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Hello my name is Sarah!

I've spent the last 15 years as a professional Textile Designer/Illustrator and I've made a 15 week online art course sharing my hand-created illustration processes.

Scroll down to find out more about me and the course.
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Just launched! The Hermit Art Club...

15 weeks of art making, with unlimited access, so you can work at your own pace for as long as you like...bliss!
GIFT YOURSELF

Procrastinating or feeling overwhelmed about painting/drawing by hand?

...I totally get that, even though I'm a professional Illustrator, I still know how that feels, even if it's as simple as starting a new sketch just for fun, I can find many reasons and excuses to not begin a project!

Yes, we do get those amazing moments of clarity, energy and inspiration where it doesn't matter the situation, we just go for it.  But we can't rely on that energy to be around all the time, we ebb and flow and that's completely natural.  

So what can we do for all the times we don't have that magical high energy?  We make it easy on ourselves, we practise, find joy, and trust that we are on a journey.  And with each time we make art, we get closer to our style, and have fun in the journey and the process. 

This is the basis of my teaching, that we are gentle with ourselves and optimise our physical and mental spaces to bring joy into creating.
I encourage you to side-step the negative voices, focus mindfully on the task and not worry too much on the outcome.  I help with techniques and give you an insight into how I work and my thought processes as I go.  

Hear from Laura

www.lauracarillo.com
"The videos have been transformative for me.... Witnessing your process has given me the inspiration and courage to seek my own joy and be free in my own work".

Laura Carrillo

About the Hermit Art Club Course

I created a new challenge for myself in 2020...to create art videos for the 100 Day Project.  Each week, there's an intro, a sketching or techniques lesson, a main project, and then a video showing how I completed the project.  Occasional weeks will have a  Q&A recording too.

This 15 week self-paced course was designed to be watched from start to finish, with the tasks going from beginner/intermediate to more advanced, but you can purchase them individually too (week 15 is more of a round up for the whole course).

Week 1 - Techniques

Week 2 - Still Life

Week 3 - Mindful Patterns

Week 4 - Abstract Painting

Week 5 - Hand-lettering

Week 6 - Collage

Week 7 - Nature gather

Week 8 - Animals

Week 9 - Paint a scene

Week 10 - Portraits

Week 11 - Drawing people

Week 12 - Magazine illustration

Week 13 - Creating maps

Week 14 - Journal piece

Week 15 - Summary week

Thank you art-making friends,

I'm so happy your here!  It's such a journey making art isn't it?  It can be so thoroughly joyful, but in the next instance, difficult and frustrating. 
The good thing is, the more you do it, the struggling feels less fraught, and as you learn to open up to the experience of art-making, and try to let go of the outcome you can find a mindful practise.  ....And as you become more practised, you are then able to build styles, portfolios and create art for companies!  Or just for fun! 

About Sarah...

So who am I?  I'm a professional artist, Illustrator and Textile designer.  I have always been a creative soul, and have been armed with a pen, or a paint brush, ever since I can remember. 
I now live in the North Cotswolds painting and drawing from my home in the UK.  I've created illustrations for companies such as The Washington Post, Harper Collins, Quarto Publishing Group, L'Oreal Paris, The White Company, and Scholastic Publishing.  
Learn more about Sarah here

Join me

  •  Learn the techniques I like to use when creating illustrations by hand. 

  •  See how I create my art and learn my thought processes when I'm making creative decisions.

  •  Try new things and see that enjoying the process is more fun than worrying about the outcome.
BUY THE 15 WEEK BUNDLE HERE

Hear from Sabina

Go to Sabina's Instagram
"What a treat, it has been wonderful! The videos are professional.....you explain things really thoroughly..... The tasks are broken down into manageable chunks, the videos show lots of different working processes..... and the weekly projects have been really varied and build upon the skills covered. I’ve been so impressed!
Finally, you are so personable Sarah, you’ve had me laughing a few times".

Sabina Townshend

Art Materials...

I use a range of art materials, and I try to keep the projects as open as possible so that you can use your favourite mediums.

There is a detailed materials list available in the course, a video below, and an essentials list in the FAQ's at the bottom of this page.

Materials Video

Here I chat through what art materials you will need for the full 15 week Hermit Art Club course.  (16 mins)
Go to Sarah's YouTube video here

Choose how you learn and pay

  • There is the option to sign up for the 15 week course at the bundle price, with an extra option to pay in monthly instalments.

  • Or you can choose to purchase each week separately if there are just a few you fancy!
GO TO THE BUNDLE DEAL

Hear from Audrey

www.audrinka.art
"....I feel like I've broken through a bit of a barrier with the paint and brushes and entered a new phase of happiness......I'm honestly so obsessed cant even begin to thank you enough for this course its been an emotional wonderful journey".

