Urban Sketching for Beginners – Discover the City through Line and Color
Tadeusz Golla
Cities are living landscapes of rhythm, movement, and stories waiting to be captured. Urban Sketching transforms these fleeting moments into visual narratives created with line, color, and personal observation.
In this inspiring workshop led by Tadeusz Golla, participants will discover the foundations of urban sketching – one of the most vibrant and contemporary approaches to drawing from life. The workshop combines mindful observation with expressive line work and intuitive use of color, allowing participants to translate the atmosphere of the city into lively visual sketches.
Participants will explore the essential tools and materials used by urban sketchers and learn how to build dynamic compositions in their sketchbooks. The workshop will demonstrate how line and color can work together naturally, creating expressive and authentic visual impressions of urban space.
A key aspect of the session is overcoming the fear of the blank page and developing creative confidence. Urban sketching is not about perfection – it is about capturing the spirit of a place, interpreting the moment, and embracing spontaneity in the creative process.
Part of the workshop will take place outdoors in the urban environment, where participants will sketch directly from observation – surrounded by architecture, people, and the vibrant life of the city.
The workshop is designed for beginners as well as anyone eager to discover the joy of drawing the city and developing their visual sensitivity.
Join the workshop and experience the city through the eyes of an artist.
Let the line guide your hand and allow color to tell the story of the place.
Workshops open to all – no limit on the number of participants
Sketching with Light – POSCA Markers on Black
Krzysztof Kałuszka
What happens when drawing begins with darkness? In this workshop you will discover how black becomes the perfect stage for light, color, and contrast. It is an exploration of illustration where vibrant pigments emerge from deep black surfaces, creating bold and luminous compositions.
The workshop will be led by Krzysztof Kałuszka – illustrator, painter, and drawing instructor, a graduate of the Institute of Art at the University of Silesia in Cieszyn. He is an active member of the Urban Sketchers community and currently creates illustrations and game graphics at the game development studio Infinite Dreams in Gliwice.
During the workshop participants will explore the creative potential of POSCA acrylic markers, known for their strong pigmentation and versatility. Through guided demonstrations, Krzysztof will show how to build compositions on dark surfaces, how to use different marker tips effectively, and how to create vibrant, high-contrast images that seem to glow from the page.
The session focuses on hands-on practice, experimentation, and discovering how line, color, and contrast interact on black paper. Participants will learn both fundamental techniques and more advanced approaches to creating striking visual effects with acrylic markers.
Each participant will create a finished artwork on high-quality black paper, ready to take home as a personal piece inspired by the festival.
The workshop is open to both beginners and experienced artists interested in illustration, drawing, and experimenting with new techniques and materials.
Step into a world where color emerges from darkness.
Join the workshop and experience drawing through light.
Ink and Emotion – Watercolor Stories of Medieval Silesia
Kate Grishakova
History can be more than a record of events. It can become atmosphere, emotion, and visual storytelling. In this unique watercolor workshop, participants will explore how historical inspiration can transform into expressive and poetic illustrations.
The workshop will be led by Kate Grishakova, an artist known for her evocative watercolor illustrations and narrative approach to visual art. During the session, participants will create small-format watercolor illustrations inspired by the medieval history of Rybnik and the Silesian region.
Starting from selected historical motifs – architectural details, coats of arms, local legends, and symbolic figures – participants will explore how historical “matter” can evolve into emotional imagery. The focus will not be on historical accuracy, but on atmosphere, mood, and personal interpretation.
Through guided sketching and painting exercises, Kate will introduce techniques used in expressive watercolor illustration, including building mood through color, creating texture and light, and developing storytelling compositions inspired by architecture and history.
Participants will create their own watercolor illustrations inspired by medieval Rybnik and Silesia, interpreting historical themes through personal artistic language.
The workshop is open to artists, illustrators, watercolor enthusiasts, and anyone interested in art and storytelling. No advanced experience is required.
Participants are kindly asked to bring their own watercolor paints and basic painting materials.
Join the workshop and transform history into emotion through watercolor storytelling.
Color – Expression – Portrait
Magda Kłos
Color has the power to tell stories, evoke emotion, and shape the atmosphere of an artwork. In the workshop “Color – Expression – Portrait”, participants will explore how portrait painting can become a space for artistic freedom, where color and expression take the leading role.
The workshop will be led by Magda Kłos, painter and graduate of the Faculty of Art at the University of Silesia. Her artistic practice focuses on expressive portrait painting and the emotional language of color. Her works have been presented in both solo and group exhibitions in galleries and cultural institutions, where she continues to develop a distinctive painterly style based on atmosphere and vibrant color.
