Unleash your creativity in a fun, relaxed studio setting where you can paint your way! Choose your favorite medium—oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, charcoal, or colored pencil—and dive into new projects or bring along unfinished pieces to refine. Enjoy as much one-on-one guidance from Dennis as you like, plus inspiring mini demos, technique tips, and helpful critiques to elevate your work. Whether your style leans toward realism, impressionism, or bold modern expression, this open painting session is your space to explore, create, and grow. This class is appropriate for all levels. The main purpose of this course is one-on-one assistance from the instructor with whatever you need help with (fixing, composition, specific subjects, etc.).
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Dennis Lake
Cost: $200 or $50 per week
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

This workshop is designed for intermediate and advanced artists ready to elevate their work to the next level. Participants will receive both group instruction and personalized guidance in studio painting. Dee will provide feedback that enhances—rather than alters—their individual style. The focus will be on learning to see value shifts, color temperature, and composition. We'll build arrangements of abstract shapes to create a strong foundation for each painting, with in-depth studies on color temperature and value that will make your work sing with evocative color. Each day begins with short lectures and demonstrations, followed by dedicated painting time during which Dee will work with artists individually. While instruction will be demonstrated in oils, all mediums are welcome.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Dee Beard Dean
Cost: $500
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

In this workshop, students will work in the Alla Prima method to paint three still-life paintings, one each day. Alla prima translates to “in the first” and is a wet-into-wet painting technique. Students are encouraged to bring their own props to create meaningful paintings. Each morning, the instructor will do a demonstration, and in the afternoon, students will work on their paintings and receive individual critiques. An emphasis on mark making, painting loosely, expressive color, and making a picture will be discussed. All levels are welcome.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Todd Casey
Cost: $550
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

In this dynamic two-day workshop, you will explore ways to bring energy, movement, and expressive mark-making into your oil paintings. Together we will embrace experimentation and cultivate a spirit of playful discovery. Through a series of guided exercises, you will work with a printmaker’s tool—the brayer— and water mixable oil paint to create bold, unexpected marks in combination with brush work and other miscellaneous mark making tools to layer textures and add energy within your paintings. We will also explore the exciting combination of oil paint with pastel and watercolor to expand your choices in how you approach your painting practice. We will also touch on color theory, and how we choose our palette to create mood and atmosphere.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Anne Strutz
Cost: $350
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Mastering shadows, reflections, light, and contrast is one of the keys to creating paintings that feel believable, dimensional, and full of life. In this workshop, instructor Mary Ann Browning Ford will break down the principles behind accurate light and values and give you practical guidelines. Through demonstrations, discussion, and personalized one-on-one instruction, you’ll explore how to observe and interpret light, strengthen your value relationships, and create more convincing shadows and reflections in your work. Bring your own painting ideas and spend the workshop developing your skills with guidance tailored to your individual work. While the workshop is designed with oil and acrylic painters in mind, artists working in watercolor, pastel, colored pencil, or other mediums are welcome to participate.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Mary Ann Browning Ford
Cost: $100
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

This class is for those who would like to work in art but do not know where to start and/or with what mediums! We will start with pencils, charcoal and work our way through watercolor, acrylic, pastels and oil and any others that students may be interested in. Barb will explain the pros and cons of each of the mediums including prices points and other materials you'll need for that medium, including, brushes, surfaces and framing. At the end of the session, students will have time to try them all on a small scale. Students should bring $20 cash to pay the instructor for materials, all of which she will provide to you.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Barb Snow
Cost: $50
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Puzzled by your art? Feeling lost? Know something's "off" but can't figure it out? This is a terrific opportunity to receive individual attention from one of the Lowcountry's masters, Art Cornell. In this intimate 2-hour session, Art will offer a limited number of one-on-one consultations for all media and subjects—helping you troubleshoot problem areas, refine your vision, and get your work presentation-ready. Whether you're stuck on a piece in progress or starting fresh with a blank canvas and an idea, Art will provide personalized recommendations, tips, and critiques to move your work forward with confidence. 100% of proceeds support ongoing Capital Improvement efforts at Art League Academy.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Art Cornell
Cost: $20
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Experience the joy of painting outdoors in this inspiring two-day Plein Air workshop with artist and instructor Carol Iglesias! Immerse yourself in the beauty of Hilton Head Island as you learn to capture the ever-changing light, color, and atmosphere of the landscape using oils, acrylics or pastels. Each morning begins with an engaging demonstration and expert insights from Carol, who will share her techniques for quickly and confidently capturing a scene in Plein Air. Throughout the workshop, you’ll discover how to compose a strong painting, define values, identify light sources, establish focal points, and use color to bring your work to life. With personalized instruction and one-on-one feedback, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to paint directly from nature.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Carol Iglesias
Cost: $330
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

