You asked for it, and we made it happen! After receiving glowing reviews for their 2024 workshop, our internationally renowned sketching dream team—Jane Blundell, Eduardo Bajzek, Nina Johansson, and Oliver Hoeller—are returning to Madeline Island for the 2025 season with a brand-new curriculum!

“The workshop was one of the best I’ve ever taken! The four instructors were incredibly knowledgeable, well-prepared, and each brought a unique teaching style. I loved having a different instructor every day, which kept the experience lively, varied, and highly educational. Everything was so well organized!” – 2024 student testimonial

This 5-day immersive workshop is designed to help you build a solid foundation in sketching while pushing your creative boundaries. With expert guidance from four world-class instructors, you’ll explore exciting subject matter around the island, experimenting with new techniques and concepts that will enhance your skills and boost your confidence as an urban sketcher.

Whether you’re looking to sharpen your basics or add fresh elements to your work, this course offers the perfect combination of instruction, inspiration, and hands-on practice in a stunning setting. Don’t miss the chance to learn from the best and be part of this unforgettable sketching experience!

Workshop Itinerary:

Students will interact with a new instructor and visit a new location everyday.

Detailed Monochrome Studies from Life at the Museum

Instructor: Jane Blundell

Foundational Concept: Line and Tone 

Morning session:

Working with a range of ink pens and tools, we’ll explore methods of building texture using line. This includes hatching and cross-hatching, scribble, stipple, and brushwork. We’ll use felt-tip pens, fountain pens, dip pens, Kakimori and other nibs and sticks. Graphite pencils and water-soluble graphite are also welcome if you prefer.

Afternoon session: using the techniques from the morning, we’ll work in the Madeline Island Museum drawing a few objects in detail. Monochrome washes will be added to speed up the process, but line will be the ‘hero’ of the studies.

Vignettes Full of Life around town

Instructor: Oliver Hoeller

Foundational Concept: picture making, loose watercolor & friends

Morning session: 

In the studio we will cover key concepts of how to build an image that is both coherent and lively. 

We will touch on areas including overlap, silhouette, focus, unity and detail. After that we will bring those concepts to life by sketching around campus in line and watercolor. This includes a three step watercolor process that finishes with acrylic pens and colored pencils.

Afternoon session: 

 In the afternoon you will apply your new skills on location in town. You will select and sketch your own Vignettes Full of Life with help and one-on-one feedback by Oliver throughout the afternoon.

VISUAL READING – Using Your Perception to Build Scenes

Instructor: Eduardo Bajzek

Foundational Concept: Perceptive approach to perspective, measurement, proportions, depth, tones

The goal of this workshop is to develop tools and approaches to build a drawing of a building and its setting with character.

Morning session:

During the morning, we will study and practice basic concepts related to drawing a scene. We will review the main aspects of perspective both in class and on location, creating small line drawings. Then, we will learn how to measure angles and distances on-site so that we can begin to compose a scene. We will draw some of the charming buildings on the school campus

Afternoon session:

We will start a larger drawing using pencils and/or pens on toned paper. First, we will ensure that the subject fits on the paper and determine how much space will be left for the surroundings. To add character, we will apply white pastel and colored pencils on toned paper to create sophisticated effects.

 Old but Gold: Capturing the Character of Vintage Cars

Instructor: Nina Johansson

Foundational Concept: changing points of view, exploring form, conveying materials and textures

Morning session:

We will start each day by going through a few key concepts for building form and capturing the volume of a subject, without overthinking it.  We will also look at how textures and color can be applied with different tools to convey various materials in a convincing manner.  We will then head out to apply this in sketching the local island vintage cars, while getting acquainted to their specific form language and character.

Afternoon session:

Now that we know our revered models, what happens when we change our point of view? This is when we have to let go of what the brains knows (“this is a car”) and start trusting our eyes and tools to capture our subject. A few key concepts, tips and tricks will be run through in the studio, then we will bring it all to action in tackling our models from new angles.

Materials required: See supply list link below

Click below for an informative webinar and Q & A with Jane, Oliver, Eduardo and Nina: