Workshops – Northshore School of Art

Saturday Portrait Painting from Life Workshop

* ($170 per person per workshop)
* (Saturdays 10am – 3:30pm)

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This course aims to help and encourage students to develop their skills.
How to translate what they see, to capture the character and likeness of the sitter in one day.
Working from dark to light, Lighting of the model. Personal instruction at each artists easel.

Suitable for:

Students who have experience in portrait drawing and painting.
Students who have completed my beginners portrait workshops.

Morning session:

Preliminary drawing pencil or pan pastels
Sealed with Acrylic binder supplied by art school.
Acrylic base colour, supplied by art school

Afternoon session:

Finish with Oils.

Materials Needed

Oil paints
Brushes
Canvas (Size suggestion A2, or thick watercolour paper 600 GSM)
Brown coloured pencil or Black Pan pastels (Optional)

Dates & Time in 2019

Saturdays. 10am – 3:30pm (30 min lunch break)

23rd March 2019
15th June 2019
7th September 2019
30th November 2019

* Please note: Dates can be changed according to students’ needs. These are special workshops make ups cannot be transferred to any other class.

Fee

$170 per person per workshop (includes model fee)
* Please pay 10 days prior to workshop to reserve your place.

Teacher

Mike Lamble

Class Limit

8 people

Beginners Watercolour Workshop

“Some say watercolour is difficult to do. I disagree. It has been used by young children to seniors for long time.
I believe you would say ‘Why didn’t I do it before?’
”
– Ako Lamble

Drawing and painting an apple.

Written by Ako Lamble

To me painting with watercolour is like a cooking.
Mixing water and pigments, placing the mixed colour liquid on paper (wet paper / dry paper), waiting for drying, and placing another mixed colour liquid on it ….

The procedure can be taught to the point according to the recipe, but this is something you need to do it repeatedly until you really get how it works. No short cuts.

In the workshop, you will draw an apple with 2B pencil then paint/draw with artist quality watercolour which is my selection of 6 colours.
The recipe (draw/paint an apple) appears to be simple but you will learn so many things along the way.

I hope the experience at the workshop will set you off on your watercolour painting journey.

Suitable for;

those who haven’t done watercolour for a long time but would like to start again.
those who are not sure watercolour is for them, would like to have a whole experience before spending some money on art materials.

We will cover;

Studying the shape of an apple.
How to set the lighting onto an apple.
Demonstration by Ako: Drawing & painting an apple.
Drawing an apple with 2B Pencil: See the shape, the value and the edge.
How to mix colours
Painting with watercolour: Wet in wet (Light & Vivid colours), Dry completely, Wet on Dry (thicker & darker paint), Negative painting, and Glazing.
Painting an apple with watercolour without a pencil drawing.
Introducing “15min daily drawing”.

Art Materials

All art materials which will be used in the workshop will be supplied. However, you are wecome to bring your own art materials (I can give you some advise about them).
Also, A set of art materials can be purchased after the workshop which will cost around $150. Please let me know beforehand if you are interested in purchasing them, I will make sure of having enough stock on the day.

6x artist quality watercolour 15ml tube: Ako’s selection of basic colours from Daniel Smith and Schmincke.
1x No8 round brush
1x waterbrush
1x travel palette
1x full size 56cmx76cm 300gsm Arches watercolour paper

Day & Time

Sunday, 10am – 3pm (5hrs) *includes 30 min lunch break

Dates in 2026

8th March 2026
12th April 2026
10th May 2026
14th June 2026
9th August 2026
13th September 2026
8th November 2026

Fee

$150 per workshop per student. *All art materials will be supplied.

Teacher

Ako Lamble

Class Limit

10 people

Portrait Workshops for Beginners

The anatomy of the face.

This course aims to give a concise introduction to the art of portrait drawing.
A detailed exploration of the anatomy of the face, I will reveal the secrets of how to achieve a likeness using techniques of perception space shadows and measurement.
In the afternoon I will give a short illustrated talk on what makes a great portrait.

Dates & Time in 2025

Saturdays 10am – 3pm (30 min lunch break)

To be announced further dates

* Please note: Dates can be changed according to students’ needs. These are special workshops make ups cannot be transferred to any other class.