During the workshop, participants will create a female portrait or a freely interpreted expressive portrait, focusing not on realistic detail but on the emotional impact of color, gesture, and composition. The session encourages experimentation with color relationships, contrasts, and harmonies to create portraits that feel alive and expressive.
The workshop begins with an introduction to working consciously with color – exploring the color wheel, relationships between hues, harmony and contrast, and ways of building a painterly palette capable of conveying mood and intensity.
In the practical session, participants will develop their own portraits while experimenting with color, composition, and expressive painting techniques. Magda Kłos will guide the process with individual feedback and artistic insight.
The workshop concludes with a shared presentation and discussion of the artworks, reflecting on color choices, emotional impact, and the development of a personal visual language.
The workshop is open to beginners as well as anyone interested in portrait painting and exploring the expressive potential of color.
Let color lead the story.
Join the workshop and discover how portrait painting can become a powerful expression of emotion.
The participant may have any set of paints, brushes and canvas of any size.
Suggested materials:
Canvas (70 × 60 cm)
Acrylic paints Renesans 200 ml:
03. Naples Yellow
04. Lemon Yellow
05. Medium Yellow
08. Vermilion
11. Carmine
12. Yellow Ochre
16. Phthalo Green
19. Sky Blue
20. Phthalo Blue
21. Ultramarine
22. Navy Blue ×3
24. Burnt Sienna
26. Van Dyke Brown
34. Pastel Ivory Black
35. Light Flesh Tone ×3
36. Dark Flesh Tone ×3
37. Burgundy
38. Royal Blue
39. Turquoise
41. Pastel Blue ×3
42. Renesans Blue
43. Green Earth
46. Ultramarine Green
47. Umber
Neon acrylic paints 100 ml:
49. Fluorescent Yellow
50. Fluorescent Orange
51. Fluorescent Vermilion
53. Fluorescent Pink
54. Fluorescent Green
Flat brushes suitable for acrylic painting, various widths, soft, synthetic.
Palette for mixing paints, water container, paper towels, wet wipes.
“Painted with Soot” – watercolor between light and shadow
Katarzyna Jędrys-Siuda
Can watercolor carry the texture of ash and the depth of charcoal? In the workshop “Painted with Soot”, participants will explore an unexpected dimension of watercolor painting where delicate pigment meets the raw materiality of watercolor charcoal.
The workshop will be led by Katarzyna Jędrys-Siuda (Kasia J. Siuda) – art historian, illustrator, and watercolor artist whose work is inspired by nature, light, and the atmospheric qualities of landscape. Her artworks have been presented at numerous international exhibitions and plein-air events.
During the session participants will discover how to combine traditional watercolor techniques with watercolor charcoal, a distinctive medium that introduces grainy textures, deep shadows, and organic structure into the painting process. This dialogue of materials creates atmospheric compositions where the fluidity of watercolor interacts with the expressive power of charcoal.
The workshop invites participants to experiment and develop a nature-inspired composition – a landscape, fragment of nature, or expressive impression. Special attention will be given to observing the relationship between light and shadow, water and pigment, and to building atmosphere through texture and contrast.
Working in an intimate workshop setting, participants will have the opportunity to explore new artistic approaches and expand their watercolor practice.
Duration: 3 hours
Participants: 10–15 people
The workshop is open to both beginners and more experienced watercolor enthusiasts interested in discovering new techniques and creative possibilities.
Let water, pigment, and charcoal create a story of nature.
Join the workshop and discover a new material dimension of watercolor.
Materials provided by the instructor:
Cotton paper (Italia) 300g
Water-soluble charcoal
Watercolor paints
Materials to bring yourself:
Plastic or porcelain palette
Water container
Paper towel
Hair dryer
Board (plywood/plexiglass)
Spray bottle
Knife/scalpel
Pencil, eraser
Brushes (wide flat hake, medium round, mop, flat, smaller brush for details)
Linocut & Line Art – Jewelry Inspired by Drawing and the Power of the Line
Aneta Gajos
A line can tell a story. Sometimes delicate and subtle, sometimes bold like the carved mark of a linocut. In the artistic language of Aneta Gajos, the line becomes a powerful expression of emotion, feminine energy, and creative intuition. In this author’s workshop participants will discover how drawing and printmaking can transform into artistic jewelry, turning a graphic motif into a personal symbol that can be worn.
The workshop invites participants into the world of Line Art and linocut-inspired graphics, two important elements of the artist’s creative practice. The fluid, expressive line meets the strong graphic character of linocut, creating a visual language that can move from paper into the world of contemporary jewelry.
The session will be led by Aneta Gajos – visual artist, watercolorist, and jewelry designer whose works are presented at international art festivals and exhibitions across Europe and Asia. In her artistic practice she develops a distinctive Line Art language, while many of her jewelry designs originate from watercolors, ink drawings, and linocut prints. These graphic works are later transformed into unique wearable art objects.
