Drawing & Painting Workshops

Professional artists provide drawing instruction for all skill levels.

VIS Studio unites experienced artists to offer comprehensive drawing instruction.

Located in Nanaimo, the Vancouver Island Sculpting Studio is a fully equipped professional art space that supports artists and fosters creativity.

Participants receive guidance from professional artists in an environment designed to inspire and support artistic expression.

We offer a variety of drawing workshops to suit different interests and skill levels.

Register now to reserve your place in the upcoming drawing workshops.

A non-refundable administration fee of $50 is required upon registration. This fee will be applied to the total cost of the workshop.

Gesture Drawing

Discover the Language of the Human Figure

Drawing is more than observation—it is a practice of presence. Join us for an immersive gesture drawing experience that explores the energy, rhythm, and expression of the human figure.

Schedule:

Monthly sessions beginning Tuesday, September 8

Followed by the first Tuesday of each month:

• Tuesday, October 6

• Tuesday, November 3

• Tuesday, December 1

Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Participants are welcome to arrive between 5:30 PM and 6:00 PM to set up.

Session Format

First 90 minutes: Guided instruction and exercises (without a model)

Second 90 minutes: Gesture drawing with a live nude model

Level: Suitable for beginner and intermediate artists

Maximum Enrollment: 12 participants

Instructors: Joshua Tuil & Hila Tuil

In this workshop, Joshua and Hila will guide participants through the foundations and expressive possibilities of gesture drawing. Working with a live nude model, artists will learn to capture movement, rhythm, and emotion through the human figure.

Rather than approaching drawing as a purely technical exercise, these sessions encourage participants to see the body as a dynamic interplay of energy, weight, balance and flow.  Students will learn to recognize and express the essential forces within a pose—tension and release, compression and extension, rhythm and asymmetry.

Through a combination of quick sketches and longer studies, participants will develop a stronger understanding of gesture, proportion, body mechanics, structure, volume, shading, line quality, and movement. Emphasis will be placed on simplifying the figure into clear, expressive forms while building confidence in capturing its living essence.

Whether you are new to figure drawing or looking to deepen an existing practice, these sessions offer an inspiring environment to strengthen observational skills, develop artistic confidence, and bring greater life and expression to your work. Technique and creativity grow together in a supportive and engaging studio setting.

Single Session: $90.00 (taxes included)

Cost: Register Fee (Full Series, 3 sessions): $260. + GST = Total $ 273.00, tax included

TO REGISTER: Please complete the registration form, and we will get back to you.

Responsive Drawing and Composition

This is a 6-hour workshop: 2 weekly 3-hour sessions.

Sunday, September 20 & 27

from 1 pm - 4 pm

Level: beginners and intermediates.

MAXIMUM: 10 STUDENTS PER CLASS

Instructor: Darcy Johnson

Day 1: 

On the first day of this course, participants will work with pen and ink, graphite, and charcoal to explore personal visual language. Through guided imagery, mood suggestions, varied techniques, and experimentation with tools, each participant will create unique abstract drawings. Group discussions will focus on analyzing individual imagery to identify distinctive mark-making and its impact on viewers.

This course emphasizes self-discovery through playful exploration. The focus will be on the creative process rather than the final product. By constructing abstract shapes, lines, and forms, participants will generate unique compositions for group response and reflection. This approach fosters deeper insight into both individual and collective creative practices.

Day 2: 

The second day of the Responsive Drawing series serves as a continuation of Day 1 or as an independent session. Participants will explore a range of colour palettes and examine their influence on composition and mood. Each student will start with a simple abstract drawing and apply a chosen colour harmony to observe its effects. As on Day 1, group discussions will examine the impact of composition and colour on the viewer's experience and interpretation.

These courses encourage participants to view both their own artwork and that of others from new perspectives. The primary objective is to expand creative toolkits, promote intentional artistic choices, and enrich the overall experience of engaging with art.

Cost: Registration fee $210. + Materials $30. + GST Total: $267.75 tax included

TO REGISTER: Please complete the registration form, and we will get back to you.

Portrait Drawing

Structure, Observation & The Creative Mind

This is a 6-hour workshop with 3-hour weekly sessions.

Sunday, October 4 & 11

from 1 pm to 4 pm

Level: beginners and intermediates.

Maximum: 10 students per class

Instructor: Joshua Tuil

Portrait Drawing: Structure, Observation, and the Creative Mind
Instructor: Joshua Tuil

Portrait drawing goes beyond simply copying a face. It is about understanding and building the human presence. In this class, students will explore portraiture through a structured yet creative approach that integrates observation, anatomy, design, and intuition. By blending clear construction techniques with imagination and emotion, artists can create portraits that look believable and full of life.

We will work together to break down the head into simple, easy-to-understand shapes and relationships. Students will learn to look beyond individual features and see how structure, proportion, perspective, planes, and rhythm come together to form a strong portrait. With guided exercises and step-by-step studies, we will help you simplify what you see, make better artistic choices, and approach realism with more confidence.

This course encourages artists to draw in a way that combines instinct and creativity, letting observation and feeling support each other. Students will practice balancing accuracy with expression, structure with sensitivity, and technical skills with their own interpretation. You will work on shading, edge control, form design, likeness, composition, and visual storytelling when making portraits.

