Painting and drawing workshops rooted in traditional academic practice and the Techniques of Historic master Artists.
Private and semi private lessons: Single student: $70/ hr or $120 for 2 hr. For 2 students: $85 / hr or $135 for 2 hr. For groups 3+ people: add $15 per person (so for 3 it’s $100/ 1 hr; for 4 students it’s $115/ 1 hr…). Supplies included. Please email hi@giselleharrington.com, or call (603) 369-2928.
Supplies lists (for students bringing their own supplies):
Outdoor/ En Plein Air Watercolor
>> WORKSHOP POLICIES + EXPECTATIONS <<
FULL WORKSHOPS CALENDAR FOR FALL 2026-SPRING 2027 ➔
Click for the full month by month calendar. Hyperlinks included for classes whose registration is currently open (click on class titles).
upcoming classes
CLASS FULL - “Watercolor Painting Fundamentals” at Simpatico Gallery, Charleston, SC
Sept 8 - Oct 13, 2026: 6 Tuesdays, 10Am - 1pm
Location: Simpatico Gallery, 63 Broad Street, Charleston, SC. Cost: $320/ $345 with supply rental. 6 Tuesdays, 10am-1pm. Bring your own supplies (see recommended supplies list above), or rent from the teacher for use in class ($5 per class, or $25 for the full series). Registration: Sign up on the Simpatico Gallery Eventbrite page.
Learn wash types, all aspects of brush handling, basic color mixing, how paintings are built up, and how to apply this to representational painting. We will be using photo references.
*Note: This popular class covers a lot of material, and many students choose to take this class more than once.
*Class size limit: 8 students
Class in Progress - “Drawing” at Isle of Palms Rec Center, Isle of Palms, SC
Sept 2 - October 7, 2026: 6 Wednesdays, 8Am - 10Am
Location: Isle of Palms Rec Center, Tadpole Room: 24 28th Ave., Isle of Palms, SC. Cost: $220. 6 Wednesdays, 8am-10am. Bring your own drawing supplies; A list of recommended supplies can be found above, under Supplies Lists. Registration: Visit the Isle of Palms Rec Center website; or give them a call at: (843) 886-8294
Whether you want to learn to draw in its own right or to become a (better) painter, this class will give you a solid foundation in traditional skills. You will learn sighting tools and perspective, and will be shown how to see differently. You will also learn about drawing materials, styles, and drawing for painting.
*Class size limit: 10 students
Class in Progress - “Painting Landscapes in Watercolor” at Isle of Palms Rec Center, Isle of Palms, SC
Sept 2 - Oct 7, 2026: 6 Wednesdays, 10:30Am - 1:30pm
Location: Isle of Palms Rec Center, Tadpole Room. 24 28th Ave., Isle of Palms, SC. Cost: $320/ $345 with supply rental. 6 Wednesdays, 10:30am-1:30pm. Bring your own supplies (see recommended supplies list above), or rent from the teacher for use in class ($5 per class, or $25 for the full series). Registration: Visit the Isle of Palms Rec Center website; or give them a call at: (843) 886-8294
When we think of watercolor landscape painting, we often think of the beautiful Adirondack or Bahamas paintings by Winslow Homer or the en plein air paintings of John Singer Sargent. In this class you will learn how to capture a scene on paper in a planned-out series of watercolor wash layers. This class will give you a grounding in watercolor brush handling, and how to glaze washes to build up paint layers. You will learn how to identify strong value designs and simple color patterns to create a strong painting. We will be using watercolor paint in this class, though the lessons in color and value composition will be useful across media.
Please note that, weather permitting, we will go outside to paint en plein air during the latter 2-3 classes. Students will need their own easels or another set-up, which we will discuss in earlier classes; these generally cost $50-$80.
Students of all levels are welcome.
Supplies list: http://tinyurl.com/outdoorpaintingsupplies
*Class size limit: 10 students
Thursdays ongoing: “Make a Watercolor Painting Night” at Simpatico Gallery, Charleston, SC
Sept 10 - Nov 19, 2026: Thursdays, 6pm-8pm (optional lesson at 5:30pm)
Location: Simpatico Gallery, 63 Broad Street, Charleston, SC. Cost: $85 per Thursday with optional supply rental, $8. Thursdays, 6pm-8pm (or come at 5:30pm for review). Bring your own supplies (see recommended supplies list above), or rent from the teacher for use in class ($8 per class).
Registration: See the Thursday dates and sign up on the Simpatico Gallery Eventbrite page.
