Key Facts
- suitable for all levels
- accommodation included
- professional instruction
- ideal for beginners
Included
Accommodation (full board basis), professional tuition, Ferry trip to the islands, Half a bottle of wine at dinner.
Not included
Transfer to/from Faro, Materials, TipsA very popular course with materials a little lighter to carry on the aeroplane, a typical watercolour week would include sketching in the mornings making note of colours and tones and in the afternoon turning sketches into paintings. Throughout the year we have courses that cover pen and wash, drawing and coloured pencils, botanical painting, quick sketching, and pen and ink drawing.
Watercolor painting has the reputation of being quite demanding; it is more accurate to say that watercolor techniques are unique to watercolor.Unlike oil or acrylic painting, where the paints essentially stay where they are put and dry more or less in the form they are applied, water is an active and complex partner in the watercolor painting process, changing both the absorbency and shape of the paper when it is wet and the outlines and appearance of the paint as it dries.
The difficulty in watercolor painting is almost entirely in learning how to anticipate and leverage the behaviour of water, rather than attempting to control or dominate it.
We also run specialist course on other weeks, please check out our dates and prices page or contact us for more information.
This is a sample itinerary of a typical watercolour painting course.
Once you have arrived in Olhao there will be time to unpack and settle into your accommodation before a welcome meeting in the Art School at 6:30pm. There you will have drinks and discuss the weeks itinerary and how you will be placing orders for the evening meals etc. Following this you will be taken to dinner in one of the local restaurants.
10:00 : Taking your sketch books you will be heading out into the lovely old cobbled streets of Olhao. Here you will be making detailed sketches of some wonderful old doors, windows and the very unusual door knockers. Make lots of notes of colour and tone.
13:00 : Lunch in Olhao, usually a buffet consisting of fresh salads and a selection of local dishes.
14:30 : The afternoon is spent working in the Art School studios creating a painting using a combination of the days sketches and notes of colour from that morning.
20:00 : Dinner is at one of the many local restaurants along the seafront of Olhao, this is time to reflect on the day’s activities.
10:00 : Today you will be heading to the Church square for the morning. Olhao’s church has a beautiful facade both at the front and the back with an interesting roof line as well. You will be doing a detailed drawing here on watercolour paper (or canvas) ready to paint after lunch.
13:00 : Lunch in Olhao, usually a buffet consisting of fresh salads and a selection of local dishes.
14:30 : In the afternoon you will be working in the studio painting the drawings from the morning using postcards for colour reference (postcards supplied).
20:00 : Dinner is at one of the many local restaurants along the seafront of Olhao, this is time to reflect on the day’s activities.
10:00 : You will be going to the fabulous covered markets on the seafront. One is a fresh fish market and the other offers all kinds of fruit, vegetables meats and cheeses. You will spend around an hour here (you can do some sketching and take photos if you like) then a selection of fish, fruit and vegetables will be brought and set up for some still life painting in the studio. You will be working on these all day back in the studio ready to break for lunch.
13:00 : Lunch in Olhao, usually a buffet consisting of fresh salads and a selection of local dishes.
14:30 : Heading back to the studio to finish off the days still life, paying attention to the colours and tones as well as the teacher giving demonstrations.
20:00 : Dinner is at one of the many local restaurants along the seafront of Olhao, this is time to reflect on the day’s activities.
10:30 : After breakfast you will be heading down to the seafront to catch the ferry at 11 am to the island of Farol. This island forms part of the Algarves national park. For the morning you will be painting the lighthouse or beach scenes, you will have lunch on the island followed by and afternoon of flower painting. The plant life on Farol is very unusual with fascinating flowers and trees. You will catch the ferry home around 17:30 but if anybody would lie to stay for longer there are later ferry’s to choose from.
20:00 : Dinner is at one of the many local restaurants along the seafront of Olhao, this is time to reflect on the day’s activities.
10:00 : The day starts sketching down at the harbour, with its wealth of fishing boats and views of the islands opposite Olhao there is some fantastic subject matter. You will be making notes of colour and tone ready to work form the studio in the afternoon.
13:00 : Lunch in Olhao, usually a buffet consisting of fresh salads and a selection of local dishes.
14:30 : Continuing on form the mornings work, you will be finishing off your sketches and turning them into paintings.
20:00 : Dinner is at one of the many local restaurants along the seafront of Olhao, this is time to reflect on the day’s activities.
10:00 : After breakfast you will be heading down to the seafront to catch the ferry to the nearest island of Culatra where many of the local fisherman live. You will be able to choose your own location and subject for painting or sketching in the small town centre. We will go back to Olhao in time for lunch at 1pm.
13:00 : Lunch in Olhao, usually a buffet consisting of fresh salads and a selection of local dishes.
14:30 : A free afternoon will follow giving people a chance to buy gifts or explore the shops. Tuition will be given to anyone who would rather paint out on the terraces or by the pool at your accommodation.
18:30 : Exhibition at the Art Bar. A chance to show off your work from the week, followed by dinner at one of Olhao’s local restaurants.
10:30 : After breakfast you we ask that you vacate your rooms by 10.30 to allow time to change over the rooms for the next course. There is an excellent market in Olhao on a Saturday morning for any last minute souvenirs before your return transfer to Faro and your onward connections. Extra days stay are available on request.