Dynamic Cityscape Painting in Acrylics - Southwell Library - Adult Learning

In this hands-on acrylic course, you’ll learn to capture fleeting moments using bold colours, loose brushwork, and dynamic compositions. Through step-by-step guidance, you’ll learn to simplify complex scenes—like bustling streets or glowing cityscapes—into powerful, expressive artworks. You’ll explore essential Impressionist techniques, from colour mixing to creating an atmosphere with light and contrast. Whether you're a beginner or looking to develop your skills, this course will build your confidence and help you paint with freedom and intention.

Through more complex compositions and expressive techniques, you’ll explore how to use colour, light, and brushwork to convey atmosphere, movement, and emotion. You’ll also have the opportunity to work on a personal project, refine your palette, and experiment with the media. You’ll be encouraged to respond intuitively to your subject and develop a looser, more confident painting approach.

Resources required:

Acrylic or watercolour paper A3 pad

White acrylic gesso

40x 50cm or A4 stretched canvas

Acrylic paint (Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Magenta, Cadmium Red, Titanium White)

Synthetic brushes

Funding and Fees

If you receive certain benefits, you may be able to take the course for free.
If money is stopping you from enrolling, please visit our funding page to see what help is available.

Living in England

To book and join one of our courses, you must live in England permanently and either:

• Live inside the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) area (Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire)

or

• Live outside the devolved areas listed below

You cannot enrol if you live in these devolved areas:

• Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)

• Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

• North East Combined Authority

• South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority

• Tees Valley Combined Authority

• West Midlands Combined Authority

• West of England Combined Authority

• West Yorkshire Combined Authority

• Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority

• York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority

• Hull and East Yorkshire

• Greater Lincolnshire

• Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority

• Cornwall Council

• Lancashire Combined County Authority

• Buckinghamshire Council

Residency Requirements (Additional Information)

If you live in the UK on a visa, we’ll need evidence of your visa to confirm funding. You can upload this when applying, and you’ll need to complete a short questionnaire.

Some exceptions include:

• Your visa must last until after your course ends.

• Asylum seekers must have lived in the UK for at least 6 months while their claim is being processed.

• You are supported by your local authority under Section 23C or 23CA of the Children Act 1989, or under the Care Act 2014.

Anyone who does not meet the funding criteria would need to pay full course fees.