Sophie's Art School

Yes it is! The Art Cafe is free and public and welcomes all arty folk. You can browse around the cafe without making an account, so why not pop in?

If you are a member of Sophie’s Art School then please head over to the Members’ Corner where you can post your work and get in-depth feedback from Sophie and your fellow members.
Alternatively you can head over to the public Art Cafe and post your work there and ask for feedback from fellow artists. 

As a member you will have free access to all workshops and you will only need to click ‘enter’ on the workshops.
A provisional workshop schedule is posted on the workshops page. On your dashboard the next upcoming workshop will always be at the top of the page.
Join the Mailing List and make sure you have set your preferences to ‘Art School’. You will then get the latest news and hot topics straight from school!

The Art School is the website where all courses are based, registration and account info is held, etc. This is where you are now.

The Art Cafe is our community or forum. This is on a separate website.
The Art Cafe is a public forum: anyone can join and post, and whatever is posted can be seen by anybody on the internet.

But The Art Cafe has private areas (Studios) where the course communities and members' areas are. These Studios are only accessible and visible by paid members.

Every Art School member will need an account for the Art School and a separate account for the forum.

A workshop is a course that starts and ends on fixed dates and is semi-live. Workshops usually last 5 days. Every morning I will publish a video lesson after which you can get on with your painting project. Every day everyone posts their progress in the private community studio for feedback and support. We'll work on various topics, broken down into 5 days, 5 video lessons. The class dynamic is strong in the community where everyone goes through the same stages. The community will stay open for one week after the workshop ends, after which it will close and be removed. The video lesson remain accessible in the Workshop Archive. For more info and a list of upcoming workshops, check out the workshop page.

All course communities live within The Art Cafe, in private sections called Studios. You will find the access key button under each lesson inside a course. The lessons usually invite you to post your assignments or questions and give you a link to the community Studio. 

If you are a member or have purchased a course and you cannot get access to it, please try the following steps: Double check you are logged in. Clear your cache. Allow cookies so the system can remember you. Refresh the page (perhaps a few times). If you still cannot access your content, do contact Sophie. 

Well, it’s your call of course. But as a member you get your own art family: In the Members Corner you can ask questions and get in-depth feedback on your work. You can write in your Art Journal while Sophie and your fellow members encourage and support you in your journey. ​You will have access to all courses and workshops, the resource library (Paint Box) and be part of a great community.
It does not matter whether you want to grow into a professional artist, or are happy to paint as a hobby, or whether you are a professional artist already; whether you are a student, retired, or busy working. Everyone is welcome and we will support you wherever your journey takes you. We all want to improve our art, yet never forget the enjoyment we get from it. 

Please contact Sophie who will reset your password for you, after which you can change it to anything you want. 

I am sorry to see you leave, but cancelling is really easy. Just go to your Account (top right) and then click ‘subscriptions’. Click Cancel, and you’re all done. 

You can pay via credit card or Paypal. 

Underneath every lesson, you will find the access key button, which will unlock the private private sub-forum for you. Click the key button and you'll be in the right place to post your work!

You can find the current courses available on the course page. Workshops have a wider range of topics, so please have a look there too. I generally offer courses on topics that I paint myself: oils, pastel, portraiture, still life etc. If you would love for me to create a course or workshop on a particular subject, just let me know! 

Yes and no. I teach a tried and tested method of painting that is broken down into 5 steps: underpainting, block in, refinement shape and form, detail and finish. This method is often used in classical methods of painting. I do not teach courses on glazing. I welcome anyone who wants to use mediums and solvents, although I don't use them myself.

I do not prescribe a specific set of materials in my courses. I believe that you should use what suits you best. There is no point in literally copying someone else's favourite colours and brushes. Most courses and workshops will have some notes on the materials required though. If you have any questions about the materials needed for a course, or you are just not sure what to get, just let me know and I’ll give you some suggestions.