A Week of Loose Sketching in the Dordogne, France

A Week of Loose Sketching in the Dordogne, France

Artist

Toby Haseler

Dates

5-11 September 2026. We will advise about airport transfers as soon as UK flight schedules are confirmed.

Number of Places

This is a focused retreat with space for ten sketchers. This small group size keeps sessions calm, personal, and supportive.

Location

Hosted in the beautifully converted Walnut Barn in St Cybranet, in the heart of the Dordogne and close to historic Sarlat‑la‑Canéda. Set among peaceful countryside and charming stone villages, it’s an inspiring environment for a focused and creative retreat.

Overview

Spend a week with Toby exploring the semi-urban landscapes, villages, and river valleys of the Dordogne. You will sketch outdoors every day (weather permitting), learn practical techniques, and enjoy a calm, structured week that builds your confidence as an artist. There will be a mix of guided sessions, creative clinics, relaxed sketching time, and space to enjoy the area at your own pace.

Who It Is For / Skill Level

This retreat is suitable for all levels from enthusiastic beginners upwards. Some familiarity with sketching and ink and watercolour is helpful, but this is not a technical or intimidating week. You will be taught step by step, supported closely, and encouraged to develop your confidence and personal style.

What You Will Learn

By the end of the week you will be comfortable with: • Building simple compositions that work in the real world • Drawing loosely without losing structure • Capturing natural character in buildings, landscapes, and people • Working outdoors with confidence, even in busy or unfamiliar places • Using expressive line, varied textures, and controlled colour • Completing fast on location sketches as well as more considered pieces • Developing your own approach rather than feeling tied to rules or perfection

What to Expect / Course Structure

This outline shows how each day will run – exact content/schedule will be weather dependent. As a broad outline, we begin each day with a focussed sketching clinic that tackles a key sketching skill. We then move into a structured session where we complete a scene together, with a demonstration and lots of support. After that we will break for lunch (details below) followed by a more relaxed group sketching time, where we keep developing the ideas from the morning with ongoing feedback and support.

Saturday – Arrival Day Arrive in Saint Cybranet, settle into the barn, wander the grounds, and join the group for welcome drinks followed by 3 course dinner at the Barn
Sunday – Warm Up and River Sketching Breakfast at the barn, then a gentle sketching warm up in and around the grounds. We will look at the simple processes we will build on throughout the week and get comfortable with how to translate our inside sketching to en plein air work. Lunch at the barn. In the afternoon, we will head to a peaceful riverside view just down the road for our first en plein air group sketching. Afterward we will gather for a 3 course dinner at the Barn
Monday – Baynac and the Chateau View After breakfast at the barn, head to Baynac for a composition clinic and your first full en plein air scene with views across to the chateau. Lunch will be a pop up picnic or packed lunch. In the afternoon there will be an optional excursion to one of the local chateaux or gardens, rounding off the day with a 3 course dinner at the Barn.
Tuesday – Aillac and Quiet Hill Views Breakfast at the barn, then travel to Aillac for a shapes and character clinic. Capture rooflines, stone buildings, and wide views from the old railway bridge. Packed lunch included. In the evening we will enjoy a 3 course dinner at the Barn.
Wednesday – Sarlat Market and Perspective Breakfast at the barn. On Wednesday morning we will take you into the centre of Sarlat to explore the historic weekly market, which has taken place in these ancient lanes since the Middle Ages. Enjoy some free time wandering the stone built alleys and grab some lunch in one of the lovely cafes or restaurants. In the afternoon the group will meet in Goose Square for a relaxed sketching session with Toby, before returning to the Barn for a three-course dinner.
Thursday – La Roque Gageac and Final Sketches Breakfast at the barn. Arrive early in La Roque Gageac to sketch the most dramatic view of the week. Spend the day capturing the cliffs, rooftops, and river. Picnic lunch included. In the evening enjoy a celebratory 3 course dinner together at the barn.
Friday – Departure Day Final breakfast together before your transfer to the Airport.

Included

The arrival airport for our transfer (which will be confirmed once the UK flight schedules are finalised). All local transport for workshops and excursions, breakfasts, lunches (except your Sarlat day lunch) drinks, three course evening meals with local wines and pickup or drop off at Slow Village for guests staying there.

Not Included

Flights, accommodation, travel insurance, off site lunch, entry fees for optional excursions, personal sketching materials beyond the core list.

Materials to Bring

• One main sketchbook, roughly A4, with watercolour paper • One lightweight sketchbook with cartridge or mixed media paper • Lightweight drawing board, for example a piece of foam board • Waterproof ink pen, for example a fountain pen with permanent ink or a fineliner • Small travel watercolour palette with your usual colours • Two or three brushes, including one large round or mop brush, one flat brush, and one small round • Spare ink cartridges or bottled ink for fountain pen users • Bulldog clips for holding pages • Small water pot • Small cloth or tissues • A small bag that you can comfortably carry while walking and sketching

Materials Provided at the Venue

• Lightweight foldable stools can be provided, although you may prefer to bring one you are already comfortable using • Spare foam board if you need a drawing board • Spare pens • Spare clips • Limited spare watercolour palettes • Paper towels(See the booking page for details on non sketching guests and guests travelling independently.)