Painting Lakes and Shores Workshop
Discover the techniques involved in painting bodies of water and shorelines in this hands-on, three-day workshop. Whether you're new to painting or looking to deepen your practice, you'll learn how to translate natural scenes into expressive, creative artworks.
Through a combination of demonstrations, guided exercises, and individual work time, you’ll explore how to paint water in motion and at rest, depict changing skies, and build convincing reflections and textures. Instruction will cover essential techniques involved in acrylic and water color painting.
With a focus on both realism and personal style, this workshop encourages experimentation while offering practical tools for painting natural landscapes. By the final day, you'll walk away with several pieces and the confidence to continue painting lakes and shores on your own.
June 29 - July 1, 2026
Medium: Watercolor
Early Registration Fee: $399
Tuition increases March 1
On-Campus Lodging
Participants can enjoy a special rate at the Stone Hotel and Cottages.
Each session is available in either acrylic paints or watercolor. You do not need to bring both. Please select the equipment below based on the media of your session
Paint:
- Watercolor Paint, suggested colors: Cad yellow/Hansa Yellow, gamboge or another warm yellow, Ultramarine and phthalo blue (another option: Cobalt), quinacridone rose/Alarizin Crimson perm., Windsor Red/Napthol Red, Burnt Sienna. Optional Titanium white or Lavendar: for a few opaque spots
- Acrylic Paint, suggested colors: cadmium yellow/Azo Yellow, Napthol Red, Alizarin crimson, Quinacridone Rose or Magenta, ultramarine and phthalo blue, Burnt Sienna, Titanium White
Surfaces/Painting supports:
- For watercolor: Arches 140lb. Cold or Rough Press either in block form, or taped (using Masking Tape) to a lightweight board such as gatorfoam
- For acrylic: pre-gessoed canvas or painting panels in the 8” x 10” - 9” x 12” (the instructor uses Soho painting panels but other brands will work).
If you can apply a couple additional coats of gesso to your canvas, pre-gessoed rarely has enough gesso to avoid absorption of the acrylic paint.
Brushes appropriate for acrylic and water media. A range of flats and rounds. The instructor uses more flats than rounds. Larger and medium sizes brushes should be brought and a few smaller brushes.
Please also bring:
A portable French Easel or Paint Box that hooks to a tripod. A limited supply of easels and tripods will be available for borrowing.
A sketchbook with a 4B or 6B pencil
Your camera and/or phone camera
Bug spray, sunscreen and a hat please!
Caution: If you bring it, you will have to CARRY it! Limit your supplies to fit in a backpack
See our registration and cancellation policy.
K-12 educators in Michigan can earn SCECH clock hours by attending any session of the Painting Lakes and Shores Workshop.
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