This journey – from drawing to print, and from print to object – becomes the central story of the workshop.
During the session participants will explore how gesture, rhythm of line, and linocut-inspired motifs can become the starting point for jewelry design. The process begins with drawing – exploring symbols, silhouettes, and abstract forms – which will then evolve into a concept for a personal jewelry piece.
The workshop also reflects one of the key themes in the artist’s work – the strength of feminine expression in art. Lines, gestures, and symbolic forms become a visual language through which participants can create personal and expressive designs.
Participants will move through several creative stages:
– developing a motif inspired by line art and linocut aesthetics,
– exploring rhythm, contrast, and expressive line,
– designing a unique jewelry element based on their own graphic motif.
The workshop becomes a dialogue between drawing, printmaking, and wearable design, revealing how a simple line – whether fluid like ink or bold like a linocut mark – can transform into a small sculptural form that can be worn.
The workshop is open to artists, illustrators, designers, and anyone interested in artistic jewelry and creative experimentation.
Transform line into form.
Discover how drawing and linocut can become jewelry – a personal symbol you can wear.
More about the artist:
www.anetagajos.com
Let your line speak.
Join the workshop and become part of the creative spirit of FINEness.
Light in the City
Irina Yushmanova (Mexico)
April 18, 2026 | 
17:15–19:00
Historic Ignacy Mine
The workshop led by Irina Yushmanova — an internationally active artist recognized for her ability to synthesize complex scenes and work with light in watercolor — offers an intensive exploration of image-making based on reduction and conscious selection.
The core idea of the workshop is that the strength of an image lies not in detail, but in capturing its essence. Participants will learn how to simplify urban and natural complexity, focusing on movement, atmosphere, and emotional impact.
The session begins with a live demonstration — “from zero to one hundred” — during which the artist presents her full painting process step by step. The demonstration covers material handling, brushwork, color mixing, and the importance of timing in watercolor. Participants are encouraged to observe actively, document the process, and engage with questions.
During the practical phase, participants will focus on synthesizing key elements of composition:
— light within the urban environment
— movement integrated into the landscape
— the relationship between architecture and organic forms
The second stage is dedicated to individual work, based on a simple three-step method of building a composition. The goal is not to replicate reality, but to suggest form, rhythm, and emotion through a conscious use of color and structure.
An essential aspect of the workshop is embracing unpredictability. Watercolor is approached as a dialogue — a medium that actively participates in the creation process, introducing spontaneity and surprise. Participants are encouraged to see mistakes not as limitations, but as an integral part of artistic discovery.
The workshop reflects the central idea of this year’s festival — *Where Matter Becomes Emotion* — exploring how material, through light, structure, and gesture, becomes a carrier of emotion and meaning.
**Note:** This is an open workshop. Participants are asked to bring their own art materials.
Space as a Driving Force in Watercolor Mountain Landscapes
Arkadiusz Gruchlik
April 17, 2026 | 12:00–14:30
Historic Ignacy Mine
Capacity: 15 participants
This workshop offers an exploration of landscape as an experience — not only visual, but deeply emotional. The starting point is the mountain environment understood as a driving force of the image: its dynamics, light, atmosphere, and natural rhythm.
Watercolor becomes a medium for capturing transience, shifting light, and the energy of landscape. Mountains, water, and space act as a foundation for building composition and personal artistic expression.
The workshop follows a structured, step-by-step process — from demonstration and analytical observation to the creation of individual works. Participants develop their compositions while refining their understanding of color, light, and spatial relationships.
The limited group size ensures an intimate working environment and allows for individual guidance throughout the creative process.
The workshop reflects the festival’s concept *Where Matter Becomes Emotion*, demonstrating how the materiality of landscape can be transformed into a personal visual language.
