Raw Umber Studios

What Raw Umber Studios does

Raw Umber Studios is a non-profit art school and studio headquartered in Stroud, UK, founded in 2019 and operational under the legal entity Raw Umber Projects Ltd (registered in England and Wales). The organisation provides representational art education through a hybrid model combining in-person workshops at its Stroud studio with regularly scheduled online drawing sessions (portrait on Sundays, figure on Wednesdays) and on-demand digital content. Core digital assets include a searchable reference image library of approximately 3,000 high-resolution photos (categorised by pose, age, gender, skin tone), a video tutorial library of 750+ sessions accumulated since 2020, a curated playlist system, and a growing collection of 3D anatomical reference models. Instruction is delivered by a small network of internationally trained classical artists, including Head of Art Lizet Dingemans, whose work has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery.

The platform is built on three layers: (1) live synchronous instruction via recurring online sessions, (2) asynchronous searchable content libraries for self-paced learning, and (3) capped in-person workshops (typically limited to 12 students) for personalised tutoring. The company sells directly through its website with two subscription tiers - Image Subscription at $13/month and Gold Subscription at $19.50/month - plus unit-priced workshops ranging from £60 (single 3-hour sessions) to £625 (4-day intensives), a £300-£400 Tuesday School four-week program, and £12 drop-in life drawing sessions. Pricing is in USD for subscriptions and GBP for in-person offerings, with gift vouchers available across tiers.

Customer base is entirely consumer-facing and long-tail: individual artists and hobbyists from beginners through advanced practitioners, plus a remote/online learner segment. Go-to-market relies on content marketing via the Raw Umber blog, organic social on Instagram and Facebook (with the #rawumberlive community hashtag), email newsletters offering free session access, and annual Paint Off competitions with over £3,000 in prizes staged at venues such as Mall Galleries. Distribution is direct-to-consumer online supplemented by a channel partnership with art supplies retailer Cass Art for Bristol pop-ups. The company is founder-led with three permanent staff (founder Neil, Head of Art Lizet Dingemans, Studio Manager Lynsey), no disclosed external investors, and no parent or subsidiary structure.

Name

Raw Umber Studios

Legal name

Raw Umber Projects Ltd

Website

https://rawumberstudios.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Raw Umber Studios is a UK non-profit art school in Stroud providing representational art education through in-person workshops, twice-weekly online drawing sessions, and subscription-based access to searchable libraries of 3,000+ reference images and 750+ tutorial videos, serving individual artists and hobbyists globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPACALAI

Certification & Credentialed Creator Programs

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Digital Media & Content Platforms (Online Video, Podcasts, Creators)/Online Learning Content Platforms (Creator-Led Courses)

SECONDARYEDAGAKAI

AR/VR & Immersive Learning Content Development

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Instructional Design & Content Development Services

SECONDARYEDAFAJAL

Creator Tools & Content Pipelines for Immersive Learning (VR lesson builders, 3D asset workflows)

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/AR/VR/XR, Simulations & Immersive Learning

Keywords

• Art education services
• Online drawing sessions
• Representational art training
• Visual arts workshops
• Art reference library

Headquarters

HQ city

Stroud

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Gold Subscription: Premium subscription offering access to live sessions twice weekly (portrait on Sundays, figure on Wednesdays), searchable video database with over 750 figure and portrait videos plus additional videos, 3D library, and all online content.
2. Image Subscription: Access to searchable image database with over 3,000 images categorized by pose, gender and other parameters. Lower-tier subscription for reference image access only.
3. In-Person Workshops: Short, focused workshops at their Stroud studio taught by internationally trained classical artists. Prices range from £60 for single sessions to £625 for multi-day workshops.
4. Drop-in Life Drawing Sessions: Weekly drop-in life drawing sessions on Monday evenings at £12 per session, hosted by experienced artist Keith Symonds with materials provided.
5. Tuesday School Program: 4-week structured programs with morning still life/caste drawing and afternoon nude figure sessions. Limited to 12 students per block for personalized guidance.
6. Individual Online Session Purchase: Individual online sessions available for $6.50 each, with portrait sessions free on the last Sunday of each month.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Raw Umber Studios is a non-profit art school and studio that delivers representational art education through short, focused in-person workshops at its Stroud studio, regular tutored online drawing sessions, and searchable digital libraries of video tutorials, reference images, and 3D anatomical models. Revenue is generated via monthly subscriptions, individual session purchases, and multi-day workshop fees.

