Mediums: Drawing in chalk or pencil
Level: All levels welcome
Class Dates: Wednesdays, September 9 & 16, 2026
Class Times:
• 9:30 am-noon Pacific Time
• 12:30 pm-3:00 pm Eastern Time
• 5:30 pm-8:00 pm UK Time
Trois crayons—French for “three pencils”—is a traditional drawing technique that combines three colours of chalk: red (sanguine), black (charcoal or black chalk), and white. The technique is most effective on a mid-toned paper, which provides a balanced ground for both dark and light marks. The warm red of the sanguine creates a beautiful contrast with the cooler tone of the paper, which can be blue, grey, tan, or another muted colour.
The technique was embraced by many celebrated artists, including the Rococo master Antoine Watteau and the Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens, who used it to explore form, light, volume, and expression.
In this class, we will create transcriptions of works by these and other master artists. Copying is a time-honoured way of learning: by closely observing and reconstructing an existing drawing, we gain a deeper understanding of how it is built—how lines, tones, light, and shadow work together to create form and atmosphere. The skills and insights developed through this process can then be carried into your own work and adapted to reflect your individual style and preferences.
In stock
$160.00
Laura Smith(b.1980) is a painter living and working in London. She completed her BA at the Slade School of Fine Art in 2003 and went on to win the Richard Ford Award and the Drawing Prize during her studies on The Drawing Year at The Prince’s Drawing School (now the Royal Drawing School) in 2004. She graduated from her MFA at the Slade School of Fine Art in 2012, winning the Clare Winsten Memorial Award. Laura was shortlisted for the Threadneedle Prize in 2011 and has recently shown at the Mall Galleries, Jerwood Space, Flowers Gallery, Lubomirov-Easton and the Royal Academy of Arts.
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