Optional lesson at 5:30pm covering watercolor brush handling basics - running a wash and glazing washes. Group painting starts at 6pm. This class is about producing a single finished painting. We will be working from a photo and following the teacher’s lead, step-by-step. Since every painting presents its own unique challenges, this class is not intended to replace a formal beginner or fundamentals watercolor class, but rather is a taste of what watercolor painting is like.
*Class size limit: 8 students
“Watercolor Painting - Still Lifes” at Simpatico Gallery, Charleston, SC
Oct 20 - Nov 24, 2026: 6 Tuesdays, 10Am - 1pm
Location: Simpatico Gallery, 63 Broad Street, Charleston, SC. Cost: $320/ $345 with supply rental. 6 Tuesdays, 10am-1pm. Bring your own supplies (see recommended supplies list above), or rent from the teacher for use in class ($5 per class, or $25 for the full series). Registration: Sign up on the Simpatico Gallery Eventbrite page.
Learn watercolor painting from life. The key to success in watercolor is learning to simplify what you see into single-value shapes. We will gradually build up from very simple renderings of the still life into more and more complicated, layered paintings.
All levels welcome.
*Class size limit: 8 students
“Drawing” at Isle of Palms Rec Center, Isle of Palms, SC
Oct 14 - Nov 25, 2026 (No class veterans Day, Nov 11): 6 Wednesdays, 8Am - 10Am
Location: Isle of Palms Rec Center, Tadpole Room: 24 28th Ave., Isle of Palms, SC. Cost: $220. 6 Wednesdays, 8am-10am. Bring your own drawing supplies; A list of recommended supplies can be found above, under Supplies Lists. Registration: Registration: Visit the Isle of Palms Rec Center website; or give them a call at: (843) 886-8294.
Whether you want to learn to draw in its own right or to become a (better) painter, this class will give you a solid foundation in traditional skills. You will learn sighting tools and perspective, and will be shown how to see differently. You will also learn about drawing materials, styles, and drawing for painting.
*Class size limit: 10 students
“Watercolor Painting for Beginners” at Isle of Palms Rec Center, Isle of Palms, SC
Oct 14 - Nov 25, 2026 (no class veterans Day, Nov 11): 6 Wednesdays, 10:30Am - 1:30pm
Location: Isle of Palms Rec Center, Tadpole Room. 24 28th Ave., Isle of Palms, SC. Cost: $320/ $345 with supply rental. 6 Wednesdays, 10:30am-1:30pm. Bring your own supplies (see recommended supplies list above), or rent from the teacher for use in class ($5 per class, or $25 for the full series). Registration: Registration: Visit the Isle of Palms Rec Center website; or give them a call at: (843) 886-8294.
This class teaches you the traditional methods of handling transparent watercolor in representational painting. You will learn how to control watercolor through washes and glazes, creating soft edges, using wet-in-wet techniques and using dry-brush. You will also learn how to work with the time constraints of the medium through a simplification of value shapes: a key to success in watercolor.
*Note: This popular class covers a lot of material, and many students choose to take this class more than once. Therefore, the teacher will use all-new reference material for Beginners-series classes taught within the same year.
*Class size limit: 10 students
“Watercolor Painting for beginners” at Looky Here! Art center, Greenfield, MA
Nov 30 - Dec 21, 2026: 4 Mondays, 6pm - 9pm
Location: Looky Here!, 28 Chapman Street, Greenfield, MA. Cost: $250/ $275 with supply rental. 4 Mondays, 6pm-9pm. Bring your own supplies (see recommended supplies list above), or rent from the teacher for use in class. Sign up on the Looky Here website!
Description: Learn wash types, all aspects of brush handling, basic color mixing, how paintings are built up, and how to apply this to representational painting. We will be using photo references.
*Note: This class is bookended by Thanksgiving and Christmas and there is no room for in-person make-up dates. In case of a snowstorm, class will be held on Zoom.
*Class size limit: 10 students
“Fundamentals of Drawing” at Smith Vocational, Northampton, MA
Dec 1 - Dec 22, 2026: 4 Tuesdays, 6pm - 9pm
Location: Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School, 80 Locust Street, Northampton, MA. Cost: $250. 4 Tuesdays, 6pm-9pm.
All students must bring in a sketchbook at least 9”x12”, and graphite pencil + eraser, or charcoal (a pack of willow is good) + kneaded eraser. Acrylic paint and painting supplies will be provided for use in the class.
Registration not yet open. Come back soon, or send me your name via the form on this page, and I will let you know when registration opens.
