billie claire workshops
Hi! I’m so glad you’re here. Teaching is one of my favorite things, and all of the classes available below do not require any prior experience in drawing, lettering, illustration, or craft. These classes are a great way to jump into a new skill, find a creative outlet, or to add a fun and engaging activity to your party or event! All workshops are available virtually or in-person in the Richmond, Virginia area.
Have a teenager who is interested in learning the basics of illustration and how to use ProCreate and Adobe Illustrator? An elementary aged student who loves crafting and wants to learn to sew, or have a new art lesson every week or month? Maybe you’re interested in learning hand lettering and calligraphy as a hobby, or to one day start your own business, too?
I can offer one-time private lessons to give an introduction to a new skill, or we can set up a series of lessons following a more in-depth curriculum so that these new skills can be developed over several weeks or months. All private lessons are available virtually, or in-person in the Richmond, VA area.
View the classes we offer below, and then fill out our Inquiry Form to tell me what you have in mind and get a price quote!
private lessons for kids and adults
Have a group of friends who are all interested in learning hand lettering together? Throwing a bachelorette party, bridal shower, or girl’s weekend and want an engaging activity for everyone to do while they’re there?
Small group classes are the perfect solution! For classes in the Richmond, VA area - I will come to you, provide all the necessary materials, and can lead a 1 hour or 2 hour sessions for you and your friends. Prices vary depending on location, class, and number of people - view the classes we offer below and then shoot us a message via our Inquiry Form and we can set something up!
small group classes and parties / events
Looking for a team-building activity for your office? Throwing a large corporate function or event and want a creative activation for your guests? Or perhaps you’re putting together a special event in Richmond and want an interactive activity for attendees? I’d love to help!
My activations can be structured like a class where I lead guests through instruction and practice, or I can create an interactive option where guests filter through, learn a few quick tips, and have the time and space to work on a small project while at the event. The possibilities are endless - shoot us a message via the Inquiry Form below and let’s see how we can work together!
corporate activations, large groups, and special events
WORKSHOPS
Hand or Machine Sewing Lessons
Learn the basics of hand sewing or machine sewing (or both!) with Billie Claire. Students will learn the basics of sewing - from threading needles / basic stitch patterns with hand sewing and threading / operating your machine; to how to build your own sewing pattern and completing a project start to finish. Machine sewing classes are best for private lessons or small groups four people or less (I can provide up to two sewing machines); hand sewing classes can be taught to individuals and all sizes of groups.
ProCreate and Adobe Illustrator for Illustration
Interested in learning the basics on how to use ProCreate or Adobe Illustrator? I’d love to help! Students will learn the basic functions of either or both programs and how to use them to create artwork, digitize artwork, manipulate designs and images, and format various projects like greeting cards or art prints. It is recommended for students to have access to an iPad/Apple Pencil and computer for these lessons so that they can practice outside of class, though private lesson students may use our equipment if needed.
Gallery Wall Workshops
Want the gallery wall and the help, but you like learning how to do it, too? I don’t blame you, that’s my favorite way to go about things! I offer in-home or virtual workshops to help you along the way with all of the steps to build your own gallery wall. Workshops begin with a 30 minute video call to see your space and discuss what you’re going for, and what artwork you have or have in mind. I’ll give tips on size, framing, and if I think you need to find any additional pieces to make it work. Once you have the pieces together, we’ll book a two hour session where I coach you on how to achieve a great layout and we roll up sleeves and do the install together.
Hand Lettering 101 - Modern Calligraphy, creative font building, and go-to lettering compositions
During this two hour workshop, I will take you from start to finish on how to create your very own hand lettered design. Starting with a catchy phrase, students will learn to organize their text for the best visual emphasis; and will then practice a variety of hand drawn fonts - from modern calligraphy and brush lettering to bolded letterforms and creative font building. From there, I will walk you through my three favorite composition strategies for creating a well-formed lettering design. Each student will get one-on-one guidance on how to achieve the best layout for their piece, and then they can begin sketching in their creative fonts! The class will top everything off with a lesson on adding key embellishments to finalize your unique design. Everyone will leave with a completed (or almost completed) piece, a selection of my favorite illustration tools, and a packet of practice grids and creative fonts to use in their next project.
Hand Lettering Part 1 : Modern Calligraphy & Brush Lettering
In this class, we will walk through the basics of modern calligraphy, brush lettering, and how to turn 3 basic fonts into a myriad of creative, awe-inspiring fonts. Billie Claire will provide instruction, practice guides, tips for how to tackle those tricky letters, and one-on-one guidance on how to adjust small elements to create wonderfully loud, flourishy, funky, and fun designs. This is a more in-depth class on lettering and calligraphy, perfect for those who want a letter-focused class!
Hand Lettering Part 2 : Layout & Composition
In this class, we will focus on strategies for building a cohesive layout - including using pre-made composition grids, how to build your own grids and structures, and how to manipulate and hone your sketches to create a visually stunning piece that communicates your message and catches your eye. This class will use lettering concepts and fonts learned in the first part of this Hand Lettering series to build upon your design. It is not a requirement to take the first class, but we do recommend having some experience or knowledge around creative letter formation.
This hand lettering class is less of a formal calligraphy class, and more of a: how do we put these words together on a page to create a visually pleasing and cohesive design, where every word fits together using layout strategies and creative fonts. Our focus will be on using various composition grids and several design challenges to help hone your skills in building layout designs for your work.
Floral Banner Illustration
Floral Banner Illustration is a botanical illustration class with a focus on combining hand drawn florals and botanical stems with a flowing banner featuring hand lettered text of your choice. After you choose your basic banner shape, I will walk you through how to draw a myriad of different botanical stems and plants - from prickly pear cacti and wildflowers to ferns and assorted greenery. Each student will receive one-on-one help with design tips and feedback to help you create a well-balanced and cohesive structure for your design. You will then get to use some of my favorite illustration tools to ink in your drawing. Last but not least, you'll get to choose a phrase to fill your banner - sassiness encouraged but not required. You will take home a finished illustration, a few of my favorite illustration tools, and a packet of go-to botanical designs to use in your next project! This class is open to all skill levels - no prior floral illustration experience required.
Card Making Class
This card making class is perfect for Valentine’s and Galentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, holidays, or really, any time of the year! In this workshop I will walk you from start to finish on how to hand letter a bold, fun, and 'wow'-worthy design for the front of your greeting card, how to artfully address envelopes, and as a bonus - can even instruct on how to build sweet surprise pop-ups for the interior of the cards! Guests will learn the basics of hand lettering fonts, modern calligraphy, how to build a cohesive layout for their design, and how to address envelopes to be impressive but also guarantee their arrival via post. Guests will take home a finished greeting card and envelope, a few of my favorite illustration tools, and a packet of go-to hand lettering tips for use on their next project! This class is open to all skill levels - no prior hand lettering experience required.
INQUIRY FORM
Interested in setting up a private or group lesson, booking a class for an event, or setting up a corporate workshop or activation? Shoot us a message here and we will get back to you with pricing and details on how to book a date!