Whether you are just starting out or are an experienced artist looking to improve your realism and personal style, these sessions provide a supportive and inspiring space for both technical growth and creative freedom. In the end, portrait drawing is not just about copying a face, but about learning to see, understand, and show the humanity within it.

Cost: Registration fee $210. + Materials $35. + GST Total: $267.75 tax included

TO REGISTER: Please complete the registration form, and we will get back to you.

 Watercolour Workshop

Techniques and Tips for Elevated Achievement

THIS IS A 9-HOUR WORKSHOP: 3 WEEKLY SESSIONS OF 3 HOURS.

Saturday, October 10, 17 and 24

from 1 pm to 4 pm

LEVEL: BEGINNERS AND INTERMEDIATES. 

MAXIMUM: 6 STUDENTS PER CLASS

Instructor: John Hofman

Watercolours have a reputation for being difficult, but the challenge usually comes from trying to force the medium. In this beginner-friendly workshop, you learn to embrace the fluid nature of water combined with colours. We’ll teach you when to guide the pigment and when to step back and let physics do the work.

- Step-by-step demonstrations to make watercolour techniques easy to understand.

- Essential theory and hands-on exercises to build a strong foundation.

- The confidence to keep painting and explore your own creative style.

Watercolour Workshop.

Many people try to work with watercolours but find them too difficult to control, and that is part of the problem. This workshop shifts the beginner's mindset from controlling the paint to collaborating with it. Because water flows and blends on its own, new painters must learn when to guide the medium and when to step back and let physics do the work. Through demonstrations, theory, and practice exercises, beginners gain a solid foundation for enjoying this medium, building confidence, and exploring exciting directions.

Fundamentals

Minimum materials required, setting up your workspace, and methods to transfer images to your watercolour paper. A look at basic washes: flat wash, graded wash, and variegated wash with a demo and hands-on practice. Balancing water to pigment proportions using the “tea-coffee-cream” analogy. Paint application techniques such as “Wet on Dry” and “Wet on Wet.” The session concludes with a project using these techniques to bring it all together.

The Colour Circle and some Terminology.

A look at the colour Circle. Watercolour pigment properties: transparency, tinting strength, staining and lifting, granulation, and others. The basics of colour mixing. Monochrome, tonal values of colours, and colour temperature. The session concludes with a project using these techniques to bring it all together.

Making the most of your pigments: three ways of applying pigment and water dilutions to paper: layering with glazes, blending on paper, and mixing in a palette. Using a limited palette with three primary colours. Choosing a palette with primaries, earth colours, and “convenience” colours. Working light to dark or vice versa. Some tips and pitfalls to watch for. The session concludes with a project using these techniques to bring it all together. Altogether.

Cost: Registration fee $310. + Materials $30. + GST Total: $357.00 tax included

TO REGISTER: Please complete the registration form, and we will get back to you.

Caricature Drawing Workshop

Exploring Human Nature Through Caricature'

This workshop consists of two 3-hour weekly sessions, totalling 6 hours.

Sunday, November 8 & 15

from 1 pm to 4 pm

Sessions are held from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Level: Suitable for beginners and intermediate participants.

Enrollment is limited to 10 students per class.

Instructor: Joshua Tuil

Caricature extends beyond simply drawing faces; it involves perceiving individuals on a deeper level. Every expression, wrinkle, posture, and smile conveys a unique narrative. In this course, you will develop observational skills to identify the distinctive qualities that define each face. Caricature encompasses not only humour and exaggeration but also empathy, intuition, and an appreciation for individuality.

Participants will learn to deconstruct facial features into basic shapes and experiment with various proportions, rhythms, and designs to create expressive caricatures. The course includes exercises in rapid sketching to capture likenesses, as well as more detailed drawings incorporating shading, volume, and colour. Instruction emphasizes balancing humour and charm, guiding you to exaggerate features while maintaining warmth and humanity in your work.

This course welcomes beginners, portrait artists, illustrators, animators, and anyone interested in exploring human character. Caricature offers an engaging approach to developing observational skills, confidence, and creativity. Participants are encouraged to move beyond perfectionism, trust their instincts, and rediscover the enjoyment of drawing. Ultimately, caricature is not intended to ridicule but to celebrate the unique qualities of each individual.

Cost: Registration fee $210. + Materials $35. + GST Total: $267.75 tax included

TO REGISTER: Please complete the registration form, and we will get back to you.

 Vancouver Island Sculpting Studio: Refund and Cancellation Policies

A non-refundable $50 administrative fee is due at registration and will be applied to the total workshop cost.

Refund Policies:

Cancellations made seven days or more before the first class will receive a full refund, minus the $50 administrative fee. Cancellations less than six days before the first session, including same-day cancellations, are not eligible for a refund or rescheduling.

Workshop Cancellation Policy:

Vancouver Island Sculpting Studio may cancel or postpone workshops due to low enrolment, instructor illness, inclement weather, or other unforeseen circumstances. If a workshop is cancelled, you may transfer to another workshop or receive a full refund. Participants will be notified promptly, and refunds will be processed without delay.