In this 3-day workshop, Karen leads her students through the process of creating dynamic loose paintings that breathe life and reality. Using a photo reference, she will demonstrate the various stages of a painting from initial design to the final strokes. Along with foundational principles, Karen emphasizes the use of large brushes, intuitive measuring and the back-and-forth search of positive and negative shapes to achieve spontaneity and visual interest. This workshop was designed for all levels of oil & acrylic painters.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Karen Wilharm
Cost: $500
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Discover the beauty of Tonalism in a dynamic 1-day workshop with instructor Robert Wortmann! Explore this evocative American art style, known for its atmospheric landscapes and poetic use of color. Dive into inspiring examples from masters like Whistler and Innes, enjoy a live demonstration, and create your own artwork with personalized guidance. All mediums are welcome, and the day wraps up with a supportive group critique. This course is open to all levels of students.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Robert Wortmann
Cost: $100
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Discover how to create vibrant, expressive landscape paintings using the principles of impressionism in either pastel or oil. In this three-day workshop, award-winning artist Greg Barnes will share the design concepts and colorful painting techniques that have become the hallmark of his work. Through daily demonstrations, discussions, and plenty of individual instruction, students will learn how to simplify the landscape into strong value patterns, compose compelling paintings, develop harmonious color relationships, and apply confident, expressive brushstrokes or pastel marks. Rather than copying nature literally, students will learn how to interpret the landscape with greater impact by emphasizing light, atmosphere, and mood. Whether working from reference photos or personal sketches, each participant will receive personalized guidance while completing several paintings.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Greg Barnes
Cost: $600
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Unlock the secrets to capturing light, color, and atmosphere directly from nature. Whether you're taking your first steps into outdoor painting or seeking to refine your plein air practice, this comprehensive three-day workshop with accomplished artist Lee Copen will transform your approach to working on location. Plein air painting offers unparalleled opportunities to observe and render the nuances of natural light and color—yet the ever-changing conditions and complexity of outdoor scenes can present significant challenges. Through expert instruction, practical demonstrations, and guided painting sessions, Lee will help you develop strategies to simplify the process, work with confidence, and enjoy the plein air experience. All levels of students are welcome; however, some drawing and painting knowledge and experience is important.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Lee Copen
Cost: $550
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

Discover the joy of painting expressive, atmospheric skies in this dynamic workshop designed for artists of all levels. Join award-winning artist and renowned instructor Eric Jacobsen for an inspiring experience tailored to both oil and acrylic painters. Key topics include composition, value, design, choosing a motif, identifying and mixing accurate warm and cool colors, establishing a focal point, and valuable tips and do’s and don’ts for the landscape painter. Special emphasis will be placed on mark making, helping you bring energy and expression to your brushwork. The workshop will feature a combination of informal lectures, instructor demonstrations, and plenty of hands-on painting time, ensuring a well-rounded and engaging learning experience.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Eric Jacobsen
Cost: $550
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

This workshop will focus on painting “alla prima” (all at once) and developing greater skills of observation, simplification and painting “wet on wet” to create strong “painterly” paintings. The goal is to create an artistic painting that accurately relates the important forms of a composition rather than simply copying everything in a photograph. The workshop begins with painting basics, fundamentals of color, value, edges, perspective and other “practical” elements. Participants will work on a series of timed painting exercises while developing their skills of observation, simplification, bold brushwork and painting in a “decisive” and “intentional” manner. Dan will demo and provide plenty of one-on-one individual instruction each day. This workshop is for intermediate to advanced painters (oil and acrylic).
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Dan Graziano
Cost: $550
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738

This workshop takes a deep dive into the nuts and bolts of a strong landscape composition. The emphasis is on shapes and editing. And the goal is to create the illusion of details in your landscape painting without unnecessary rendering, resulting in a more expressive and eloquent capture of your subject. We’ll work through a painting process that maintains the initial shapes and editing, while learning to make selective decisions for the finishing stages. Values and edges will also be addressed. Students will start off using instructor-provided reference photos but will have the option to use their own photos, too. This workshop is open to all levels but geared primarily toward artists with at least some basic painting experience.
 
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Instructor: Barbara Jaenicke
Cost: $550
Sponsor: Art League of Hilton Head
Website, email, (843) 842-5738