course you will make preparatory sketches in pencil from life. Then you will be shown the basics of how to paint using soft pastels and you should leave with at least one finished picture in pastel.

Learn contemporary woodcut printmaking; Be inspired by the museum, browse a selection of print illustrations, or bring ideas to create your own design. Transfer this onto a woodblock, use tools to carve the image, practicing mark making techniques, and handprint with inks onto a selection of papers.

Be inspired by the beautiful historic surroundings and spend a day learning to paint with watercolours. You may wish to start your painting with a light pencil sketch or create a drawing in pen before applying a watercolour wash. Suitable for beginners and those with some experience.

Learn the basic rules of perspective and learn to “sight-measure” with your pencil. Using pencil, pens, chalk and charcoal, be inspired by the beautiful historic surroundings and learn to make quick, accurate and expressive sketches. Suitable for beginners and those with some experience.

A day aimed at those who are new to calligraphy, this day will cover the basics of using a dip pen and ink and learning the letter forms of the Uncial script, which was used most between the 4th and 8th centuries across Europe, but is still popular with calligraphers today.  After gaining familiarity with the letter forms students will write out a short quote of their choice, producing a simple layout ready for the piece to be completed.

This is a wonderful opportunity to explore and study nature’s harvest here at the Museum. Discover the beautiful colours, patterns and textures of a variety of fruits and berries, seed pods, hips and haws on this fascinating one-day course. Enjoy creating realistic botanical illustrations by drawing and painting with precision and accuracy with plenty of help and guidance from your tutor. This course is suitable for all abilities and allows you the opportunity to work at your own pace with help and guidance from your tutor. 

Learn the basic rules of perspective and learn to “sight-measure” with your pencil. You will produce a few sketches of some of the buildings in pencil in the morning (outside or the inside of a room if the weather is poor). Then in the afternoon you will be shown how to make various marks to suggest form, tone and texture with pen and colour with watercolour wash.

Spend a relaxing and enjoyable rest of the day learning how to write Italic Script and even flourish your letters with confidence. During this workshop we will take a careful look at the Italic script to ensure that we are doing it correctly. However, during the day we will relax and add a flourish to the Italic letter form. This is one of the absolute delights of doing calligraphy. It is fun to do and a joy to see when executed well.  This script is suitable for cards and invitations, poetry and prose. Suitable for both beginners and improvers.

Medieval England experienced a pivotal period in the development of printmaking – Explore the materials, techniques, and illustration style of the times.

Be inspired by the Museum’s exhibits, and browse a selection of historical illustrations, or bring your own ideas to design, carve, and print your own woodblock, echoing the practice of the medieval printmaker.