WATERCOLOR PENCIL WORKSHOP
Instructor - Fernando Porras
A native Venezuelan, Porras has dedicated over twenty years to portraying the peoples of Amazonia, splitting his time between his studios in Paris and the United States and his work in the field among different tribes of Venezuela, Brazil, and Colombia.
Painting with oil on canvases that average six to seven feet, Porras studies how color, light, and the creative use of negative space have a unique effect when worked on large formats.
His work is represented in some of the most prominent galleries in Paris, New York, Miami, Beirut, and Caracas, and has been exhibited extensively throughout the world, with multiple exhibits in Barcelona, Basel, Beirut, Chicago, Dubai, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Miami, Mumbai, New York, Palm Beach, Paris, and Singapore, among many others.
A collection of watercolors (www.portamagicae.com) - the result of a project which has taken him around the world for many years to create an illustrated children’s book series - is under preparation at the moment. Sketches done in the Andes, the Galapagos Islands, Rome, Istanbul, and many other locations have now become beautifully detailed watercolors that serve as inspiration for the books and support their creation.
Supply List
WATERCOLOR PENCIL & INK PEN WORKSHOP
Capture the energy of the world around you with expressive ink lines and vibrant watercolor pencil. In this two-day workshop, Fernando Porras shares an approachable way to create lively sketches for travel journals, urban studies, and everyday visual notes. Learn to let go of perfectionism, loosen up your line work, and capture the character of a scene without getting caught up in every detail.
We will focus specifically on faster, easier sketching—learning to let go of perfectionism, bypass rigid outlines, and use quick, loose ink work paired with spontaneous watercolor pencil washes.
Through rapid sighting shortcuts and gesture-driven mark-making, you'll discover how to capture the vitality and essence of any scene in just a few minutes. It is the perfect approach for travel journals, quick studies, and confident everyday sketchbook work.
Materials: Students bring their own supplies. Paper towels are provided. Please review the supply list before attending.
Learning highlights:
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Create loose, expressive ink lines and gesture-driven sketches.
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Combine line work with vibrant watercolor pencil.
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Use rapid sighting techniques to simplify what you see.
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Apply practical shortcuts to sketch more efficiently.
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Build confidence and move beyond perfectionism.
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Develop an approach suited to travel journals, urban studies, and everyday observations.