About us
London Fine Art Studios is an art atelier that specialises in teaching the craft of drawing and painting, always working from life. We teach the core principles of proportion, gesture, values and colour to a unique community of students and professional artists. Our aim is to give our students a solid foundation so that they can have the freedom and confidence to develop their own work and style.
Our Story
London Fine Art Studios was founded by Ann Witheridge with the aim of teaching the craft of drawing and painting to a community of dedicated artists. Offering a formal training in fine art, drawing, oil painting and sculpture, and always working from life, the Studios are based in Battersea and welcome students of all levels, providing a supportive learning environment in which to acquire new skills and a deeper understanding of the figurative tradition.
Now over a decade old, the Studios continues to be a warm and creative hub for both artists in and outside of London with our term-time and short courses, and workshops with visiting artists from around the globe.
Drawing from life
At London Fine Art Studios, we work exclusively from life – whether using plaster casts, still lives, portrait and figure models, or landscape. We believe this is the best way to develop strong drawing and painting skills.
Since the 19th century, artists have debated whether working from life or photographs is more effective. While photography can be helpful, drawing from life provides a deeper understanding of key artistic principles: proportion, volume, gesture, values, edges, and colour. It fosters better decision-making and provides the artist with a stronger artistic foundation.
Studying plaster casts teaches mass and proportion, still life helps refine composition and colour, and working with live models or in the landscape enables the artist to capture energy, movement, and atmosphere.
The Core Principles of the Atelier Training
The foundation course introduces key artistic principles, with later courses delving deeper. Students start with plaster casts and still lifes before progressing to figure and portrait models.
Mastering proportion, gesture, and materials was essential in classical ateliers. At London Fine Art Studios, we uphold these fundamentals to help students build confidence and develop their style. While there’s no single way to create art, there is a clear, sequential way to learn.
Proportion & Line
Proportion and line provide the framework for a composition. Simple drawing exercises help establish structure, as seen in Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, where he explores the guiding principles of human proportion.
Dark and the Light
Once the line drawing is established, we define form using values, dividing the subject into Light and Dark. This technique, known as Chiaroscuro, creates bold contrasts that shape the entire composition, as seen in the works of Rembrandt and Caravaggio. By working in pen, ink, charcoal, or paint, artists focus on light and dark masses rather than outlines. The transition between these values—through rendering and edge treatment—guides the viewer’s eye. Lost or sharp edges create depth, directing attention within the composition. Rembrandt’s mastery of values and edges adds sculptural depth, making his forms emerge or dissolve into abstraction.
Colour
Many classical artists began with grisaille, establishing composition, values, and edges before adding colour. This method allowed them to refine the painting using a simple tonal range before deciding whether to expand into a full spectrum or maintain a limited palette. Titian mastered colour through loose brushwork and subtle tonal shifts, keeping shapes clear while developing complex forms. Velázquez and Rembrandt showcased their skill by achieving rich colour variations within a restrained palette.
At the studios, we prioritise values first to shape form and composition. Once mastered, students can introduce colour while ensuring it remains within the correct value range.
The Atelier Method
London Fine Art Studios fosters a vibrant artistic community, where students and professionals refine their skills through shared learning. The atelier method dates back to Renaissance Italy, where masters like Verrocchio trained artists such as Leonardo da Vinci. European workshops, including those of Rubens and Frans Hals, passed down knowledge through generations. Later, ateliers emphasized technique while allowing artists like Sargent to develop their own style.
Continuing this tradition, London Fine Art Studios offers hands-on training where artist-tutors work alongside students. More than a school, it is a creative hub—a place to learn, grow, and connect.
