Make and Sketch (Book binding and Watercolour painting) weekend in Potsdam, Germany

The idea is simple: Make your own watercolour paper Coptic bound sketchbook on a Saturday from scratch and start using it on the Sunday, sketching with Isabel Carmona in Potsdam.

On Saturday. We will each make at least one Sketchbook from scratch using watercolour paper, line the covers with recycled wallpaper paper (there will be options to choose from), sew it together using the Coptic binding method that allows the pages to open fully when sketching.

The sketchbook size will be approximately (140x 190 mm) and orientation either landscape or portrait (as desired).  If time allows a second smaller sketchbook 95x 140 will be made.

The location for the bookbinding session is Evangelische Grundschule Babelsberg, Rudolf-Breitscheid-Str. 21, Potsdam.

On Sunday. We will explore Potsdam with our sketchbooks spending the morning in Babelsberg Park and the afternoon near Brandenburger Tor around Park Sanssouci. An intense day collecting views in watercolour and learning to mix the colours of nature and the buildings we encounter, recording the details that interest us and wider views that evoke the atmosphere of this city.  We will work in watercolour directly without drawing previously and work in layers to attain a painterly depiction of what we see and observe. Enjoy letting the colour and brushstrokes bring out the shapes of what’s in front of you come out on the page.

Materials to bring:

All materials are provided for making of the sketchbook during the bookbinding session.  You’ll have the option of purchasing the bookbinding set of tools (curved needle, paper wooden folder, awl, paper cutter and blade, and cutting mat) if you wish to continue to make sketchbooks. The approximate cost for the set is 24 Euros.

For the sketching session bring your own watercolour paint set, watercolour brushes, water container, water, some paper or cloth to clean the brushes, a stool to sit on and if desired some colour pencils, soft enough to work over watercolour, a few primary colours suffice.

Cost of the weekend tuition:

180 Euros per person, payable on booking your place.

Pre-order (optional) bookbinding toolkit to take home: 24 Euros – see link below

To book: e-mail isabel@pushingyoursketchingboundaries.com for a booking form. Payment can be done by bank transfer or payment link – see links below.

What is included: materials and tuition for bookbinding session and tuition on the sketching Sunday.

What is not included: transport, accommodation and meals. You’ll need to bring your own packed lunch on Saturday and Sunday and we’ll need to move from one location to the next by public transport on Sunday.

Cancelation policy: all fees are refundable if cancelled more than 6 weeks prior to commencement of course (up to 14 March, 2020). Bank charges will be deducted for the refund in the case of an attendee cancellation. If cancelled after the 14 March up to two weeks before the start of the course, a cancellation fee of 65 Euros will be retained.  No refund will be possible two weeks before the course. In the event of too few registrants, all monies will be refunded.

Number of places:

Maximum 9 / Minimum 6

Dates:

April 25 and 26, 2020

Workshop Language:

English

Time table

Friday 24 April 2020 – if arriving on Friday, join me for an informal sketching meet up from 6 to 8pm – location tbc

Saturday 25 April, 2020: 10 am to 4pm with a 40 min lunch break in the middle

Sunday 26 April, 2020:

• Morning sketching session – 9am to 12 noon
• Lunch break and move to new location – 12:15 to 2pm
• Afternoon sketching session 2:15 to 5:15 pm
• Overall review at 5:30 pm

Travel and accommodation:

You will need to arrange your own accommodation and travel. To help you decide the area see the map of workshop here: MAP  

About the tutor: The workshop tutor :