—
**Materials (to be provided by participants):**
Watercolors – **Aquarius Roman Szmal (pans)**, **Holbein (individual colors)**
Watercolor paper – 300 gsm, 100% cotton
Recommended: **Saunders Waterford High White CP**, **Arches CP**, **Baohong CP**
Format: min. 30 × 40 cm
Masking tape (min. 2.5 cm)
Watercolor brushes (various sizes)
HB pencil, eraser
Hairdryer
Paper towels
Water container
Palette (plastic or porcelain)
Rigid board (plywood / MDF / cardboard)
Spray bottle
Craft knife
Masking fluid – **W&N Art Masking Fluid 75 ml**
Application tool (stick / brush / nib)
Basic color palette:
Golden Orange 353
Shadow Violet 336
Aquarius Violet 369
Mineral Violet 334
Goethite 360
Van Dyck Brown 131
Veronese Yellow Earth 111
French Ochre 114
Italian Burnt Sienna 120
Sepia 242
Indigo (Hue) 220
French Ultramarine 221
Titanium White 102
Magenta 332
Prussian Blue 219
Hooker’s Green 342 or Aquarius Green 346
Lemon Yellow 204
Holbein Cerulean Blue
Cobalt Blue
Urban Sketching & Mixed Media – Your Visual Diary
Olaf Szepf
April 19, 2026 | 10:30–12:30
Historic Ignacy Mine
Capacity: 15 participants
**Open workshop – everyone is welcome to join.**
This workshop led by Olaf Szepf invites participants to observe attentively and translate everyday moments into drawing and color. Urban Sketching becomes not only a technique, but a way of experiencing the world — capturing fleeting moments that often go unnoticed.
Participants will learn how to create a personal “visual diary” — a record of time, place, and emotion. Sketches enriched with notes, fragments of conversations, or quick impressions become an authentic trace of presence — more intimate than a photograph.
The Mixed Media component introduces a space for experimentation and freedom. Working with simple tools such as pen, markers, watercolor, and colored pencils, participants will explore how to combine techniques and build expressive compositions without the pressure of perfection.
The workshop is open to all levels — from beginners to those seeking to expand their visual language. The focus lies on process, intuition, and the joy of creating.
The session reflects the festival’s concept *Where Matter Becomes Emotion*, demonstrating how simple means can become carriers of personal narrative and emotion.
Still Life in Acrylic and Oil – Light, Matter, Presence
Darya Sumarava
April 17, 2026 | 15:00–16:00
Historic Ignacy Mine
**Open workshop – everyone is welcome to join.**
Still life — seemingly quiet, contained within form — becomes here a space of experience. Light, color, and material shape an image that is not merely representation, but a trace of presence.
The workshop unfolds in two interwoven stages. The first — acrylic — captures structure, rhythm, and compositional tension. The second — oil — introduces depth, softness, and the time needed for the image to resonate.
It is a transition from structure to atmosphere.
From form — to emotion.
Objects lose their literal meaning, becoming carriers of light and relationships. The image emerges between observation and intuition — where the visible meets the felt.
The artist’s practice is rooted in everyday life — in people, relationships, and nature. Her work has been presented internationally and is held in museum, corporate, and private collections worldwide.
The workshop reflects the festival’s concept *Where Matter Becomes Emotion* — where the image does not simply depict, but reveals.
—
**Materials (participants bring their own):**
canvas
brushes
acrylic and oil paints
painting mediums
paper towels
Watercolor Grammar
Vladimir Merchensky
April 18th, 2026
14:00–16:00
Ignacy Historic Mine, Rybnik
Open workshop
About the Workshop
As part of the FINEness International Art Festival, we invite participants to a unique watercolor workshop led by Vladimir Merchensky — a renowned educator, watercolorist, and founder of the TantaTinta school in Buenos Aires. His teaching approach, based on structural analysis and conscious use of artistic tools, has gained international recognition.
The “Watercolor Grammar” workshop introduces participants to the fundamental “grammar” of watercolor — the study of small visual units (graphemes) and simple constructive strategies that help build coherent, intentional, and original artworks.
The workshop is designed for “beginner and intermediate” levels.
Participants will explore essential principles of composition, color organization, structural thinking, and techniques that support the development of a personal artistic language.
About the Instructor
Vladimir Merchensky is a respected watercolor artist and educator, lecturer at several universities in Argentina, and director of “TantaTinta” — the first school in Buenos Aires dedicated exclusively to watercolor, with over 300 students annually.
As an artist, juror, and curator, he has collaborated with institutions such as the “Global Fund to Fight AIDS”, “Absolut Vodka”, and the “European Commission”.
He leads the International Teacher Training Program in Watercolor, presented across Europe, South America, and Asia.
Materials to Bring
Participants are kindly asked to bring the following materials:
– “Studio-quality watercolor paper”:
recommended Hahnemühle Bamboo or Guarro fine-grain; alternatively, any 100% cotton professional paper (weight not important).
!Please avoid generic cellulose school paper.!
– “Studio-quality or professional watercolors”** (not school-grade).
– Round and flat brushes, synthetic and natural hair, good quality.
– PVC, MDF, or similar board, 2–3 mm thick, minimum size 25 × 35 cm.
– Plate, plastic palette, or flat white ceramic slab for mixing colors.
– Masking tape.
– Pencil and eraser.
– Water container.
– Absorbent paper towels or tissues.
– Water spray bottle.
The workshop is open to all — join us and explore the language of watercolor.
