Stone Carving for Beginners 5-day course | Summer School: 13 - 17 July 2026

Dates: From 13 to 17 July 2026

Also available 6 - 10 July 2026

Time: 10:00 - 17:00

Fee: £614

Level: Beginners (18+ years)

Tutor: Ghislain Puget

Take copies of medieval ornamental and figure reliefs from our unique collection of historic plaster casts from the V&A as inspiration to learn the traditional skills and techniques of historic low relief stone carving. We will introduce you to the fundamentals: which tools you need and how to use them, techniques for cutting stone and applying texture, and historical background on decorative styles.

'An excellent course led by a brilliant tutor - Thank you Ghislain. Only wish I could stay an do the BA. Great workshop and college is lovely also. Clever starter project to get used to chisel skills then followed up by a project of your choice. Support and guidance in place - friendly & relaxed atmosphere.' Helen

COURSE DESCRIPTION

There is something very special about learning a traditional skill like stone carving in an environment which is so dedicated to the continuation and advancement of the craft. City & Guilds of London Art School has an unbroken tradition of teaching sculpture, stone carving and woodcarving since 1879, and today, our stone carving graduates continue to work on the world’s great cathedrals, buildings and monuments.

This one week course gives you a unique opportunity to try out these skills for yourself, in excellent facilities and guided by our inspirational teacher. Low relief stone carving provides the perfect platform for the beginner, and working with hammers and chisels you’ll come out with a small carved stone panel that you can be proud of.

Using the medieval ornamental and figure reliefs as source material, you will be guided through the process of transferring your chosen image from the manuscript onto stone, once this is completed we will teach you the techniques of cutting stone and adding colour and texture by breaking or scraping the surface. In the process, you will learn what tools you need and how to use and maintain them, as well as some historical background on decorative styles.

Join us and become a part of the great tradition of British stone carving!

What’s included: all teaching, and your tools and materials for the stone carving.

What isn’t included: your meals, and bring a steel tape measure if you have one, a notebook, pencil and rubber. Please wear old clothes you don’t mind spoiling, or bring a pair of decorator’s overalls, and wear steel cap boots.

10% discount available for City & Guilds of London Art School students, alumni and staff. Contact summerschool@cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk to receive the discount code.

Please note: in accordance with Eventbrite's Terms of Service, Eventbrite's fees are non-refundable. Any refunds made for Summer School bookings will have Eventbrite's fees deducted, unless we cancel the course. For more information, please see our terms and conditions.

'It was an intense week but was really useful as a beginner to have such an immersive experience - I felt like I was grasping the fundamentals quickly. The task was challenging but not overwhelmingly so, Ghislain was a great teacher with a very supportive and caring style, the other attendees were all open and interested in each others work.' Samantha

If you’d like to keep up to date with news about our Summer School courses, please add your details to our Summer School mailing list. If you have any queries, please email us at summerschool@cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk

Any queries? Take a look at our FAQs page and for further help, please contact us at summerschool@cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk

The Art School thanks The Grocers’ Charity for their generous support of this initiative.