Courses are typically held from September to July. The timetable is flexible depending on the needs of the students and the group lessons require a minimum of 2 people.

The studio provides the easels and charcoal necessary for charcoal sketching. For the oil painting each student will be provided with a list of the necessary materials to be purchased at his/her own expense. Marina will give her advice on which shops to go to and where a discount of 10% will be offered.

The art studio, furthermore, offers portrait and nude sessions with models, so students can learn the techniques of drawing and doing portraits from real life. As well as teaching a direct awareness of painting techniques, Marina’s courses provide the preparation needed for the entrance exams for the ‘Accademia delle Belle Arti’ in Florence.

Please come to the lessons in comfortable clothing. A personal apron will be provided for students participating in the yearly program. In the first 7 lessons of the oil painting course the students will follow a very classical method. They begin by making an elaborated charcoal drawing of a still life. After which they learn how to transfer this drawing onto a canvas and then completely work it out with oil paints.

This whole process takes about seven lessons in which the pupil learns beginning sketching and oil techniques. After this point the students are able to choose the next subject. This traditional approach helps the pupils immediately gain confidence with the materials.