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V.I.E.W: Virtual Interactive Escapade Workshops

Paint Live from your home with a master and fellow artists. We are working hand in hand with our team of high-end artists/instructors to present you unique interactive live online painting workshops where you can paint along and get feedback from the comfort of your home. Check our V.I.E.W. calendar with all the online classes we offer with different instructors.

V.I.E.W. by Keiko Tanabe

Sample of Keiko’s Work

V.I.E.W. by Keiko Tanabe, AWS, NWS: Flamenco Dancers – From drawing to Watercolor

Level: Intermediate and Advanced- Max 16 participants

Format: 2 sessions of 3 hours

Dates: April 22 & 23 (10am-1pm, PDT)

Day 1: Flamenco dancer vignette style: Drawing and watercolor painting step by step

Day 2: Flamenco dancer with background: Drawing and watercolor painting step by step

In this class Keiko will show you how to draw and paint flamenco dancers and capture their movement and emotions. With her lead, you will learn to paint human figures in a simple vignette style on the first day. Then on the second day, you will follow Keiko as she demonstrates how to make a painting of a dancer with a dramatic background.

In this interactive class, Keiko will show her process through a step-by-step demo each day from simplifying a scene from a photo to composition and painting. Q&A and critique is an integral part of the lessons both days. The class will end with a final critique so that you get personal feedback.

Reference photos (different from the paintings shown here as examples) will be provided a few days prior to the start of class. Make sure to print them to have them available during the sessions. No need to draw ahead of time. Keiko will show you her composition and drawing process as well.

Sample of Keiko’s Work

Rates: US$ 198 for the 2 sessions.

The price includes:

Personal feedback and critique during the class: Keiko will give you time to paint and then look at each student work in progress and comment on it along the way. You will also receive a final critique at the end of the session.
Facebook feedback after the class: If you post on your finished painting on our V.I.E.W. facebook page, Keiko will give you final suggestions for your painting.

Supply List:

– Paper: rough or cold-pressed; 140Lb (300gm); such as Arches, Saunders/Waterford and Fabriano Artistico. 12” x 16” recommended. Please make sure paper stays flat (with masking tape or clips or staples) or use a block.

– Paints: recommended but not limited to: cobalt blue, alizarin crimson, burnt sienna, raw sienna, quinacridone gold, lemon yellow, viridian, dioxazine purple, orange, cadmium red, phthalo blue, cobalt turquoise, titanium white, or equivalent and your favorites, if any.

– Palette: any kind with mixing areas

– Brushes: one brush for a wash (such as round Princeton Neptune or Escoda Ultimo sizes 12-16 or a mop Raphael Softaqua or Isabey sizes 4-8); one brush for details (such as round Raphael Precision and Escoda Perla up to size #12); other brushes such as a rigger, dagger, flat, calligraphy brush, etc.

– Others: Pencil & eraser, sketchbook or drawing pad for thumbnail sketches and small studies, container for washing brushes, towels or sponge.

About Keiko Tanabe: www.ktanabefineart.com

Mostly self-taught, she embarked on a professional art career in 2005. Since then, her paintings have been in many national and international exhibitions, both juried and invitational, and gained world-wide recognitions. Her work has been purchased by private and corporate collectors from all around the world. She also had her paintings published and featured in leading art magazines and a number of publications in the U.S., Europe and Asia. A sought-after workshop instructor since 2011, she has conducted more than 300 workshops and numerous live demonstrations around the world. Her approach to teaching is to help students identify and solve their problems to further advance their technical skills and refine their style.

She has frequently served as a juror in art exhibitions both on national and on international levels. In 2018, she was appointed to the advisory board of the American Watercolor Weekly. She has several books and 2 DVD’s published. She is currently a member of National Watercolor Society (signature), American Watercolor Society (signature), American Impressionist Society and Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (signature). Keiko was born in Kyoto, Japan and currently lives in San Diego, California.

Fabulous Workshop with Keiko!

”Keiko’s workshop on Normandy was fabulous!!!! I just signed up for her next 2 workshops with you. I hope that Keiko will be a regular!
Jackie, It is always wonderful to see your smiling face at these workshops! Thank you so much for making so many people happy with all your virtual classes!!!! With Gratitude and appreciation”. Lily S.

Book Now !

V.I.E.W. Registration Form

Fill out the online form below

Automatic Response

You will receive an automatic response confirming that we have received your form. It doesn’t mean that you have a spot in the V.I.E.W. yet.

Add these 2 email addresses to your address book

– valeriemsans@yahoo.com
– contact@frenchescapade.com

Payment for the V.I.E.W.

Within 24 hours, you will receive an email from one of the 2 email adresses mentioned above.

– If the V.I.E.W. is full: we will place you on the wait list
– If the V.I.E.W. is not full: we will send you information on how to proceed with your payment

What is V.I.E.W.?

French Escapade has been dedicated to bring the artist community together since 2004 by offering plein-air painting workshops in amazing settings abroad or in the US.