Audrey Szabo

COURSES:

  • £390 or 3 monthly payments of £133

00. Hermit Art Club Bundle. All 15 weeks together

This is the full 15 weeks of the Hermit Art Club course. Now self-paced. A different subject each week: Techniques, Still Life, Mindful Patterns, Abstract Painting, Hand-lettering, Collage, Nature gather, Animals, Paint a scene, Portraits, Drawing people, Magazine illustration, Creating maps, Journal piece, and a Summary week.CONTENT: Each week there are multiple videos; an intro, a sketching or techniques lesson...
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Single Products

  • £15

01. Hermit Art Club: Techniques (week 1)

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Techniques week of the Hermit Art Club.   In these videos, I will introduce myself, give you tips with colour mixing and watercolour to integrate into your own work.  This first section is good for beginner levels.  The full 15 weeks of videos are full of information that I really enjoyed sharing.  They were made as a progressional learning course, but they can be worked on in...
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  • £39

02. Hermit Art Club: Drawing (week 2)

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Drawing week of the Hermit Art Club.   These videos will give you an insight into sketching out a drawing, and encourage you to have a go.  I also share how I like to work with loose colour, including tips to integrate into your own work.  This course is good for beginners, and intermediate levels that are interested in seeing an artist's way of working.  The full 15 weeks of ...
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  • £39

03. Hermit Art Club: Mindful Pattern (week 3)

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Mindful Pattern week of the Hermit Art Club.   These videos will give you an insight into colour and pattern, and encourage you to have a go.  I also share how I likes to work intuitively, with tips to integrate into your own work.  These videos are good for all artist levels. The full 15 weeks of videos are full of information that I really enjoyed sharing.  They were made as...
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  • £39

04. Hermit Art Club: Abstract Painting (week 4)

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Abstract Painting week of the Hermit Art Club.  These videos will give you an insight into abstract painting, and encourage you to have a go.  I also share how I like to work with acrylic paint and layering, with tips to integrate into your own work.  These videos are good for all artist levels. The full 15 weeks of videos are full of information that I really enjoyed sharing....
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  • £39

05. Hermit Art Club: Hand-lettering (week 5)

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Hand-lettering week of the Hermit Art Club.   These videos will give you an insight into hand-lettering, and encourage you to have a go.  I also share how I like to work with watercolour with tips to integrate into your own work.  The full 15 weeks of videos are full of information that I really enjoyed sharing.  They were made as a progressional learning course, but they can ...
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  • £39

06. Hermit Art Club: Collage (week 6)

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Collage week of the Hermit Art Club.   These videos will give you an insight into collage, and encourage you to have a go.  I also share how I like to work with painted papers with tips to integrate into your own work.  The full 15 weeks of videos are full of information that I really enjoyed sharing.  They were made as a progressional learning course, but they can be worked o...
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  • £39

07. Hermit Art Club: Nature Gather (week 7)

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Nature Gather week of the Hermit Art Club.   These videos will give you an insight into using nature gathering as inspiration, and encourage you to have a go.  I also share how I like to work with mixed media with tips to integrate into your own work.  The full 15 weeks of videos are full of information that I really enjoyed sharing.  They were made as a progressional learning...
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  • £39

08. Hermit Art Club: Drawing Animals (week 8)

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Drawing Animals week of the Hermit Art Club.  These videos will give you an insight into Drawing Animals, and encourage you to have a go.  I also share how I like to create animal shape/form with acrylic paint with tips to integrate into your own work.  These videos would be good for beginners, intermediate to more advanced. The full 15 weeks of videos are full of information ...
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  • £39

09. Hermit Art Club: Paint A Scene (week 9)

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Paint A Scene week of the Hermit Art Club.   These videos will give you an insight into painting your own scene, and encourage you to have a go.  I also share how I like to work with layering a scene with tips to integrate into your own work.  These videos are good for intermediate levels but give problem solving ideas for beginners, and inspiration to more advanced. The full ...
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  • £39

10. Hermit Art Club: Portraits (week 10)

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Portrait week of the Hermit Art Club.   These videos will give you an insight into drawing portraits, and encourage you to have a go.  I also share how I like to work with shapes and give tips to integrate into your own work.  These videos are good for any level wanting to get further understanding in drawing portraits. The full 15 weeks of videos are full of information that ...
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  • £39

11. Hermit Art Club: Drawing People (week 11)

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Drawing People week of the Hermit Art Club.  These videos will give you an insight into drawing people, and encourage you to have a go.  I also share how I like to work with shapes/form with tips to integrate into your own work.  These videos are good for beginners and intermediate levels wanting to improve their people drawing skills.    The full 15 weeks of videos are full o...
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  • £39