Product overview

Raw Umber Studios is a non-profit art school and studio based in Stroud, UK, founded in 2019. The organization offers a multi-tiered educational platform combining in-person workshops and online learning. Its core offerings include regular tutored online sessions (portrait drawing on Sundays and figure drawing on Wednesdays), a searchable video library of hundreds of art tutorials, an image reference library of approximately 3,000 high-quality photos, and in-person workshops at their Stroud studio. The company operates two subscription tiers: an Image Subscription ($13/month) providing access to the reference image library, and a Gold Subscription ($19.50/month) offering comprehensive access including live sessions, video library, 3D models, and image library. Additional offerings include Tuesday School (a 4-week intensive program), Drop-In Life Drawing sessions, curated video playlists, and a subscriber community for sharing artwork.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Drawing Sessions Tutored online drawing sessions held twice weekly—portrait drawing on Sundays at 3 PM (UTC) and figure drawing on Wednesdays at 7 PM (UTC). Sessions include tutor demonstrations, live guidance, and photo downloads for continued practice. Available individually or via subscription.
• In-Person Workshops Short, focused in-person workshops held at the Raw Umber Studios in Stroud, UK, taught by classically-trained artists covering drawing in charcoal and chalk and painting in oils. Workshop prices range from £60 (single 3-hour session) to £625 (4-day intensive), with most 3-day workshops priced at £360-420. Suited for beginner, intermediate, and advanced artists.
• Tuesday School A 4-week structured intensive drawing and painting program taught by Lizet Dingemans with a maximum of 12 students. Mornings focus on still life or plaster cast drawing; afternoons on nude figure drawing. Students may work in charcoal, charcoal and chalk, or oil paints. Priced at £400 for 4 weeks or £300 for 3 weeks.
• Drop-In Life Drawing Weekly Monday evening life drawing sessions from 7pm-9pm at the Stroud studio. Hosted by artist Keith Symonds with over 25 years of teaching experience. Paper, charcoal, and pencils are provided. Priced at £12 per session.
• Subscription Access Recurring monthly subscription providing access to live online sessions twice weekly, the searchable video library, image library, and 3D reference models. Two tiers are offered: an Image Subscription ($13/month) granting access to 3,000+ reference images, and a Gold Subscription ($19.50/month) granting full access including live sessions, 750+ videos, the 3D library, and image library. Gift vouchers are available for both tiers.
• Video Library Searchable library of hundreds of art tutorial videos covering portrait, figure, landscape, still life, and various techniques and materials, including sessions from 2020 onwards. Searchable by artist, material, subject matter, and pose type. Available exclusively to subscribers.
• Image Reference Library High-quality, high-resolution reference photo database of approximately 3,000 images for artists, searchable by model age, gender, pose type, and skin tone. Includes human, animal, landscape, and still life categories. Available to subscribers and as part of the Image Subscription tier.
• Touching Earth by Cornelia Hernes Painting masterclass video featuring artist Cornelia Hernes, demonstrating techniques and discussing inspiration behind the painting. Available exclusively to subscribers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Small class sizes of maximum 12 students ensure personalized guidance

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Cass ArtminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 March 2026Raw Umber Studios partnered with Cass Art in Bristol for a pop-up art exhibition and drop-in portrait drawing workshop. Cass Art is a UK art supplies retailer with multiple locations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• New English Art Club: UK artist-run society promoting representational painting through annual exhibitions and educational events. Comparable as a community of representational artists with educational and exhibition programming, though it is a membership body rather than a tuition provider.

Direct peers

• Florence Academy of Art: International atelier network (US, Italy, Sweden) teaching classical drawing and painting using Old Master methods. Direct peer in classical atelier pedagogy, multi-tier program structure, and globally recognized curriculum in representational art.
• Royal Drawing School: UK charity providing high-quality drawing and painting tuition through short courses, workshops, and a year-long Foundation programme. Direct comparable as a non-profit fine arts education provider with a similar classical/representational focus and workshop-led delivery model.
• London Atelier of Representational Art (LARA): London-based atelier offering full-time and part-time classical representational art training. Direct peer: founder Neil trained here and the school shares Raw Umber's atelier-style, classical-representational pedagogy and small-cohort model.
• Grand Central Atelier: US-based atelier offering long-format and short-format classical art programs. Comparable in teaching classical drawing/painting, structured curriculum, and studio-based atelier delivery, though its core programs are longer-term than Raw Umber's short workshops.
• Newlyn School of Art: UK residential and short-course fine art school focused on observational painting and drawing. Comparable as a UK regional art school offering short, intensive classical-style courses with visiting tutors, serving similar hobbyist and intermediate artist segments.

Broad incumbents

• Art Students League of New York: Historic US non-profit art school offering studio-based instruction in drawing, painting, and sculpture. Broad incumbent comparable on the non-profit studio-school model and atelier-style teaching, though with a much larger, longer-running program portfolio.
• Craftsy: Online subscription learning platform spanning art, craft, and creative hobbies with on-demand video classes. Comparable on the subscription-based online fine arts education model with video libraries, though it covers a much broader range of crafts and styles.
• Slade School of Fine Art: UCL-affiliated fine art school with BA/MA programmes and continuing short courses in drawing and painting. Broad incumbent in UK fine arts education; overlapping audience of aspiring representational artists though its degree orientation differs from Raw Umber's workshop model.

Regional players

• Attingham Trust: UK charitable trust running residential art history and fine art courses for enthusiasts. Comparable as a UK arts-education charity delivering high-quality tuition to engaged adult learners, though its focus is art history rather than studio practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rawumberstudios
• Instagraminstagram.com/rawumberstudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/raw-umber-studios

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Raw Umber Studios