Join me and the brilliant Northern Irish artist Colin Woodward for an immersive weekend of sketching and painting. Colin shares my love of expressive lines and loose watercolour—together we’ll guide you through an exciting, packed schedule full of demos, exercises, location sketching, and artistic conversation.

Typical Schedule:

• Friday: Optional pub meet in the evening
• Saturday: 09:30–16:00 (optional coffee at 08:30)
• Sunday: 09:30–16:00 (optional coffee at 08:00)
  Price: Varies by location
  Tutors: Toby & Colin Woodward

📋 What to Expect

• Exercises to loosen up and explore complexity in urban scenes
• Indoor and outdoor sketching depending on the weather
• Morning coffee meetups and optional sketching/drinks in the evenings
• Encouragement to explore your own creative ideas
• A weekend designed to be intensive but relaxed, social and positive

✏️ Suggested Supplies

We recommend bringing the materials you feel most comfortable using. Here’s a general guide:

• Ink pens with waterproof ink (fineliners or fountain pens)
• Portable watercolour palette and brushes (we will use a range of round, mop and flat brushes, exact brushes are not important, but a good range can be helpful)
• 300gsm watercolour paper and/or sketchbook
• Drawing board and clips for sketching outside (foam core boards are a lightweight, affordable option)
• A portable seat is useful
• Water container
• Any mixed media you like: watercolour pencils, wax, crayons, etc.

We will have emergency supplies and spare paper/drawing boards available for a small fee if needed.

🛏️ Meals & Accommodation

Meals and accommodation are not included – this keeps the weekend flexible and affordable.

We’ll arrange optional meetups for lunch, coffee, and dinner, but you’re always free to do your own thing and take time for yourself.

📢 Booking Info & Refunds

• Full refund within 14 days of booking
• 75% refund if cancelled more than 6 weeks before the event and we can fill your spot
• No refunds for cancellations less than 6 weeks before the event

✅ What’s Included

• Full tuition from Toby & Colin
• Venue hire for indoor sketching
• Teas, coffees, and light snacks during indoor sessions
• Water and pots for painting indoors

❌ What’s Not Included

• Accommodation, meals, drinks, and art materials
• We’ve excluded these to allow you to personalise your trip and keep costs manageable

♿ Accessibility

All sketching activities are designed to be inclusive. If you have accessibility needs, please get in touch so we can make sure the retreat is right for you.