Yes, everyone is welcome to join the Retreat, until the maximum number of people is reached (16). They can join the Retreat even they are not participating the drawing activities. Maybe this could be a fantastic opportunity to start a new hobby 🙂

The Retreat cost includes 3-4 stars hotels for 6 nights, meals as specified, all breakfasts, all workshops and sketch walks, transportation between cities, and entry fees to all planned activities and sites. 

The Retreat does not include flights to and from Japan, airport transfers, travel insurance, meals not specified in the itinerary, personal expenses, activities outside from the planned ones.

Absolutely yes and it is encouraged. We will start with the basics of ink drawing and architecture perspective before guiding you step by step into the drawing itself. If you are complete beginner you will be required to follow a series of online workshops to be prepared.  All the participants will get a month of online workshops on Zoom, so we will get to know each others and refresh the foundations of drawing before the trip.

Every artist has his own distinct way to approach to urban sketching. The beauty of this drawing retreat is also to offer you a fresh way to observe the world through my ink drawing and watercolor style. Drawing together and travel together will also give you new inspirations and shared drawing experience to further enrich your art journey.

It is strongly recommended to bring your preferred fountain pens, ink, sketchbooks and watercolours with you. This will keep your drawing experience consistent. Below is the list of material I use when I am travelling. During the workshops limited amount of these materials can be provided if required (excluding watercolors, brushes and stool).

You can also find all the materials in the link here

• Pen: Fountain Pen with M or F nib (recommended) or Waterproof Fineliners 0.5mm and 0.1mm – black
• Ink: Carbon Platinum or equivalent waterproof ink – Colour: Black
• Sketchbook:  with at least 250 g/ms hot pressed white pages and hardback. Size A5 or A4 (recommended) or equivalent loose paper
• Watercolor set with main Primary and secondary colors ( Standard set of 12 colors will be enough)
• Large, medium and fine waterbrushes
• Small sprayer
• Portable Stool (recommended)
• Tissues
• Paperclips
• Pencil (B or 2B)
• Ruler
• Eraser

Through this series of workshops and sketch walks, we will cover the foundations of darwing, like perspective, composition and shading. Then we will explore various drawing techniques and creative processes to better turn our observations into a memorable sketches. The sketch walks are moments where workshops where you are invited to push your creativity and find your own creative style.

We will have effectively 5 days for drawing workshops, sketch walks and personal time. 1 day will be spent to travel between Tokyo and Kyoto with some downtime to visit Kyoto in the afternoon. I will be also drawing on the train and in the restaurant, so you are free to join and interact with me.

Overall the trip involves a moderate level of physical activity, including city exploration and sketch walks. Also, we will be mainly drawing on the spot, so participants should be comfortable walking and standing for extended periods. If you have any specific concerns, please let me know in advance.

Of course, the itinerary is designed with moments of downtime, I know how important is to have enough time for solo exploration. We will be in touch with a group chat so you will always know where the rest of us are.

Yes, most dietary restrictions can be accommodated with advance notice. Please inform us with any specific needs when you book your trip.

You will stay in 3 – 4 stars hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto. All accommodations are carefully chosen for their quality and proximity to our sketching locations or transportations. Please let us know if you prefer to share a double occupancy room or stay in a single ensuite room (with limited availability) when you book the trip.

Tokyo is accessible via 2 main international airports. You will need to book your own flight to Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) or Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND).

From the airport you can take public transportations to get to Tokyo Station where the hotel is located (more details will be published closer to the departure dates).

To ensure a personalized experience and facilitate one-on-one interactions, our group size is limited to a small number of participants. Minimum 8, maximum 16 participants.

Participants from all ages are welcome to join the trip, although participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult, who can be a parent/s or a person approved by the child’s parent, guardian or custodian.

The central part of Japan is relatively warm during the early autumn. Dress comfortably for the workshops and sketch walks, with lightweight and windproof clothing suitable for beginning of autumn. Although, it is  recommended to bring warmer clothing if you want to stay more days in Japan due to the rapid changing of the weather.

Yes, travel insurance is required for all participants. This ensures you are covered for any unforeseen circumstances such as medical emergencies, trip cancellations, or lost luggage.

Absolutely yes, you are welcome to extend your stay before or after the trip. Please let us know if you need any assistance with additional accommodations or recommendations for things to do.

To book your spot, please click the ‘RESERVE YOUR SPOT’ button and fill the form with your details and click the ‘SUBMIT’ button. A deposit is required to complete the booking process, with the remaining balance due 90 days before departure.

To book your spot, please click the ‘RESERVE YOUR SPOT’ button and fill the form with your details and click the ‘SUBMIT’ button. A deposit is required to complete the booking process, with the remaining balance due 90 days before departure.

The deposit payment can be fully refunded (minus the transaction fee if you opted for Pay Pal) before the trip status is confirmed by achieving the minimum number of participants. Once the trip status is confirmed the deposit cannot be refunded.

90 days out, cancellations are non-refundable.  In the event you need to cancel, the deposit can be transferred to future trip minus a cancellation fee of €100.

If you have any further questions or need more clarifications, please contact me via email at andreadeng.art@gmail.com

I am looking forward to welcoming you on this drawing adventure!