Susan Dugdale | How to fill a Sketchbook | Thursday 9th & Friday 10th October 2025
Thursday 9th & Friday 10th October 2025
10am - 4pm
12 places available
Suitable for adults of all levels from total beginners - experienced artist
After being pestered for many years to share the secrets of her characterful and jam packed sketch books, artist and graphic designer Susan Dugdale is going come and lead a fun two day sketchbook workshop just for us. She will show us tips and techniques for sketching and share with us her methods of collage and journalling whilst guiding us through her own creative process.
Being faced with a brand new empty sketchbook full of pristine and beautiful white pages can be very daunting and overwhelming. This workshop will help you overcome that fear and show you a multitude of ideas, methods and techniques to help you fill the pages and conquer that trepidation.
Susie says “I use sketchbooks in many different ways; for ideas about larger pieces of work or as a sort of travel diary. There is no prescriptive right or wrong way with a sketchbook, it’s yours to fill as you please”
Working with pen instead of pencil in your sketchbook means that you can’t erase your work, instead you have to learn to embrace the mistakes and build on top of them. Susie will show you how to pre-prepare pages in your sketchbook with gesso or colour wash to soften those intimidating white pages. She’ll also demonstrate how she uses collage and collected scraps, photos and found objects to build interest and creativity into your sketchbook.
You will spend a full and busy day with Susie getting brave and creative with drawing and painting in and around the walled garden and buildings, leaving at the end of the course with a sketch book absolutely stuffed full of ideas and experiments.
A delicious lunch will be served in the Walled Garden or Potting Sheds (depending on the weather) and your creative juices will also be kept well oiled with hot drinks and cakes throughout the day.
Each attendee will be given a concertina sketchbook and fine liner pen to keep and fill.
We have various other art materials and paints at your disposal but please bring with you any equipment you particularly like using esp your favourite paint brushes.
Thursday 9th & Friday 10th October 2025
10am - 4pm
12 places available
Suitable for adults of all levels from total beginners - experienced artist
After being pestered for many years to share the secrets of her characterful and jam packed sketch books, artist and graphic designer Susan Dugdale is going come and lead a fun two day sketchbook workshop just for us. She will show us tips and techniques for sketching and share with us her methods of collage and journalling whilst guiding us through her own creative process.
Being faced with a brand new empty sketchbook full of pristine and beautiful white pages can be very daunting and overwhelming. This workshop will help you overcome that fear and show you a multitude of ideas, methods and techniques to help you fill the pages and conquer that trepidation.
Susie says “I use sketchbooks in many different ways; for ideas about larger pieces of work or as a sort of travel diary. There is no prescriptive right or wrong way with a sketchbook, it’s yours to fill as you please”
Working with pen instead of pencil in your sketchbook means that you can’t erase your work, instead you have to learn to embrace the mistakes and build on top of them. Susie will show you how to pre-prepare pages in your sketchbook with gesso or colour wash to soften those intimidating white pages. She’ll also demonstrate how she uses collage and collected scraps, photos and found objects to build interest and creativity into your sketchbook.
You will spend a full and busy day with Susie getting brave and creative with drawing and painting in and around the walled garden and buildings, leaving at the end of the course with a sketch book absolutely stuffed full of ideas and experiments.
A delicious lunch will be served in the Walled Garden or Potting Sheds (depending on the weather) and your creative juices will also be kept well oiled with hot drinks and cakes throughout the day.
Each attendee will be given a concertina sketchbook and fine liner pen to keep and fill.
We have various other art materials and paints at your disposal but please bring with you any equipment you particularly like using esp your favourite paint brushes.
Thursday 9th & Friday 10th October 2025
10am - 4pm
12 places available
Suitable for adults of all levels from total beginners - experienced artist
After being pestered for many years to share the secrets of her characterful and jam packed sketch books, artist and graphic designer Susan Dugdale is going come and lead a fun two day sketchbook workshop just for us. She will show us tips and techniques for sketching and share with us her methods of collage and journalling whilst guiding us through her own creative process.
Being faced with a brand new empty sketchbook full of pristine and beautiful white pages can be very daunting and overwhelming. This workshop will help you overcome that fear and show you a multitude of ideas, methods and techniques to help you fill the pages and conquer that trepidation.
Susie says “I use sketchbooks in many different ways; for ideas about larger pieces of work or as a sort of travel diary. There is no prescriptive right or wrong way with a sketchbook, it’s yours to fill as you please”
Working with pen instead of pencil in your sketchbook means that you can’t erase your work, instead you have to learn to embrace the mistakes and build on top of them. Susie will show you how to pre-prepare pages in your sketchbook with gesso or colour wash to soften those intimidating white pages. She’ll also demonstrate how she uses collage and collected scraps, photos and found objects to build interest and creativity into your sketchbook.
You will spend a full and busy day with Susie getting brave and creative with drawing and painting in and around the walled garden and buildings, leaving at the end of the course with a sketch book absolutely stuffed full of ideas and experiments.
A delicious lunch will be served in the Walled Garden or Potting Sheds (depending on the weather) and your creative juices will also be kept well oiled with hot drinks and cakes throughout the day.
Each attendee will be given a concertina sketchbook and fine liner pen to keep and fill.
We have various other art materials and paints at your disposal but please bring with you any equipment you particularly like using esp your favourite paint brushes.
About Susie -
“As a painter, I return constantly to the landscape around me for inspiration. Drawing remains central to everything I do. I keep sketchbooks both locally and from my travels and include pieces of ephemera that trigger my memory: they are very personal and hugely helpful.
Since the pandemic I have been free to spend a huge amount of time painting. I am often told that my style changes but I am always on the move and so is my work. Having been trained to respond to briefs as a graphic designer, I view each new painting as a brief. There is no doubt that if I am sitting in a force 8 gale I paint in a different way to tackling a still life in the studio.
Although I find my work deeply frustrating, I think it is at the core of who I am. “