Fee

$150 per person per class
* Please pay 10 days prior to workshop to reserve your place.

Art Materials

- A2 Sketchbook
- 2B Pencil
- Eraser
- Pencil Sharpener with a barrel around it to capture all the shavings

Teacher

Mike Lamble

Class Limit

10 people

Portrait Workshops – Live model all day.

For experienced portrait artists.

Live model all day. For those with some experience of portrait drawing and painting.

There will be three poses chosen so every student will have the opportunity to draw or paint a profile, three quarters, full face.
Dramatic lighting of the face will be used to create strong contrasting features and shadows, this aids the student in creating a likeness using the techniques we learned from our beginners workshop.
Soft background music will play throughout the day helping concentration making for a pleasant environment.
With tuition.

Dates & Time in 2026

10:00am – 3:00pm (30min lunch break) Saturday

To be announced further dates

* Please note: Dates can be changed according to students’ needs. These are special workshops make ups cannot be transferred to any other class.

Fee

$200 per person per workshop (includes model fee)
* Please pay 10 days prior to workshop to reserve your place.

Art Materials

At the choice of the student.

Teacher

Mike Lamble

Class Limit

7 people

iPad Art Workshops

“I couldn’t pick up my painting again if there was no iPad because I have limited energy and time to do it.”
– Ako Lamble

Discover your iPad as a powerful art tool!

We will do;

See the possibilities of iPad Art through the iPad artists in the world
and their works
Paint an apple and other simple subjects with Procreate App.

Suitable for;

Age 17yo and over.
those who already know how to draw and paint but have never tried digital art before.
those who would like to pick up their drawing and painting again though having limited energy and time to do it.
Someone (may be a busy mum) who can’t be bothered to carry all those art materials back and forth to attend the art class.
those who has ideas and wants to make their own picture book.
those who got an iPad but doesn’t know what to do with it other than checking emails/browsing websites.
Artists who like to work with traditional materials, it would be a time saver for you to experiment and develop your painting ideas on your iPad before you transfer it to a canvas.

See some examples of what you can do with your iPad

Cick the image to go to its page.

Click here to read REVIEW of the iPad Art Workshop >>

App we use in the class

We will let you know if there is any changes.

Procreate (AU$19.99-as of January 2026): to draw & paint

Day & Time

Sunday, 10am – 1pm (3hrs)

Age of Students

17 years old and over.

Dates in 2026

22nd March 2026
24th May 2026
28th June 2026
26th July 2026
23rd August 2026
27th September 2026
25th October 2026
22nd November 2026

Fee

$90 per workshop at our Studio

Teacher

Ako Lamble

Class Limit

10 people

Talks at the NSW Art Gallery – Saturday

* ($70 per talk)
* (Sat for 2hours at NSW art gallery)

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Meet at the Gallery of NSW for an informative talk reviewing the Gallery’s permanent collection. Extend your appreciation of art and uncover the secret techniques and events that helped make well known paintings so great. Understand the meanings of many works on exhibit and explore the joy of the gallery!

Time & Dates

Will be arranged by request.

Fee

$70 per person per talk
* Please pay 10 days prior to workshop to reserve your place.

Speaker

Mike Lamble

Life Drawing Workshop

For all skill levels, this class focuses on the human form. Live model. Sketching times from 1 to 60 minute intervals. Enhance your perception skills through a variety of observation exercises. Explore the tonal values of light and shade. Experiment with different mediums. Full tuition throughout the class.

Day & Time

Saturday 10am – 12:00pm

Dates in 2026

14th March 2026
To be announce further dates

Fee

$60 per person per class
* Please pay 10 days prior to workshop to reserve your place.

Teacher

Mike Lamble

Class Limit

12 people

Life Drawing for HSC Students – Friday

* ($40 per workshop)
* (Fri 6:30-8pm) * (by invitation)

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by invitation only

Selected class for mature teenagers who currently undertake the after school classes or holiday workshops. Life model. Parental permission required.

Day & Time

Friday evening 6:30pm – 8pm

Dates

You will be informed by Mike in the weekly class.

Fee

$40 per person per class
* Please pay 10 days prior to workshop to reserve your place.

Teacher

Mike Lamble

Class Limit

12 people