Description: Students will learn the fundamentals of drawing including the ability to see related abstract shapes, use sighting tools to take measurements, perspective, how to fill the page, and finally how to see related value shapes in a scene. Students will learn how this applies to painting across media. We will use acrylic paint, graphite and charcoal.
*Note: This class is bookended by Thanksgiving and Christmas and there is no room for in-person make-up dates. In case of a snowstorm, class will be held on Zoom.
*Class size limit: 10 students
2027
“Landscape Painting in Watercolor” at Simpatico Gallery, Charleston, SC
Jan 5 - Feb 9, 2027: 6 Tuesdays, 10Am - 1pm
Location: Simpatico Gallery, 63 Broad Street, Charleston, SC. Cost: $320/ $345 with supply rental. 6 Tuesdays, 10am-1pm. Bring your own supplies (see recommended supplies list above), or rent from the teacher for use in class ($5 per class, or $25 for the full series). Registration: Registration is not yet open for this class, so please fill out the form at right and I will contact you once registration is open, so that you can then sign up.
When we think of watercolor landscape painting, we often think of the beautiful Adirondack or Bahamas paintings by Winslow Homer or the en plein air paintings of John Singer Sargent. In this class you will learn how to capture a scene on paper in a planned-out series of watercolor wash layers. This class will give you a grounding in watercolor brush handling, and how to glaze washes to build up paint layers. You will learn how to identify strong value designs and simple color patterns to create a strong painting. We will be using watercolor paint in this class, though the lessons in color and value composition will be useful across media.
We’ll start by learning how to sight the scene and put it together in a simplified drawing (drawing will be a component of this class especially early on). Then we’ll identify value-blocks. Then we will move on to grouping and building paintings in increasingly complex layers.
Please note that, weather permitting, we will go outside to paint en plein air during the latter 2-3 classes. Students will need their own easels or another set-up, which we will discuss in earlier classes; these generally cost $50-$80.
Students of all levels are welcome.
*Class size limit: 8 students
“Drawing” at Isle of Palms Rec Center, Isle of Palms, SC
Jan 6 - Feb 10, 2027: 6 Wednesdays, 8Am - 10Am
Location: Isle of Palms Rec Center, Tadpole Room: 24 28th Ave., Isle of Palms, SC. Cost: $220. 6 Wednesdays, 8am-10am. Bring your own drawing supplies; A list of recommended supplies can be found above, under Supplies Lists. Registration: Registration is not yet open for this class, so please fill out the form at right and I will contact you once registration is open, so that you can then sign up.
Whether you want to learn to draw in its own right or to become a (better) painter, this class will give you a solid foundation in traditional skills. You will learn sighting tools and perspective, and will be shown how to see differently. You will also learn about drawing materials, styles, and drawing for painting.
*Class size limit: 10 students
“Watercolor Painting for Beginners” at Isle of Palms Rec Center, Isle of Palms, SC
Jan 6 - Feb 10, 2027: 6 Wednesdays, 10:30Am - 1:30pm
Location: Isle of Palms Rec Center, Tadpole Room. 24 28th Ave., Isle of Palms, SC. Cost: $320/ $345 with supply rental. 6 Wednesdays, 10:30am-1:30pm. Bring your own supplies (see recommended supplies list above), or rent from the teacher for use in class ($5 per class, or $25 for the full series). Registration: Registration is not yet open for this class, so please fill out the form at right and I will contact you once registration is open, so that you can then sign up.
This class teaches you the traditional methods of handling transparent watercolor in representational painting. You will learn how to control watercolor through washes and glazes, creating soft edges, using wet-in-wet techniques and using dry-brush. You will also learn how to work with the time constraints of the medium through a simplification of value shapes: a key to success in watercolor.
*Note: This popular class covers a lot of material, and many students choose to take this class more than once. Therefore, the teacher will use all-new reference material for Beginners-series classes taught within the same year.
*Class size limit: 10 students
Thursdays ongoing: “Paint the Still Life in Watercolor” at Simpatico Gallery, Charleston, SC
January - May, 2027: Thursdays, 5:30pm-8pm
Location: Simpatico Gallery, 63 Broad Street, Charleston, SC. Cost: $85 with optional supply rental, $8. Thursdays, 5:30pm-8pm. Bring your own supplies (see recommended supplies list above), or rent from the teacher for use in class ($8 per class). Registration: Registration is not yet open for this class, so please fill out the form at right and I will contact you once registration is open, so that you can then sign up.
