Our WHAT TO PACK - WHAT’S PROVIDED Guide

Congratulations ! You’re going on a painting holiday. Here is some basic information on what is provided and what you will need to bring depending on your chosen medium.

TUITION and what to except: Our painting holidays are not intensive painting workshops. We also sightsee, eat, drink and generally have a great time! On the first painting day, your tutor will give a watercolour demonstration for participants working in watercolour. During this time, participants using other media are welcome to work independently, begin a drawing or painting, or simply take the opportunity to test out and familiarise themselves with their paints and materials. Further demonstrations can be given during the week if participants would find them helpful. Those choosing to work in other media — including drawing, pastels, acrylics, oils or gouache — will receive individual guidance during the plein-air painting sessions. Your tutor will move between participants, offering advice tailored to your chosen medium and level of experience, helping with composition, colour, technique and any difficulties that arise as your work develops. Additional help and guidance can be requested at any time throughout the week, so please do not hesitate to ask if you would like further advice or individual assistance. The aim is for everyone to enjoy painting/drawing while benefiting from personalised tuition and support throughout the painting holiday.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND REMINDERS FOR YOUR UPCOMING ART HOLIDAY (as per our terms):

😋👉Meals:

Lunch: A main dish, sparkling or flat carafe water. Dinner: A main dish, a dessert, a glass of wine or sparkling or flat carafe water. 

- No meals on the free day.

Not included: Sides your dish does not come with, alcoholic drinks other than a glass of wine, mocktails (alcohol-free cocktails) or other cold drinks, beer, hot drinks or cold coffee or tea, dishes for two, special platters, catch of the day, dishes sold by the ounce/gramme, lobster dishes or other notably higher-priced dishes. You are of course welcome to order extras on a separate tab.

👉City Tax: To be paid individually at the hotel.

🎨👉 Painting as a group: When painting as a group, we ask that you please respect the group’s concentration. Also please note that our general requirements as per our permits are for us to:

1. Stay together as a group: We cannot have participants stray from the group to paint in their own corner.

2. Be identified as a group: While painting as a group, you will be kindly required to wear our group’s apron (higher part around your neck, tied at the back, please). This will identify you as a participant of our group. 

3. Participants are not allowed to sit on the ground!

4. We ask that you leave your painting spot as clean as possible, please! 🎨🎨🎨

@👉You wish to publish photos or videos on social media (posts and tags): As per our terms, you will please be asked to tag @azenartpaintingholiday (⚠️ Please don’t forget the @ as the name should come out highlighted - # are not tags) in all publications showing the accommodation and/or scenes from our painting holidays: Set up, materials, outings, meals, group, tutor, yourself, or other participants, as well as photos of your artwork produced on our painting holidays.

The reason for this? If untagged photos of our painting activity are posted on social media, blogs or websites, Google can (and has in the past) incorrectly attribute the images and videos to other sources and flags our use of them as uncredited! We have previously had posts removed by Google as a result of this, and we will therefore no longer be sharing photos on the group chat. 

🙏Let’s try not to bring the following to our table or to painting sessions (but we know you won’t): Problems from home, negativity, politics!

👉A request or issue? Please contact your tutor personally on WHATSAPP at any time. 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO BRING: ( A MUST) A comfortable RUCK SAC / BACK PACK (with or without wheels) large and deep enough to hold the board and stool (and optional portable easel if chosen for acrylics or oils). It should open up at the top, possibly with a flap or a zipper, with the possibility of being left slightly open up top so that the stool legs or easel can stick out up top if the height of your bag is slightly too short. No need for an expensive bag ! Decathlon among other stores have adequate bags. NO TOTE BAGS please, as these tend to let objects "hang loose'' and risk harming others. Recommended weight of backpack : 500 g (1 lb). A good size or larger is 56 cm x 26 cm x 26 cm depth . In inches : 23 ‘x 11’ x 10’ depth.

A smart phone + PRE-PAID INTERNET for a week (you will need it during our outings, but also please note that wifi in certain accommodations can be weak). Try to bring a power bank (optional), a tablet (optional) to take photos of scenery or finish-off-later subjects.

You will need to download WHATSAPP on your phone, a free application, to keep in touch with your group starting Day 1 of your holiday.

Walking shoes and appropriate clothing (aim for comfort, beware of staining). A hat or cap, sunglasses, a bathing suit, evening windbreaker or jacket depending on the time of year of your painting holiday. Pre or post summer evenings can be slightly chilly.

A suitable suitcase : A small cabin suitcase is always best on trips as they are light and convenient. Remember that you can possibly post/ship things back in case you are overcome with shopping fever during your trip! For art holidays to TUSCANY (It) or PROVENCE (Fr) with airport transfers, we require that your luggage not exceed the following measurements: 50cm x 70cm (20’ x 27’). Important note: If over-sized luggage cannot fit into our vehicle, we will ask participants to find a place to store it until their return. For your comfort, we also recommend light luggage for VENICE and LAKE COMO.

A carry case or tube for your art work (unless your suitcase has a completely flat side). You will be able to leave this in your room. If using OILS, you will need a WET CANVAS CARRY CASE.

