SKETCHBOOK TO FINISHED PAINTING| ELAINE HALL
Dates: Sat 16th & Sun 17th May 2026
Times: 10am - 4pm
Location: Enniskerry
Skill Level: all levels welcome
Please see detailed workshop information below
If this course is fully booked or not currently scheduled, go ahead add your name to the waiting list HERE
Payment plans available contact us directly
aBOUT THE WORKSHOP
This two-day workshop guides participants through the complete creative process, from the very first sketch to a finished painting. Step-by-step, students will learn how to generate and develop their own artistic ideas through sketchbook exploration, reference gathering, and compositional planning.
Working from observation, photographs, or imagination, participants will discover how to identify strong visual references and translate them into effective sketches and design studies. Through demonstrations and guided practice, the course explores colour theory, mixing techniques, tonal balance, and material use.
Students are encouraged to experiment, make creative decisions, and develop a personal approach to image-making. By the end of the workshop, each participant will have produced a completed painting alongside a sketchbook filled with developmental studies, a record of their creative journey and a valuable reference for future work.
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What You’ll Learn
How to use a sketchbook as a visual diary and planning tool
Ways to identify and select suitable reference materials
How to create strong compositions and tonal studies
Techniques for colour mixing, palette selection, and tonal harmony
How to develop a painting from initial sketches to a finished artwork
Strategies for refining compositions and knowing when a piece is complete
How to build confidence and a personal voice through experimentation
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A4 or larger sketchbook
Glue stick
Reference materials (photos, sketches, or printed images)
Paints of choice (e.g. acrylics, oils, or gouache)
Drawing materials (pencils, charcoal, pens, etc.)
Surface for finished painting (canvas, board, or mixed media paper)
Brushes and palette
“Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.”
MEET THE ARTIST
