Workshop with Andrew James in Oslo August 8-9, 2026

"Wonkiness that works: four keys to fearless drawing"

This workshop is about fun and expressive bold drawing rather than accuracy. You’ll end the weekend drawing faster, free-er and fearless, ready to have more fun with your sketchbook.

This workshop offers a unique opportunity limited for just 20 participants, secure your spot now!

Workshop Description

Get rid of your fears, loosen up and enjoy your sketching more.

In four connected sessions, you’ll learn four keys to fearless drawing

• Session 1. “Mistakes to best mates” teaches you how to work with mistakes rather than against them.
• Session 2. “Draw like your drunk uncle dances” shows how to push proportions for more expressive drawings.
• Session 3. “Polaroids with a pen” explores using frames to simplify complex scenes and draw faster.
• Session 4. “Watercolour 1-2-3” builds a simple, effective approach of colour mixing with a limited watercolour.

By the end of the workshop, you will be able to

• Draw with bold, confident lines and apply controlled distortion to enhance sketches.
• Use mistakes as a tool to energize and inform their work.
• Capture multiple perspectives and create a cohesive visual story using frames and colour.
• Apply a values-based approach to limited-palette-watercolour and confidently mixing.
• Produce bold and lively finished sketches.

Your Ticket Includes

• 12 hours of instruction: Saturday and Sunday, 10:00–17:00 (with a one-hour lunch break; lunch not included)
• Meet & Greet: Friday, August 7 from 18.00 (pay your own expenses, location TBD)
• Dinner: Saturday August 8, (pay your own expenses, location TBD)

About the Instructor

Andrew James – New Zealand

Andrew James is a Wellington-based artist, illustrator, writer and educator. He usually has a pen in one hand and a sketchbook in the other. He started drawing to record a long trip, but that turned into keeping a record of his whole life in sketchbooks and led to an obsession with all kinds of drawing, and especially drawing on location.

Previously a communications meteorologist at MetService and a high school mathematics teacher, he uses his science and education background to make complex ideas understandable with words and pictures: in real time as well as back in the studio.

As well as drawing, Andrew runs workshops for almost any audience about the power of drawing. Past workshops have been for beginners, high school teachers, communications professionals as well as professional artists.

Enjoying the serious as well as the silly, Andrew’s career highlights include drawing at a kiwi release and working with Scion researchers on a comic about the smell of possum butts.

Andrew was an instuctor at the 13th Urban Sketchers Symposium in Poznan, Poland where his workshops were sold out in minutes!

More info here: https://andrewjamesdraws.com/