Join Botanical Artist Svetlana Lanse for a week of drawing and painting the incredibly diverse flora of Atelier Clos Mirabel, using watercolours to capture the colours and textures of spring plants.
About this course:
Being fluent in watercolour gives an artist the freedom to paint anything they wish. Svetlana believes there are no “beginner” or “advanced” techniques. Even if you are just starting your journey, it is incredibly helpful to learn all the possibilities of watercolour so you can use it freely. And if you are an experienced artist, you will discover many new secrets to help you paint realistic, challenging botanical artworks.
To make the learning process a true joy, we will practice these techniques by painting lovely spring flowers and other botanical finds from the beautiful gardens of Atelier Clos Mirabel.
What you will learn and experience:
● How to make a proper graphite sketch and develop beautiful, confident lines.
● Important concepts for botanical art, such as tone, contrast, and colour saturation.
● The main steps of painting a flower: creating the basic volume, adding 3D shape to the petals, separating details and showing petal texture.
● Key watercolour techniques: wet-on-dry washes, wet-on-wet, moving from a wash to wet-on-wet, stippling, blending, hatching, and softening.
● A personal review of your art supplies: you will receive friendly consultations and helpful advice about your paints and materials to help you get the best results. You will see many examples of how to use these techniques in practice. To help you relax and focus on painting, you will receive a digital booklet with all the important notes. You will also get special practice sheets designed exclusively for this course.
Outline Programme – Botanical Painting Course 2027
Saturday
4.00 – Participant introductions and an introductory talk about the course programme. It is very important to me to get to know all the participants and learn about their wishes and goals.
6.00 – Welcome drinks and dinner
Sunday
8.30 – 9.30 Buffet breakfast of local and regional produce
10.00 – 1.00 Morning Studio Session: All about preparatory drawings (theory and practice). We will begin a training exercise using graphite and watercolour (painting a flower bulb), designed to help me provide personalized recommendations for each participant.
1.00 – 2.00 Lunch at Atelier Clos Mirabel
2.00 – 6.00 Afternoon Studio Session: Continuation and completion of the training exercise.
What participants will learn today:
● How to create a proper preparatory drawing that will significantly facilitate future colour work.
● How to convey the character of the subject through the preparatory sketch—whether it’s delicate petals or the rounded contours of bulbs and fruits.
● How to indicate tonal transitions and colour accents in the preparatory drawing.
● How to properly use washes and wet-on-wet techniques.
Participants receive all supplementary electronic and printed materials
Outcome: The day will culminate in a watercolour painting of a tulip bulb. This exercise is crucial, as it is best to begin refining watercolour techniques on three-dimensional objects.
Monday
8.30 – 9.30 Buffet breakfast of local and regional produce
10.00 – 1.00 Selection of the subject for our main piece. I plan to source seasonal flowers. Theory and practice on pigment control in watercolour painting.
1.00 – 2.00 Lunch at Atelier Clos Mirabel
2.00 – 6.00 Continued painting with individual tuition.
6.00 – Aperitifs before 4 course dinner in the Manor House
What participants will learn today:
● The core stages I emphasize when painting flowers in watercolour.
● How pigment control keeps botanical watercolours clean and adds volume.
● How to correctly lay down blocks of tone and colour using various watercolour
techniques.
● How to apply watercolour techniques on a dry surface.
Outcome: Participants will begin independent work on their chosen flower.
Tuesday
8.30 – 9.30 Buffet breakfast of local and regional produce
10.00 – 1.00 A more detailed look at different watercolour techniques and the unique effects they create. Continuing work on personal projects.
1.00 – 2.00 Lunch at Atelier Clos Mirabel
2.00 – 6.00 Continue painting with individual tuition.
6.00 – Aperitifs before 4 course dinner in the Manor House
What participants will learn today:
● How to seamlessly combine different techniques.
● How to separate details and accurately render the texture of petals.
● How to paint veins convincingly.
Outcome: Continued progress on the main flower painting.
Wednesday – day off
8.30 – 9.30 Buffet breakfast of local and regional produce
We suggest wine tasting in local vineyard, explore Pau or beyond. Alternatively, stay at Clos Mirabel and paint on your own. Please note lunch is not provided on this day.
6.00 – Aperitifs before 4 course dinner in the Manor House
Thursday
8.30 – 9.30 Buffet breakfast of local and regional produce
10.00 – 1.00 Continued work on the main piece, focusing on softening transitions and correcting contours.
1.00 – 2.00 Lunch at Atelier Clos Mirabel
2.00 – 6.00 Continue painting with individual tuition.
6.00 – Aperitifs before 4 course dinner in the Manor House
What participants will learn today:
● How to choose the right watercolor technique to convey the unique character of the flower.
● How to create multifaceted, complex colours using glazing.
● How to paint realistic, three-dimensional stems.
Outcome: Continued work on the flower and leaves.
Friday
8.30 – 9.30 Buffet breakfast of local and regional produce
10.00 – 1.00 Final touches to flowers and leaves, and perfecting the paintings.
1.00 – 2.00 Lunch at Atelier Clos Mirabel
2.00 – 6.00 Review of the final works and get ready for evening exhibition.
6.00 – Aperitifs before 4 course dinner in the Manor House
Personalized recommendations, and a Q&A session covering:
● How to keep highly detailed botanical watercolours looking fresh.
● When to effectively use the wet-on-wet technique during the final stages of a painting.
● How to adjust contours to give the artwork a true sense of volume.
Outcome: finished main peace
Saturday
8.30 – 9.30 Buffet breakfast and departure.
Equipment & Supplies:
Equipment & Supplies in DetailNon-painting guests: we are more than happy to welcome non-painting guests, accompanying partners, family or friends. There are plenty of activities to experience around Clos Mirabel, that will make your holiday unforgettable Click here for more information.
The Art Studio offers a spacious open plan layout of 75 m2. It is available at all times during your stay. Click here for more information.
