Sketching Orlando in&out Workshop Tour with Maru Godás by Urban Sketchers Orlando
A Colorful Sketching Workshop with Guest Instructor Maru Godas from Barcelona, Spain.
Get ready Orlando! A world-renowned Urban Sketchers instructor Maru Godas is coming to town in April! She'll be sharing her artistic magic through a workshop program called "Sketching Orlando, In and Out" - a multi-day tour in Central Florida, with morning and afternoon workshop sessions. It's a fantastic blend of outdoor urban sketching workshops and enriching studio classes, all in Maru's unique mixed-media style. You won't want to miss this!
Day 1: Out Sessions in Downtown Orlando
LOCATION: 20 North Eola Drive Orlando, FL 32801
On Sunday, April 28th, Maru will take her students into the heart of Downtown Orlando for the first of her workshops. She will be conducting two progressive workshops at different spots around Lake Eola. Participants will learn to practice mixed media techniques on location, including gouache, neocolor, and colored pencils. Additionally, they will explore how to plan a sketching reportage and create panoramic works.
Day 2: In Sessions at Sobo Art Gallery Studio
The following days, April 29th and 30th, will see the action moving indoors to the Sobo Art Gallery. Here, Maru will host workshops focused on study techniques. Participants will be immersed in the world of color palettes, textures, synthesis, and form studies, and the use of negative space. On the 3rd day, participants will further delve into texture creation using gouache, pencil, and other materials like the jelly plate. The goal is to produce beautiful compositions combined with line elements such as graphite, colored pencils, or crayons.
Fun-filled Workshop Schedule and List of Supplies You'll Need
Workshop 1: Sunday, April 28th, Morning 9:00-12:00
Ticket Price: $85
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Location: Lake Eola Southeast Lawn (20 North Eola Drive Orlando, FL 32801)
Meeting Spot: Lake Eola Farmers Market on the Park's Southeast Lawn
We will practice various techniques to loosen up your hand: colored pencils, neocolor, graphite pencil, and explore different gouache densities. Learn to create mixed media textures for a fluid dialogue between color forms and lines by combining different materials. We'll study greens (near and far), capture the bustling atmosphere of the farmers' market. You'll learn to use different dry and wet technique materials, combining them to achieve a rich, dynamic look. Apply these techniques to urban greens and bustling spaces.
Basic art supplies list:
1 mixed media sketchbook, hot-pressed paper
A4 drawing low-quality paper
Graphite pencils: 2B, 6B
Black pencil Pitt-oil
Black pen
Eraser
Sharpener
Basic Gouache colors in tubes (regular gouache, not acrylic): Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, and White. Optional extra colors such as turquoise, ocher, raw sienna, orange, opera pink, etc., and an empty palette for mixing.
Brushes: 1 inch flat brush, 2 round brushes, one rigger brush, and a couple of old brushes if available
Water brushes for fast sketching
Water container
Paper towels
Folding stool
Your basic watercolor palette
Oily colored pencils like Polychromos, Luminance, or Prismacolor: ochre, orange, turquoise, dark green, black...
Some Neocolor II crayons: ochre, blue, orange, dark rose, white...
Workshop 2: Sunday, April 28th, Afternoon 3:00-6:00pm
Ticket Price: $85
Time: 3:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: Lake Eola Park Peninsula (566 E. Robinson St. Orlando, FL 32803)
Meeting Spot: Lake Eola North/East at the peninsula near the Pagoda.
In the afternoon session, we'll focus on composition principles, balancing visual rhythm, and experimenting with space deformation. Experience synthesis with micro-sketches and non-local color. We'll work on mixed media panorama, with previous studies of color and composition. You'll learn composition tricks, space deformations for attractive visual readings, and color and shape synthesis studies to highlight elements in your sketches. We'll use dry techniques (graphite, colored pencils, crayons) and wet techniques (gouache and watercolor).
(CHECK the Basic Art supplies list)
Please note that parking around Lake Eola Park can be limited. We recommend reserving your parking spot in advance to ensure a hassle-free experience. An online parking reservation is possible at this link.
DAY 2 (Monday, April 29th): IN SESSIONS at Winter Garden, Sobo Art Gallery Studio.
Ticket Price: $190
Morning Workshop: 10:00pm - 12:00pm
Afternoon Workshop: 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Location: SOBO Art Gallery (127 S Boyd St, Winter Garden) in Winter Garden
Make sure to also check out Day 2 workshop hosted at SOBO Art Gallery. Maru will be hosting a two-part all-day workshop focused on study techniques, covering color palettes, textures, synthesis and form studies, and the use of negative space. Session 1 of the workshop will start at 10:00 AM till 12:00 PM and Session 2 at 2:00 PM till 5:00 PM, with a 1-hour lunch break in between.
Morning Session 10:00-12:00
Dialogue between line and color form. We will create texture maps of various materials and explore their application in our sketching work. We will delve into different color selection criteria and create vibrant palettes. Working with natural elements (leaves, branches, etc.), we will analyze textures, rhythms, and still life compositions. We'll spend an hour practicing outdoors in the surroundings of the gallery. In this workshop, you'll learn to apply different color selection criteria and play with natural elements to create your own universe inspired by organic forms.
Basic Art supplies list:
1 mixed media sketchbook, hot-pressed paper
A4 drawing low-quality paper
A3 or A4 loose leaf pad for wet techniques, hot-pressed
Your basic watercolor palette
Oily colored pencils like Polychromos, Luminance, or Prismacolor: ochre, orange, turquoise, dark green, black...
Some Neocolor II crayons: ochre, blue, orange, dark rose, white...
Graphite pencils: 2B, 6B
Black pencil Pitt-oil
Black pen
Eraser
Sharpener
Basic gouache colors in tubes (regular gouache, not acrylic): Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, and White. Optional extra colors such as turquoise, ocher, raw sienna, orange, opera pink, etc., and an empty palette for mixing.
Brushes: 1 inch flat brush, 2 round brushes, one rigger brush, and a couple of old brushes if available
Water brushes for fast sketching
Water container
Paper towels
Folding stool
Afternoon Session 2:00-5:00
Color and negative spaces. In this workshop, we will learn about color interaction phenomena, how colors work depending on their environment, and the depth and graphic reading effects we can achieve. We will draw on colored paper and learn to "look in negative" and play with its effects. We'll go out to practice in the surroundings of the gallery. We will work step by step on color and shape synthesis towards abstraction. You'll learn to work with negative spaces and apply depth effects in your work through the use of color. Also, you'll learn synthesis processes to abstract color and shape to highlight the essential elements of your drawing.
Basic Art supplies + A4 brightly colored paper (pink, orange, blue, etc.) Loose leaf paper.
We're excited to have you join us in this incredible journey of art and creativity with Maru Godàs. Remember, space in these workshops is limited, so please reserve your spot as soon as possible to ensure you're part of this enriching experience. For additional information and registration details, please click on the provided link. We can't wait to see you there!
About Maru Godas
Maru, born in Barcelona in 1966, trained at the IDEP School of Design and the Escola Superior de Disseny Llotja before establishing her graphic design studio. She collaborated with top publishers and agencies like RBA, Planeta, and National Geographic. While initially focusing on graphic design, her passion for illustration eventually took precedence.
Joining the Urban Sketchers community was transformative, providing opportunities to travel, run workshops, and meet inspiring individuals. Maru enjoys various artistic techniques, particularly gouache and acrylic paint, making her workshops highly appreciated.
Maru is currently a board member of the Centre Artistic de Sant Lluc in Barcelona. She balances illustration commissions, personal book projects, and teaching, including urban sketching and illustration.