Drink And Draw Life Drawing

I 'm resting my elbows on an unvarnished, paint-stained table in a cosy craft shop and I'm expecting a naked man any minute now. Surveying the A3 paper, paintbrushes and various types of pencil, I'm distracted by the giant glass entrance doors. Won't passersby, you know … see? The teacher smiles and says: "Life drawing is on Tuesdays. Tonight, we're drawing peacock feathers." Why I assumed every Drink and Draw class would involve a naked model is probably best left to the psychoanalysts.

Drink and Draw found popularity in New York in recent years and now the trend has been imported to the UK. True to its name, this is an art class for both seasoned scribblers and clueless beginners – but with drinking.

"Art and alcohol can be a good mix; it helps people with their inhibitions," says tonight's art teacher, Jude de Berker. "A blank page can freak people out. Once you're able to get past that and just get something on the page, it gets much easier." Mixing drinking, socialising and drawing isn't new: boozy art collectives were a fixture of 1920s Paris. As well as getting you over the hump of putting pencil to paper, knowing alcohol forms part of the class eases the very British concern that – horror of horrors – conversation might be stilted.

Joni, a science teacher, says she wanted to book an art class but was daunted by six-week commitments and words like "tuition". She says: "Just having 'drink' in the title makes it sounds relaxed and less serious."

Drink and Draw — 'Art and alcohol can be a good mix; it helps people with their inhibitions.' Photograph: Linda Nylind

People start filtering in, introducing themselves as if they were mingling at a friend's house party. The first to arrive is Victoria, a young mother on maternity leave from her job. Her husband booked the class as a present so she could have an artistic night off. She says: "When I was working I kept saying I wanted to do something arty to relax, but I never got round to it." Sitting next to me is Jenny, a policy adviser for a charity. She has never drawn before but is hoping her A* in GCSE pottery will prove an asset.

When the table is full and drinks are poured, Jude announces an ice-breaking game of Pictionary. The two teams compete for chocolate – Freddos, no less, so the stakes are bloody high. Here, the true artists have the edge over beginners: my attempt at an elephant looks like a very specific part of the male anatomy, whereas a software engineer, Ben – who claims that "signing my signature is the only time I pick up a pen" – manages to convey a lion with a squiggly circle. My elephant must have scarred him, though, because when someone draws a mouse with a long tail his first guess is "a sperm!" The game ends, after much giggling, in a draw. Freddos for everyone!

The BYOB drinks are homogenous: everyone brought wine except Ben (the only man in the class); he and his friend Laura brought beer from an independent brewery in London Bridge, which they picked up last weekend on a "beer crawl", cycling between 12 independent breweries.

Beyond the drink, most people tell me, the appeal of the class is getting back to something they enjoyed when younger. Almost everyone says they liked art at school, lost touch with it and are attempting to reconnect.

The teaching is impressive. We are taught the basics of drawing: how to outline, how to shade using pencils and cotton buds – with no presumption of existing skills or natural brilliance. And the result? Well, no one thought my peacock feather was a sperm. I call that an achievement.

And in among the chatter, joking and encouragement, some of my classmates produce gorgeous drawings. And, given my total lack of talent, mine is heaps better than expected. But is that down to lowered inhibitions and good teaching, or wine goggles? Maybe that's the beauty of Drink and Draw – never having to know.

Drink and Draw is held at the Turpentine , 433 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London SW9. Email info@theturpentine.com for future dates

Where else to try it

Glasgow Drink N Draw

A relaxed, informal affair in the pub.

@glasgowdraw

Bristol Sketchers

Keep an eye on the website for the multiple drawing events, including some Friday nights in the pub.

bristolsketchers.blogspot.co.uk

Coventry Drink and Draw

A free evening of doodling, drawing and drinking.

facebook.com/penanddrink