There’s no better way to learn to paint or draw than to throw yourself into it. This class is less theory and more timed-painting “workouts,” and students are encouraged to come to as many sessions as suits their schedules. I will be giving several demos with paintings increasing in complexity, which will be followed by timed student practice. I will go around the room critiquing and answering questions.
Those who don’t know basic watercolor brush handling are encouraged to sign up for one of my Fundamentals/ Beginners classes.
*Class size limit: 8 students
“Watercolor Painting Fundamentals” at Simpatico Gallery, Charleston, SC
Feb 16 - March 23, 2027: 6 Tuesdays, 10Am - 1pm
Location: Simpatico Gallery, 63 Broad Street, Charleston, SC. Cost: $320/ $345 with supply rental. 6 Tuesdays, 10am-1pm. Bring your own supplies (see recommended supplies list above), or rent from the teacher for use in class ($5 per class, or $25 for the full series). Registration: Registration is not yet open for this class, so please fill out the form at right and I will contact you once registration is open, so that you can then sign up.
Learn wash types, all aspects of brush handling, basic color mixing, how paintings are built up, and how to apply this to representational painting. We will be using photo references.
*Note: This popular class covers a lot of material, and many students choose to take this class more than once.
*Class size limit: 8 students
“Drawing” at Isle of Palms Rec Center, Isle of Palms, SC
Feb 17 - March 24, 2027: 6 Wednesdays, 8Am - 10Am
Location: Isle of Palms Rec Center, Tadpole Room: 24 28th Ave., Isle of Palms, SC. Cost: $220. 6 Wednesdays, 8am-10am. Bring your own drawing supplies; A list of recommended supplies can be found above, under Supplies Lists. Registration: Registration is not yet open for this class, so please fill out the form at right and I will contact you once registration is open, so that you can then sign up.
Whether you want to learn to draw in its own right or to become a (better) painter, this class will give you a solid foundation in traditional skills. You will learn sighting tools and perspective, and will be shown how to see differently. You will also learn about drawing materials, styles, and drawing for painting.
*Class size limit: 10 students
“Botanical Painting” at Isle of Palms Rec Center, Isle of Palms, SC
Feb 17 - March 24, 2027: 6 Wednesdays, 10:30Am - 1:30pm
Location: Isle of Palms Rec Center, Tadpole Room. 24 28th Ave., Isle of Palms, SC. Cost: $320/ $345 with supply rental. 6 Wednesdays, 10:30am-1:30pm. Bring your own supplies (see recommended supplies list above), or rent from the teacher for use in class ($5 per class, or $25 for the full series). Registration: Registration is not yet open for this class, so please fill out the form at right and I will contact you once registration is open, so that you can then sign up.
Slow down and learn to create beautiful watercolor paintings of flowers and other botanicals in gradual, built-up watercolor layers. Students will learn how to build paintings on their own by learning how to identify value-steps and color unification, as well as how to handle watercolor paint for clean washes and intentional, not overworked, watercolor layering. Students will also learn color mixing.
This class is open to all levels.
*Class size limit: 10 students
“Lessons in Watercolor Painting from Charleston’s Historic Women Artists” at The Charleston Museum, Charleston, SC
march 6, 2027, 10Am - 2pm
Location: Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC. Cost: $150 for nonmembers, $120 for Museum members. 10am-2pm (there will be a 15-20 minute break in the middle)
Registration: Registration is not yet open for this class, so please fill out the form at right and I will contact you once registration is open, so that you can then sign up.
Lessons in Watercolor Painting from Charleston’s Historic Women Artists: Maria Martin (1796-1836), Alice Ravenel Huger Smith (1876-1958) and Anna Hayward Taylor (1879-1956). Led by Charleston Museum archivist Jennifer McCormick and Charleston-based artist Giselle Harrington, students will gain an insight into the processes of three of Charleston’s best-known painters, starting with a close look at their original paintings which are held in the Charleston Museum’s collection. In this workshop, Giselle will break down the different watercolor painting methods these artists used. Students will then practice these methods in their own guided watercolor paintings. By the end of class students will have gained a broad understanding of watercolor that will strengthen their own painting practice or give them a solid basis on which to start painting.
All levels welcome
Supply rental option: $10 (students can request this from Giselle at the beginning of the class - Please come 10 minute early.)
Supplies list: Visit: tinyurl.com/WatercolorSuppliesList.
