Workshops & Art

Art Workshops for Adults Who "Can't Draw"

You do not need talent to enjoy an art workshop. Here is why adult beginners do well, which medium to try first, and how to stop judging your own work.

"I can't draw" is the most common thing people say when they walk into a studio. It is usually followed, an hour later, by "wait, this is fun."

Why adults make good beginners

• You can follow instructions. Children are fearless. Adults are careful. Careful is useful with watercolour and resin.
• You have taste. You already know what you like. That is half of making things.
• You are not being graded. Nobody is. This is not school.

Which medium to try first

• Oil pastel if you want colour immediately and no drying time.
• Watercolour if you like soft, loose results and can accept surprises.
• Air-dry clay if you would prefer to use your hands and not think about drawing at all.
• Wire if you like puzzles.
• Zines and collage if you are sure you cannot draw. You are cutting and arranging, not drawing.

How to stop judging your work

1. Make three small pieces, not one big one. The third is always better.
2. Do not compare your first try to someone's hundredth.
3. Keep the ugly one. In a month you will like it.
4. Describe what you made in neutral words: "blue, wet, leaning left." It is harder to be cruel in neutral words.

What a first session costs you

A couple of hours and some nervousness. Materials are provided at our studio, and you take your work home.

Ready? Read what to expect at a home studio art workshop, then message us. If you would like to warm up first, take a notebook to a café and try one page of the Marikina Field Notes approach: draw your cup, badly, on purpose.