BACK

Workshops & MASTERCLASSES

VAS WINTER Workshops

Our workshops are the perfect opportunity to expand your practice by trying a new technique or digging into an intensive. In these one-off sessions, artists can learn from some of the best Australian artists, including our regular VAS teaching artists and guests. These are intensive courses running in the VAS Studio. The lineup of workshops is always different: previous workshops have included still life in oil, watercolour basics, collage and plein air painting among many others. See our upcoming workshops and book in below.

Fiona O'Byrne portrait for winter workshop 2026 (Edit)

Portraiture in Oils

Fiona O'Byrne
29 Jun 2026 – 30 Jun 2026
From $ 290.00
10:00 am – 3:30 pm
Covering the portraiture essentials of capturing a likeness, modelling, tone and colour. All the while working from a live model!
Find out more
Eucalyptus Blossom (oil)

Still Life in Oil

Keming Shen
1 Jul 2026 – 2 Jul 2026
From $ 290.00
10:00 am – 3:30 pm
For beginners & experienced students alike, learn to keep your colours fresh and bright in your still life.
Find out more
Lucy Maddox - Angelo (2024)- graphite and pastel on toned paper - 30 x 42cm

Drawing from Observation

Lucy Maddox
Friday 3 Jul 2026, 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
From $ 150.00
10:00 am – 3:30 pm
Drawing is the foundational skill to any visual arts practice, from painting to sculpture. Having a strong understanding of how to capture what you see is crucial for any artist.
Find out more
IMG_1302

Watercolour Workshop with Ted Dansey

Ted Dansey
29 Jun 2026 – 1 Jul 2026
From $ 425.00
10:00 am – 3:30 pm
From reference photo to finished artwork.
Find out more
IMG_3265 2

Drawing Portraits from the Masters

Swathi Madike
9 Jul 2026 – 10 Jul 2026
From $ 290.00
10:00 am – 3:30 pm
This two-day workshop treats master drawings and paintings as a tool for active learning.
Find out more
Andrew Li Landscape (Edit)

Sketching the Landscape with Oils

Andrew Li
Sunday 12 Jul 2026, 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
From $ 150.00
10:00 am – 3:30 pm
This workshop provides techniques for landscape sketching using oils, beginning from the initial planning phase, to blocking in the sketch and dealing with a limited time frame.
Find out more

MASTERCLASSES

Join some of Australia's most exceptional artists in these hybridised workshop/demonstration classes.

Our masterclasses are held in our upper galleries. Participants can enrol in the class to paint along - but non-participant observers are welcome for free!

Masterclasses are recommended for artists with some experience in the medium.

Upcoming Masterclasses

Gerbreas and Chrysanthemums 2004

Flowers in Focus Masterclass with Paul McDonald Smith

Paul McDonald Smith
Wednesday 22 Jul 2026, 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
From $ 250.00
10:00 am – 3:30 pm
Take the challenge of flower painting in oil. This masterclass will concentrate on the colourful effects of flower painting, approached in a tonal impressionist manner.
Find out more
BEN RYAN - Portrait of Wendy Harmer 'The Rooster May Crow...'

The Portrait in Oils Masterclass with Ben Ryan

2 Sep 2026 – 4 Sep 2026
From $ 500.00
10:00 am – 3:30 pm
In this workshop, participants will develop a single oil painting of the portrait sitter over three days.
Join the Waitlist
Find out more
thumbnail_Dolores

Masterclass in Portraiture with Lee Machelak

Lee Machelak
1 Oct 2026 – 2 Oct 2026
From $ 450.00
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Use a direct method of painting to touch on the fundamental principles of traditional portrait painting, including composition, tonal relationships, colour and temperature.
Find out more

Previous Masterclasses

Summer Evening - Low Head 17cm x 17cm $500

Masterclass in Watercolour with Clive Sinclair

Clive Sinclair
Thursday 2 Apr 2026, 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM
From $ 150.00
10:00 am – 3:30 pm
This masterclass in watercolour will explore painting towards abstraction by simplifying the landscape to a minimal image.
Join the Waitlist
Find out more
Andrea Huelin 2

Luminous Portraits Masterclass with Andrea Huelin

9 Apr 2026 – 10 Apr 2026
From $ 450.00
10:30 am – 3:30 pm
Build a better portrait from the first brushstroke. Join Archibald Packing Room Prize Winning artist Andrea Huelin for two days of intensive study focused on the "Direct Painting" method.
Join the Waitlist
Find out more
painting-a-day-2026-03-04

A Practical Method for Tonal Realism with T. J. Murphy

T. J. Murphy
30 Apr 2026 – 1 May 2026
From $ 375.00
10:00 am – 3:30 pm
This masterclass introduces a practical method for tonal realism inspired by Australian Tonalism.
Join the Waitlist
Find out more
Website by:

Acknowledgment of traditional owners.

We would like to pay our respects to the traditional owners of the land on which our building stands, their leaders, past, present and emerging.