A: No, all levels of experience, including no experience, are welcome. Instruction is tailored to the experience and needs of each student, and although there will be brief classroom lectures and critiques each morning, most teaching will happen on a one-to-one basis as we are touring and sketching around the city.

A: Our travels within and outside of Barcelona will afford us a full spectrum of drawing subjects and opportunities; people, architecture, sculpture, original master artworks, landscape – we will run the gamut from micro (the smallest architectural detail) to macro (composition). Topics we will cover will include: solid three-dimensional drawing through construction, the human figure, using light and dark, composition, the human face, plus more! There will be handouts each day addressing these various drawing themes, and will include a demonstration of that theme.

Mike’s style or approach to teaching is to create a safe, non-judgmental, and enjoyable environment in which students can practice, make mistakes, and learn. He likes to present one idea or concept at a time, and then give students time and space to apply that concept at their own pace. Most of the teaching happens on a one-on-one basis, in which Mike meets each student where they are in their development, and gives feedback and guidance that is appropriate to that person’s needs. The overall approach to drawing that is presented is to work from the general toward the specific; constructing the larger forms of the subject being drawn before adding nuance and detail. This approach leads to solid, three-dimensional drawing.

A: Definitely! The point of this tour is to experience the many faces of Barcelona at a relaxed pace. If photography is a passion, bring your camera; if it’s writing, bring a journal…you never know when and how you might become inspired.

A: Non-drawing participants are very welcome to join in. To keep the size of the group at a maximum of 15, these participants pay the same fee as participants who wish to draw.

A: There will be discussion of participants’ drawings during morning ‘classroom’ time at the hotel. Showing your work and seeing the work of others is a great learning tool, but it is completely on a voluntary basis.

A: One of the goals of this sketching tour is to experience having your drawings together in a sketchbook, and to get in the habit of carrying and using it. Hence, a 9” x 12” spiral-bound hardcover Canson sketchbook is ideal for this sketching trip. Participants should bring an assortment of pencils and pens (pencil leads should include HB, 2B, 4B). I enjoy drawing with a 0.9 mechanical pencil – you can bring one of these also (be sure the lead is 2B). Also bring a small pencil sharpener and kneaded eraser. For experimenting with value, grey markers are useful – 20% grey and 40% grey. Color is not a focus of the sketching tour, but students are welcome to bring watercolor and/or goache, as they are easy to carry and use. If you’re looking for a convenient shoulder bag to carry supplies in, I've had one that is sold by Mountain Equipment Co-op for almost ten years that I use regularly, with no signs of wear. To see details and order, visit their site.

A: It is truly amazing how much information is available in this era of the internet! Here are some links to potentially useful websites:

A: Dress for very warm temperatures, and humidity. White is a great color choice! A hat is a good idea to shade your face and eyes. You will need sunscreen, which you can either bring (be sure to check airline restrictions for carry-ons), or buy in Barcelona. The first evening we will be going out for a welcome dinner; dress for the restaurant is dressy casual (no shorts). And most importantly, be sure to bring comfortable walking shoes! Rain is always a possibility, so be sure to bring an umbrella – just in case.

A: Absolutely; the minimum age is six years. The fee for children is the same, as they will be treated as full participants.

A: That is really a personal choice, although I can say that at a minimum, enough to cover meals (except dinner on the first and last nights, which will be with the group and are included in the price of the tour), transportation – this is minimal and includes metro tickets and train fare to and from Sitges and Montserrat (approx. 50 Euros), and whatever souvenirs/gifts you want to purchase. Remember to account for the dollar/Euro exchange rate, which is currently in favor of the Euro.

For current exchange rates, visit: www.x-rates.com

A: Yes. The week is designed to give participants the afternoons and evenings free to do as they please, and have fun exploring Barcelona! An excellent guide to the city is Eyewitness Travel: Barcelona and Catalonia, by Dorling Kindersley publishers.

A: Some books you may want to peruse include: The Art Spirit by Robert Henri, Sketchbooks of the Romantics, by Robert Upstone, In the Garlic, by Valerie Collins and Theresa O'Shea (an entertaining guide to Spanish culture), and Barcelona, by Robert Hughes.

A: We will be in Barcelona five of the seven days of the sketching tour. For destinations within the city we will be traveling by public transport (there is a wonderful metro system). From the metro stops there will be some walking to get to our destinations, but it will be a reasonable amount. Two of the days we will be going out of the city to sketch; we will travel to Montserrat by train and aerial tram, and we will travel to the coastal town of Sitges by regional train.

Here is the link for the Barcelona metro system: www.tmb.net/en_US/home.jsp

A: The two best options are to catch the A1 bus (blue bus) from in front of the terminal (cost about 2Euro per person), directly to Plaza Catalunya – from where the bus drops you off, walk directly across the Plaza to the hotel (see MAP); OR, you can take a taxi from the airport – there is a taxi queue in front of the terminal – directly to the hotel. The cost should be about 30Euro. The address is Carrer Bergara, 8. Hotel check-in begins at 2pm.

We will be leaving the hotel for the welcome dinner at 9pm (welcome to Spain – where people eat dinner late!). To arrive at the hotel and have time to settle in in a relaxed manner, I would suggest planning to have your flight arrive no later than 3pm (Spain time).

Here is a link to the Barcelona airport: www.barcelona-airport.com

A: The hotel is well appointed. Rooms are equipped with hairdryers, irons are available for use, and there is laundry service.

A: That’s a great idea! I encourage participants to stay beyond the seven days of the Sketching Tour. If you’d like to stay at the Hotel Pulitzer either before or after the dates of the tour you’ve selected, you can contact them directly at www.hotelpulitzer.es or by calling 011 34 934 81 67 67. If you will be spending more days in Barcelona, you may want to schedule that time for after the Sketching Tour, so you will be acquainted with the city and know what locations you’d like to visit. If you’re interested in traveling outside the city, the region of Catalonia is rich with interesting destinations; Figueres, Cadaques, the Costa Brava are just a few. If you are interested in traveling to other parts of Spain, suggested places include San Sebastian, Valencia, Madrid, Granada, the island of Mallorca, Seville, and Cordova.

A: In Barcelona, locals speak Catalan (a regional language with some similarity to Spanish) and Castellano (Spanish). It isn’t necessary to speak Catalan, and it isn’t even necessary to have any particular level of knowledge of Spanish, although knowing some will be helpful. At a minimum, it would benefit you to review a book of phrases. If you’re interested in listening to Spanish radio to acclimate your ear, you can visit www.rtve.es/rne/RNE_Envivo/index.html

Please type your question in the Contact form, and Mike will get back to you shortly with an answer! Thank you!