Pleinair Painting on The Isle of Skye

In this 5 day course students will learn the technique and practice of painting directly from life outdoors—En Plein Air—in one of Scotland’s most beautiful and iconic landscapes: the Isle of Skye. Please note that this course takes place in 2026! We are opening this to sign-up early in order to give plenty of time for students to book flights and accommodation, given the enormous popularity of the Skye as a tourist destination.

On this workshop, GAFA principle instructor, Lee Craigmile, will take you to various epic locations around the Isle of Skye, including the famous Quaraing, the Old Man of Storr and the Fairy Pools. You will first learn how to scout for painting locations and what to consider in selecting both a stunning view and a practical location to paint from. He will then teach you alla prima painting technique: how to work up a painting in a single session, aiming immediately for direct colour-values as observed in nature. He will discuss how to approach colour, composition, proportion/drawing, and dealing with an ever-changing light effect due to whether and time of day.

    Lee will guide students through every step of the process, from how to organise their outdoor painting set-up to how to approach the painting process. Lee’s process is based on the academic method of landscape painting, which dates back to the 17th century and was employed by such artists as Corot, Constable and Sargent. In this course students will use sight-size technique to approach the landscape from a visual perspective, whilst also emphasising value-relationships and the handling of a limited palette of colours. 

Students will receive instruction in the form of a group lecture and demonstration at the beginning of each day, and then through individually tailored critiques.

During this course, you will gain an understanding of the following key concepts:

-How to organise an outdoor painting setup

- How to make observations directly from nature using sight-size technique

-Alla prima painting technique

-How to break down a complex scene into a simple series of colour-values

-How to create a successful, dynamic composition 

Materials List

Most materials can be purchased on either Jacksonsart.com or Cassart.co.uk unless stated otherwise, and we have provided links in gold lettering the the specific products/ranges.

Materials:

·      Metal tri-pod field easel:

I would recommend the Loxley Devon Metal Sketching Easel available at: www.artdiscount.co.uk

·      1x Metal palette cup with lid OR small glass jar with lid

·      Cold pressed linseed oil

Chelsea Classical Studios is the best

·      1x Palette Knife

 · Palette box

To go with metal tri-pod easel. You can purchase one HERE

·      Panels:

Jacksons’ handmade boards

OR

Raymar Panels L64C

I recommend students buy two 20 x 30 cm. panels, three 24 x 30cm. panels, and one 30 x 40cm. for their pleinair studies.

· Oil Paints:

(Michael Harding is recommended, unless stated otherwise):

Titanium White

Ivory Black

Yellow Ochre

Naples Yellow Light (if you cannot get this pigment, then cadmium yellow light is an alternative, though it will perform VERY differently)

Cerulean Blue

Ultramarine Blue

Vermillion Extra (Old Holland)

Raw Umber

·      Odourless Mineral Spirits:

Gamsol odourless mineral spirit 500ml

***For those traveling by plane to the UK, Gamsol will be provided for you as you***

·      Brushes:

Hog hair filbert sizes 1,2,4,6,8. Ideally, two of each.

Sable round size 2. (www.cornelissen.com or www.rosemaryandco.com)

·      Brush case

·      Brush cleaning tin with air-tight lid

· Brush soap

·      Masking tape

· 2x metal clamps

· Paper towels/kitchen roll

ACCOMMODATION and Travel details

Traveling to the Isle of Skye

As there is no direct trainline to the Isle of Skye, and no airport on the island, the best way to travel is via bus or car.

For those traveling internationally: it would be best to fly into Inverness Airport, from which you can get the Citylink bus direct to Portee; the bus costs £36 for a return, and the journey takes a little over 3 hours as it traverses some of the most iconic areas in the highlands along the way. Alternatively, you could either rent a car from the airport and drive, or arrange for a private driver to take you there and back.

For those traveling from the UK mainland, you could either:

-Drive yourself in your own car (it’s a long but beautiful journey, and you would have the added benefit of being able to drive yourself to the painting locations each day if you wished).

-Fly into Inrverness airport and take of the routes suggested above.

-Or if you’re traveling from the central belt of Scotland, you could take a direct bus to Portree from Glasgow Buchanan Street Bus Station. The journey takes between 6 and 7 hours depending on weather and traffic, but is a very beautiful drive.

Everyday Travel to Painting locations

Every morning we will meet at Portree Square in front of The Granary Cafe 9.30 am. From there we will walk together to where a private-hire bus will be waiting to drive us to the day’s painting location. The tuition fee covers the cost of all transportation during the course, but students must arrange for their own travel to and from the Isle of Skye.

Most of the painting locations will require a short walk from where the bus lets us off, but in some cases there will be a moderate hike to arrive at the location. Please send us an email if you have concerns about the hiking and whether this workshop will be suited to your needs.

Accommodation in and Around Portree.

Portree will be the home-base for the workshop, where we will meet up every morning before traveling to the day’s location. It’s a small town, and so there are only two main hotels:

The Portree Hotel

Cuillen Hills Hotel

Alternatively, there is a range of B&B’s to choose from, which can be booked via Airbnb.com or Booking.com

****Please book your accomodation as early as possible! The Isle of Skye is an extremely popular tourist destination, and accommodation books up fast. We have given students as much time as possible so as to avoid issues with finding accommodation, so please take the opportunity to book early. ****

Packing

As the weather in Scotland is highly unpredictable, and can be very chilly and wet even in the summer, we recommend that you pack for your trip as if you were camping. You will want to dress in layers to prepare for any weather, and be sure to bring good, sturdy walking shoes/hiking boots and a waterproof jacket with a hood. A large umbrella is also a good idea, if it’s possible to bring with you, as this can be attached to your field easel in the event of rain.

Food and Drink

Portree has an array of shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs which will be suitable for breakfasts and dinners. However as we will be traveling to remote, scenic locations most days, we recommend that students bring lunch with them to eat on location. There is a Coop grocery store very close to the morning meeting point, which would be ideal for grabbing a portable lunch.