PAINTING MATERIALS -> WHAT YOUR TUTOR IS BRINGING FOR ALL PAINTING OR DRAWING PARTICIPANTS

• Board (general size is 37 x 27 cm / 14.56’ x 10.63’) OR 35 x 25 cm / 13.78’ x 9.84’ • Stool (size 60 cm x 9 cm / 23.5' x 3.5') Maximum weight: 100 kg / 220 Ibs. • Multi-media cold-pressed paper (A4 size, 300 gr) which is taped to the board we provide. If you have chosen acrylics or oils and would rather paint on canvas boards or pre-cut pieces of un-stretched canvas, do not hesitate to bring some (6). • Apron (yours to keep) • Tape • Scissors

Optional portable easel rental on demand (£45/week) for participants who choose acrylics or oils. You can also opt to bring your own BUT ONLY IF IT IS IDENTICAL to the one in our photo below, small in size and metallic. Our permits in different places ONLY ALLOW this type of easel. Please do not bring OTHER TYPES OF EASELS⚠️ or DIFFERENT STOOLS⚠️ or portable shelves, tables etc. ⚠️ etc. Any unauthorised equipment will not be allowed while painting as a group.

PAINTING MATERIALS -> WHAT YOUR TUTOR IS BRINGING (PROVIDED) FOR WATERCOLOUR PARTICIPANTS ON TOP ON WHAT’S LISTED ABOVE: Watercolour paints and brushes. DRAWING PARTICIPANTS WILL HAVE GRAPHITE PENCILS PROVIDED.

IMPORTANT NOTE: MORE ACCOMPLISHED ARTISTS ARE WELCOME TO BRING MATERIALS THEY ARE USED TO USING

Also, if you will not be needing any materials, please let us know.

WHAT TO BRING DEPENDING ON YOUR CHOSEN MEDIUM

Participants who have chosen WATERCOLOURS (RECOMMENDED) as their main medium: Paints and brushes are provided, as well as a board, stool and and apron. YOU WILL NEED TO BRING a rubber/eraser, pencil, plastic palette, a couple of waterproof fine liner pens (0.1 and 0.4 or 0.7 are perfect), a plastic cup or half cut bottle, paper towels, a small bottle of water.

OPTIONAL: A watercolour sketchbook, masking fluid, a sharpener, cotton buds/Q-tips, watercolour pencils, watercolour sketchbook, wet wipes.

Participants who have chosen DRAWING as their main medium: Pencils and paper are provided, as well as a board, stool and apron. YOU WILL NEED TO BRING a pencil case with a rubber/eraser, a pencil sharpener, wet wipes. You can also bring (OPTIONAL): Blending stumps, a ruler, coloured pencils, a sketchbook (loose multi-medium paper is also provided).

The following mediums (below) are not recommended for beginners:

PASTELS (EXPERIENCED ARTISTS ONLY): The following equipment/materials are provided for the week: Stool, board, apron, dry pastels (upon request at no extra charge). Please bring your own pastels (unless you request some), pastel paper (or you are also welcome to use our multimedia paper), glassine sheets (about 10 printer paper size), a pencil case, blending stumps, and wet wipes. OPTIONAL: Gloves, a soft or hard brush for creating effects or clearing.

GOUACHE (EXPERIENCED ARTISTS ONLY): The following equipment/materials are provided for the week: Stool, board, apron, gouache set with 8 colours (upon request at no extra charge), paintbrushes. Please bring your own gouache (unless you request some), a pencil, a rubber/eraser, a palette, wet wipes, a small bottle filled with tap water, a cup, cloth/rag. You may want to bring a gouache/watercolour sketchbook, as this can be a fun way to paint along the week! Reminder: Multi-media cold pressed paper is provided, but feel free to bring your own if you wish.

ACRYLICS (EXPERIENCED ARTIST ONLY): The following equipment will be provided for the week: Stool, board, apron. Please bring acrylic paints, extra white paint, paintbrushes, a pencil, a rubber/eraser, a tear-off palette pad, wet wipes, a small bottle filled with tap water, a cup, cloth/rag. Reminder: Multi-media cold pressed paper is provided, but feel free to bring canvas boards (about 5 or 6) or pieces of un-streched canvas + 3 board clips.

OILS (EXPERIENCED ARTISTS ONLY): The following equipment will be provided for the week: Stool, board, apron. Please note that this medium is a tricky medium ⚠️ to use on painting holidays because of long drying times and portability! If to you oils is the only way to go, then please bring oil paints (water soluble oils are best and much appreciated painting in a group), or regular oil paints with ODOURLESS SOLVENT (a must!). Also please bring a container for your solvent (unless using water soluble oils, then simply bring a cup), a pencil, a rubber/eraser, a tear-off palette pad, cloth/rag, wet wipes, a wet painting carrying case (a must, in order to bring your work home). We recommend RAYMAR cases. Reminder: Multi-media cold pressed paper is provided, but feel free to bring canvas boards (about 5 or 6) or pieces of un-stretched canvas + 3 board clips. Please note that walnut or linseed oil are not recommended as they make drying take even longer!

ALL PARTICIPANTS: You may also want to bring... A bathing suit! Destinations where you can swim: Tuscany, Venice (Lido island), Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast/Pompeii, Nice and Provence (France), Santorini and Mykonos (Greece), Lake Como, Sicily, Croatia. Please do not forget to check on monthly temperatures of your destination.

YOU’RE ALL SET TO HAVE A FANTASTIC PAINTING HOLIDAY !