A working list of the boards, threads and formats members use every week, from daily sketch logs and life drawing sessions to critique rules, material swaps and Saturday plein air meetups.
The forum is built around a handful of working areas rather than one endless feed. Each one has its own pace and its own posting rules, so a beginner question does not get buried under a critique thread, and a studio diary entry stays where people can find it weeks later.
Members log short sessions, usually twenty minutes to an hour, and post the page even when it went badly. Threads run by month so you can scroll back and see how a habit held up through a busy week.
Clear posting rules up front: say what stage the work is at, what you want looked at, and whether you want suggestions or just an honest read. Comments stay on the work, not the person.
Regular sessions around Cape Town and Johannesburg, plus Saturday outdoor meetups when the weather cooperates. Locations, times and what to bring get posted in the thread a few days ahead.
Mixing gesso, drying times in humid coastal air, cheap paper that still takes charcoal, offcuts traded between members. Practical answers from people working in the same conditions you are.
A space for basic questions without being talked down to. No assumed vocabulary, no gatekeeping. If you are not sure what to ask, start with what you are trying to draw.
A slow-moving area where members log what actually worked that week, including the failures. Useful when a technique sounds good in theory but falls apart on the third attempt.
New here? Read the daily sketch habit thread or send a note through the contact page if you want help finding the right board.
A short set of answers about how the boards work, what belongs where, and what to expect from feedback. If something is still unclear, the contact page is the right place to ask.
No. The critique section has posting rules that ask for context: what you were trying to do, what stage the work is at, and what kind of response you want. Beginners post there constantly, and the feedback tends to be specific rather than discouraging. If you would rather ask a basic question first, the beginner sub-board exists for exactly that.
Working method, mostly. Mixing gesso, drying times in humid coastal air, which cheap papers still hold charcoal, how to store unfinished panels, and how members photograph finished work without a lightbox. The studio diary area moves slowly by design, so people can log what worked that week without the thread disappearing overnight.
Both. Life drawing sessions around Cape Town and Johannesburg get posted as they are arranged, and Saturday plein air meetups are organised through the regional threads. Members also trade offcuts and leftover materials when someone is local. Everything is announced on the forum first, so you can see what is coming up before committing.
Yes, and it comes up often. Members share how they approached a first show, what they asked a venue, how they framed the work, and what they would do differently. It is practical conversation from people who have done it recently, not a formal guide.
No. There are no follower counts and no gatekeeping. Threads are judged on whether the work and the questions are useful to other people making things. If you want to read more about how the space is run, the trust page covers it, and the contact page is open if you would rather ask directly.