12. Hermit Art Club: Magazine Illustration (week 12)

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Magazine Page week of the Hermit Art Club.   These videos will give you an insight into creating a magazine illustration, and encourage you to have a go.  I also share how I like to work with layering, with tips to integrate into your own work.  These videos are good for all levels wanting to understand magazine work and learn some new skills. The full 15 weeks of videos are f...
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  • £39

13. Hermit Art Club: Creating Maps (week 13)

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Creating Maps week of the Hermit Art Club.   These videos will give you an insight into drawing maps, and encourage you to have a go.  I also share how I like to integrate collage, with tips to integrate into your own work.  These videos are good for all levels wanting to learn about a way to create maps by hand. The full 15 weeks of videos are full of information that I reall...
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  • £39

14. Hermit Art Club: Art Journal (week 14)

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Art Journal week of the Hermit Art Club.   These videos will give you an insight into creating art journal pages where you record your thoughts or information to paper.  I encourage you to have a go and I also share how I like to work freely, with tips to integrate into your own work.  The full 15 weeks of videos are full of information that I really enjoyed sharing.  They wer...
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  • £10

15. Hermit Art Club: Summary (week 15)

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Summary week of the Hermit Art Club.   Only purchase this if you intend to do a few of the Hermit Art Club weeks as this is more of a round up week with a small final project.   The videos will give you an insight into how to review your work, a special shorter art project, an interview with myself and my agent, Lilla Rogers, on my 100th day of the Hermit Art Club project.   G...
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Sarah chats about...

The journey of art-making

Sarah chats about the joy and frustration of art making (3 mins)
Go to Sarah's YouTube video

The Hermit Art Course

Sarah chats about how the course came about (3 mins 40 sec)
Go to Sarah's YouTube video

The weekly plan

Sarah chats about how the weeks are set out at the start of the project.
Go to Sarah's YouTube video

FAQs

What materials will I need?

There is a detailed PDF of all the art materials used in each week in the 'Start here' section of each week. 
I have made this course with the hope that you can use almost anything to create your pieces.  But here is a list of the most needed items:

ESSENTIALS:
Scrap paper 
Pencil
Rubber
Brushes
Paper to paint on
Some kind of paint.  Ideally Acrylic paint, but you could get by with gouache, or watercolours.
(Week 4 - Abstract week, does require Acrylic paint to follow along effectively).
Scissors
Glue:  Ideally Matt Medium (I use ‘Golden’ brand), but PVA will work,  (although it may make some paper warp slightly).
 
IDEAL EXTRAS:
Acrylic paint:  A range of colours, perhaps a set.  White, Black, red, pink, purple, yellow, green, blue, turquoise, orange, brown.
‘Golden’ Matte Fluid Medium
‘Golden’ pastel ground acrylic medium 

Will the course be live in any way?

No, this is a self paced course now.  (It was previously live in 2020).

How long will I need to complete the course?

You can complete the self-paced course in 15 weeks, but it’s your course and you can choose what speed you prefer to take.  
You may need around 10-20 minutes a day for the videos and perhaps an extra 30-60 minutes a day for the projects depending on your creative preference.

Will I need Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator for this course?

The whole course is illustrating/painting by hand, so you do not need Photoshop or Illustrator.

If you are hoping to save your work in digital format, then you may need a scanner, and ideally Photoshop to amend colours and levels of the scan, but I do not cover this in the course.  You could do the whole course in your sketchbook!
(There is one bonus video I include where I show my process from start to finish, which does include Photoshop, but this is a bonus example, and not to be copied anyway).

Can I sell the work I produce in the course?

Of course - if it is 100% your own work.  Within the course I encourage you to create pieces in your own style, compositions, in your preferred art mediums and colours.  I give a range of options for most projects just to start you off, but the options are as limitless as your imagination.  
I would ask that if your pieces are too close to my artwork, or anyone else's, please do not sell or licence the art.  
If you are unsure if it is too close...then maybe it is too close?  Look at if you have used different subject ideas, mediums, different composition, colour etc.  
If anything does feel too close, keep it for your own record, hang on your wall or give as a gift to a friend and make their day.

Will I be able to get a refund?

For the 15 week Hermit Art Club bundle?  Yes, if you aren't happy with the course up to 7 days from the purchasing date, I will give you a full refund as long as you haven't watched further than Week 2.
You can access the first 2 weeks for free, so please have a look to get a feel for the course.  The project difficulty rating increases as we go along the 15 weeks.

NB: For any of the single week purchase options, there is no refund available.

How long will I have access to the courses?

You will have access for the life of the course as it currently exists on Podia.com.
If for any reason I change platforms I will commit to 18 months at the very least with fair warning.

Come and join the journey

There's a Facebook Group you can join to ask arty questions of other members and share your work.  And I would love it if you tag your work with #hermitartclub on Instagram so I can find you there too.

Grow creatively, find joy.
Love Sarah x
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