Building Realism with Coloured Pencil
with Megan Seiter
🗓️ April 11th to 18th 2027
🎨 Coloured Pencil
Language: English
Full Board Accommodation: From 2,490€ for 7 nights at our other venue Borgo Burlamacchi
Tutor's Fee: €1,000
Partners & family may join the trip as non-participating guests without the teaching fee.
Course Description
Spend a week immersed in the Tuscan countryside with Megan, exploring a calm and thoughtful approach to working with coloured pencil. This course offers space to slow down, observe closely, and develop your work in a supportive and inspiring environment.
Each day will begin with a demonstration, followed by guided working time with individual support. We'll focus on building form through light pressure, gradual layering, and careful observation, learning how depth and softness emerge over time. Subjects are inspired by the natural surroundings and are intentionally simple, allowing you to work with clarity and intention.
The pace is steady and unhurried, with time to refine your work and ask questions as you go. Along the way, you'll develop a more intuitive understanding of color, value, and how to approach a drawing as a whole.
No prior coloured pencil experience is required, and the course is best suited for those who are interested in developing their skills in a focused and meaningful way. By the end of the week, you'll leave with a stronger understanding of the medium and a more confident, considered approach to your work.
Course Outline
Sunday
16:00 - Check in & Estate Tour
18:00 - Welcome aperitivo followed by dinner
Monday
08:30 - 9:30 - Italian breakfast
10:00 - 13:00 - Morning session: demonstration followed by guided working time with individual support
13:00 - 14:00 - Farm to table lunch at Borgo Burlamacchi
14:30 - 16:30 - Afternoon session: continued development of work with one-on-one guidance
18:30 - Aperitivo followed by dinner
Tuesday
08:30 - 9:30 - Italian breakfast
10:00 - 13:00 - Morning session: demonstration followed by guided working time with individual support
13:00 - 14:00 - Farm to table lunch at Borgo Burlamacchi
14:30 - 16:30 - Afternoon session: continued development of work with one-on-one guidance
18:30 - Aperitivo followed by dinner
Wednesday
08:30 - 9:30 - Italian breakfast
Class Break — Stay at the retreat and relax, or visit Florence/Lucca for the day
Thursday
08:30 - 9:30 - Italian breakfast
10:00 - 13:00 - Morning session: demonstration followed by guided working time with individual support
13:00 - 14:00 - Farm to table lunch at Borgo Burlamacchi
14:30 - 16:30 - Afternoon session: continued development of work with one-on-one guidance
18:30 - Aperitivo followed by dinner
Friday
08:30 - 9:30 - Italian breakfast
10:00 - 13:00 - Morning session: demonstration followed by guided working time with individual support
13:00 - 14:00 - Farm to table lunch at Borgo Burlamacchi
14:30 - 16:30 - Afternoon session: continued development of work with one-on-one guidance
18:30 - Aperitivo followed by dinner
Saturday
08:30 - 9:30 - Italian breakfast
10:00 - 13:00 - Morning session: demonstration followed by guided working time with individual support
13:00 - 14:00 - Farm to table lunch at Borgo Burlamacchi
14:30 - 16:30 - Afternoon session: continued development of work with one-on-one guidance
18:30 - Aperitivo followed by dinner
Sunday
08:30 - 9:30 - Italian breakfast
10:00 -Check out
Accommodation & Inclusions
Bedroom with Shared Bathroom:
Single occupancy: €2,490
Double occupancy: €3,690
Bedroom with En-Suite:
Single occupancy: €2,790
Double occupancy: €3,990
Superior Bedroom with En-Suite:
Single occupancy: €3,090
Double occupancy: €4,290
Suite - Master Bedroom, Living Room, En-Suite Bathroom
Single occupancy: €3,500
Double occupancy: €4,700
What's included
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7 nights' accommodation
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All meals on-site
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Pizza making experience
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Materials
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Daily Aperitivo
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Painting Easel
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Paper
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Arrival & departure transfers
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Infinity pool
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Wifi
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Laundry facilities
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VAT tax
What's not included
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City tax (€2.50 per person per day to be paid in cash on arrival)
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Day trips
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Any food, drinks or meals taken off-site
Optional Add-ons
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Massage
About Megan
Megan Seiter is an American artist known for her highly detailed colored pencil drawings. Originally from Rhode Island, she received her BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art and now lives and works in California.
Her work focuses on subtle shifts in color, light, and texture, built through a slow and layered process using colored pencil and pastel. Through this approach, she creates drawings with a quiet intensity and a strong sense of depth and atmosphere.
Megan has presented solo exhibitions with Dolby Chadwick Gallery and Meyer Gallery, and her work has been exhibited internationally, including at Saatchi Gallery. Her drawings have been featured in publications such as Fine Art Connoisseur, American Art Collector, International Artist Magazine, and Artists Magazine.
She has received numerous awards for her work, including recognition from the International Guild of Realism, Colored Pencil Society of America, American Women Artists, and the Art Renewal Center.