*Class size limit: 10 students
“En Plein Air PaintinG” at Dill Sanctuary, James Island, SC
April 24, 2027 (Rain Date May 1), 10Am - 2pm
Location: Dill Sanctuary (a property owned by the Charleston Museum), 1163 Riverland Drive, Charleston, SC, 29412. Cost: $150 nonmembers; $120 for Museum members. 10am-2pm (there will be a 15-20 minute break in the middle). There is coverage as well as bathroom facilities at this location. In the event of rain, please reserve May 1 for make-up class date.
Supplies list: https://tinyurl.com/OutdoorPaintingSupplies.
Registration: Registration is not yet open for this class, so please fill out the form at right and I will contact you once registration is open, so that you can then sign up.
In this one-day workshop students will learn to paint en plein air (literally: “in the open air”) painting from life: How to choose a scene to paint from, identify a simplified value and color design to paint, and capture this on paper in an planned-out series of watercolor wash layers. We will be using watercolor paint in this class, though the lessons in color and value composition will be useful across media.
All levels welcome.
*Class size limit: 10 students
“Drawing” at Isle of Palms Rec Center, Isle of Palms, SC
March 31 - May 12, 2027 (NO CLASS MAY 5): 6 Wednesdays, 8Am - 10Am
Location: Isle of Palms Rec Center, Tadpole Room: 24 28th Ave., Isle of Palms, SC. Cost: $220. 6 Wednesdays, 8am-10am. Bring your own drawing supplies; A list of recommended supplies can be found above, under Supplies Lists. Registration: Registration is not yet open for this class, so please fill out the form at right and I will contact you once registration is open, so that you can then sign up.
Whether you want to learn to draw in its own right or to become a (better) painter, this class will give you a solid foundation in traditional skills. You will learn sighting tools and perspective, and will be shown how to see differently. You will also learn about drawing materials, styles, and drawing for painting.
*Class size limit: 10 students
“Watercolor Painting for Beginners” at Isle of Palms Rec Center, Isle of Palms, SC
March 31 - May 12, 2027 (NO CLASS MAY 5): 6 Wednesdays, 10:30Am - 1:30pm
Location: Isle of Palms Rec Center, Tadpole Room. 24 28th Ave., Isle of Palms, SC. Cost: $320/ $345 with supply rental. 6 Wednesdays, 10:30am-1:30pm. Bring your own supplies (see recommended supplies list above), or rent from the teacher for use in class ($5 per class, or $25 for the full series). Registration: Registration is not yet open for this class, so please fill out the form at right and I will contact you once registration is open, so that you can then sign up.
This class teaches you the traditional methods of handling transparent watercolor in representational painting. You will learn how to control watercolor through washes and glazes, creating soft edges, using wet-in-wet techniques and using dry-brush. You will also learn how to work with the time constraints of the medium through a simplification of value shapes: a key to success in watercolor.
*Note: This popular class covers a lot of material, and many students choose to take this class more than once. Therefore, the teacher will use all-new reference material for Beginners-series classes taught within the same year.
*Class size limit: 10 students
Fill this form for: Private lessons, requests for an upcoming class registration alert, and other questions or comments:
QUOTES FROM PAST STUDENTS
“I loved this course. Firstly because of Giselle’s quiet passion to lead us to appreciate, and understand the complexity and logic of water color painting. Secondly because of Giselle’s axiom that appreciation and understanding are nurtured by doing. Thirdly because our doing, with all its flaws, was met by encouragement from Giselle, but never by a diminution in her exacting standards. And finally, because I really appreciated Giselle’s skill as a water colorist and the sense she gave that teaching us was a part of her own process towards greater understanding and mastery of the art.”
“ As a retired art teacher, I appreciated the excellent lesson plans, the clear instructions and helpful demonstrations in Giselle’s watercolor class. She covered many techniques and was flexible in responding to individual queries.”
“Giselle’s Intro to Drawing class was a fantastic opportunity to help myself experience and answer the question that was in my mind “what actually is the foundation for learning how to draw?” Many of us in class and myself included, have never had any or much previous drawing training. Giselle’s guidance and encouragement helped each student tap into that special space within to flex their creative muscles — something I was seeking, and achieved, through this experience. This was also a great way to meet more members in the Western MA community!”
“The watercolor class was very well structured with a clear progression of techniques. Giselle is a very encouraging and thoughtful instructor and conveyed a great depth of understanding of the process. A very enjoyable experience.”
Intermediate Watercolor students at the James Island Town Hall
Watercolor class at the Veterans Affairs in North Charleston
Drawing class at the Isle of Palms Rec Center
Teaching for the Summerville Artist Guild
A watercolor demo for Intermediate Watercolor students
Giselle, painting en plein air