Still Life in Oils

Learn to create a beautifully observed still life oil painting.

Key details

Location

Falmouth Campus

Course duration

3 days

Course overview

Join Course Leader Emily Roberts for this 3-day course where you’ll learn the detailed techniques to create a still life in oils.

Through a series of practical exercises, you’ll experiment with wet into wet painting, scraping back, glazes and impasto as methods for creating a beautifully observed still life oil painting which you will take home at the end of the course.

Run by Emily Roberts, an artist who specialises in working from life, this course is based on our beautiful Falmouth campus and is suitable for all levels.

Tuition fees per individual: £395

How to apply

See course dates below that are available to book.

Upcoming courses

Still life in oil by Emily Roberts

Mon 21 Jul 2025

3-day course 21 - 23 July | Price: £395

Still Life in oils

In-person

Immerse yourself in this 3 day course learning to paint a still life in oils, using traditional tech...

Still Life in oils

If no upcoming Short Courses are displayed above, get in touch with us for more information.

Course details

Immerse yourself in this 3 day course learning to paint a still life in oils, using traditional techniques and materials and based in a lovely light fine art studio on our beautiful Falmouth campus.

Working on a gesso panel, you will first draw your composition onto the panel, as we explore the history of, and symbolic meaning historically imbued within, still-life painting.

After an introduction to oil painting techniques and the history of the limited palette, we will focus on practical and technical skills, gradually building layers of paint and learning to create depth of colour, texture and light effect.

On our final afternoon the course will conclude with a peer review of everyone’s work and a small celebration of achievements.

Please see the course outline for more information on what each day will cover.

This course is taught by Emily Roberts, an artist and teacher whose work is held in private collections across Europe and North America.

All materials you’ll need are included in this course, using professional art supplies; and tea and coffee is provided each day. Please bring a packed lunch with you or there are nearby café’s in Falmouth (an hour is allowed for lunch each day).

Day one:
After a discussion on composition and symbolism we will begin to create our still life set-up. Once the composition has been finalised, we will begin with some charcoal drawing directly on to the panel. Then, following a demonstration of the materials and limited palette, we will begin the lay-in, the first layer of oil paint.

Day two:
We will continue to apply thin layers of oil paint to the surface, creating depth of colour and finalising the shapes. We will discuss texture, reflection and capturing the light effect.

Day three:
We will further discuss finishing texture with use of glazes to add depth and build colour and impasto to create highlights. Final emphasis will be on the dark accents and highlights, finding soft and hard edges within the composition and creating a sense of atmosphere in the painting.

How you'll learn

Emily teaches this course in an accessible method where traditional techniques are built up step by step. Each day will be spent in taught sessions with Emily and you’ll learn by doing, with plenty of examples. There will be time to develop and explore techniques as you work through each day.

Each evening there is optional time to continue to develop your work on your own, with the studio open until 21:00.

Who is this course for

This course is suitable for creative people with all levels of experience, whether you are a beginner wishing to explore oil painting or whether you have existing experience of still life and wish to develop your technique further.

Course leader: Emily Roberts

Emily Roberts is a figurative painter and sculptor. After studying History of Art at the University of Bristol she attended Charles Cecil Studios in Florence where she trained in classical drawing and oil painting. Since then she has expanded her field of knowledge from this traditional foundation to include pastel painting, ceramic sculpture, stone carving and the creation of inks and paints with an increased focus on creating her own materials from natural, sustainable, local materials.

At Charles Cecil Studios Emily also took on various teaching and administrative roles, and has continued to teach throughout her career at studios across the UK and Europe. She is currently a Senior Technician for Life Drawing and Painting at Falmouth University and teaches regular workshops in Cornwall, including at St Ives School of Painting. 

She has shown work in institutions such as the Royal Academy, Turner Contemporary and Mall Galleries. Her work is held in private collections across Europe, Asia and America. 

Each day will have the following timings:  

9.30: Arrival and welcome, tea and coffee  

10am – 1pm: Morning session   

1pm – 2pm: Lunch break (please bring a packed lunch or visit a nearby cafe)  

2pm – 5pm: Afternoon session  

5pm – 9pm: The art studio will remain open until 9pm on days 1-3 for you to continue working on your own, if you wish to do so.

An apron or clothing you don’t mind getting messy!
You may wish to bring a reusable water bottle with you.
Please remember to bring a packed lunch with you.

All materials and equipment you’ll need are provided, using professional-quality art supplies. However if you have favourite brushes you wish to use please bring them with you.

Tea/coffee is included each day. Please bring a packed lunch with you.

This course is taught in a lovely light fine art studio on the top floor of Lamorva on our Falmouth Campus.

Our Falmouth Campus can be reached via a range of public transport options. You can find out more, here.  

For campus maps and information on visiting us, please visit our How to find us page. 

There are no prerequisites for this course, it’s suitable for creative people with all levels of experience. Whether you are wishing to explore oil painting as a beginner, or whether you have some existing experience and would like the opportunity to develop your technique further this course will be suitable for you.

Accommodation is not included in this course cost. If you would like to book accommodation, please see our accommodation for short course students page for a range of options.  

Our Falmouth campus is not fully accessible, with some activities in early Victorian three storey buildings.

Please contact us if you have questions about mobility and access.  

How to apply

To apply for this course, make your selection from the available dates below, this will take you to an event page where you will be able to book yourself onto the course via the Book now link.

Tuition fees per individual: £395