In today’s challenging times, we want this sense of community to continue even though we are all confined in our homes and isolated from one another.

So V.I.E.W., our Virtual Interactive Escapade Workshop, is a program whose goal in not only to offer online painting classes, but also a sense of camaraderie in small groups of people painting together as friends. Like in our plein-air painting workshops, we wish to recreate this congeniality that we lack so much when sheltered in place. Our wonderful team of instructors has jumped on board with enthusiasm and has at heart to bring art and comfort to you in this trying time.

From your home, you will participate in our Virtual Interactive Escapade Workshop hosted by Jackie and instructed by one of our art instructors on your laptop, desktop or Ipad.

You can mirror the screen of your Ipad or computer to your TV screen (smart TVs, Apple TV, …). We will help you for the setup if you do not feel comfortable. We will also do a group test prior to the first online painting session to make sure you are comfortable using the application.

With V.I.E.W., you can sign-up for a live online workshop from a wide variety of artists, media and levels all in one place.

Save money by becoming recurrent V.I.E.W. participants with our fidelity program.

We offer 2 types of V.I.E.W. Master Classes:

Master Classes with ONE artist: 3 sessions of 2 hours to concentrate on one style.
Master Classes with TWO artists: 4 sessions of 2 hours to diversify your palette of techniques (2 sessions with each artist).

How are our V.I.E.W. workshops different than other online classes?

Our V.I.E.W. workshops are live, interactive and hands-on.
The instructors do demos and also give you time to paint during the live session.
You can enjoy interactivity with fellow students.
The V.I.E.W. workshops alternate 3 live lessons with 2 or 3 days of assignments in between giving you time to practice what you learned.
The instructors review your work and give you constructive feedback.
Q&A are welcome.
At the end of the program, you will have at least one finished painting.

How does V.I.E.W. work?

You participate from the comfort of your home.
You need to download a free application on your device (preferably a lap top to have a big screen)
We work with you to the set up the online application if you need assistance.
We run a test session the day before the workshop to make sure everyone is all set.
The classes are LIVE.
You see the teacher and the other participants.
The teacher gives a demo (step by step demo, paint along, painting techniques, etc…It varies based on the teacher’s style).
You have time to practice during the session what you just learned from the teacher.
If you have questions while practicing or watching the demo, you can ask the instructor because the classes are LIVE.
You enjoy interactivity and sharing art with fellow students.
You get 3 lessons of 2 hours each.
You are able to show the teacher what you have done and receive personal constructive critique.
At the end of the 3 lessons, you should have at least one finished painting.

V.I.E.W. FAQs

How do I sign up?

Email us at contact@frenchescapade.com and make sure to let us know for what teacher you want to sign up. We will send you a registration form to fill out.

How can I pay?

1- If you sign up over a week before the online class, you can send us a US check, payable to French Escapade LLC. Address is: 2389 Blackpool Pl, San Leandro, CA 94577.

2- You can either send your payment using ZELLE. It is free. All big US banks offer ZELLE. It is very easy to set up. Go to your online bank account and you will see the option “ZELLE”. It will only take a minute to set it up. Choose contact@frenchescapade.com as recipient.

3- We can use Paypal and use your credit card. Choose contact@frenchescapade.com as recipient.

How do I start?

You will need to download an application. We will let you know which one when you sign up. The application is free and very easy to use. You can download it on your mobile, your tablet or your computer. We recommend using a computer (PC or Mac) because the screen is bigger and it will allow you to see the demo better.

What if I have problems downloading the application?

You can contact us and we will help you but it is really a 3 min straight forward process.

How will I know how to use the application?

We organize a short meeting with all the participants the day before the first session to make sure everyone knows how to use it. It is very simple to use.

How do I access the live session?

We send you an invitation to the meeting via email ahead of time with the date and time of the meeting. When it is time, you just need to click on the link to enter the online session. The moderator will be able to see that you are trying to join and will let you in.

What if all participants start talking over each other during the session?

Don’t worry, that won’t happen. There is always be a member of French Escapade facilitating the session. Everyone have their microphone muted and the moderator lets people ask questions one at the time when it is appropriate in the session.

Are we going to paint during the session or only watch?

Yes, you paint during the session. After a short demo from the teacher, everyone has time to paint for a specific length of time. During that time, you can ask questions to the teacher if you encounter a problem with your painting. After the painting time, the teacher proceedes with more content (demo, techniques,…) and then again, after that demo, you paint what you just learned and so on. The goal is for you to have finished a painting (or close to that) at the end of the session. During the third session, everyone can share their work with the teacher and the other participant and get feedback from the teacher. You don’t need to share if you don’t feel comfortable but we encourage you to do so in order to receive feedback.

How do I know what painting supplies to use for the session?

We send everyone the teacher’s recommended painting supplies list ahead of time.

What if I don't want the other participants to see my face or to see me while I paint?

You can turn off the camera via the application. We will still see your name in a black box.

Can I get a partial refund if I can't attend all three sessions?

Unfortunately we can refund you. You pay for a 3 session package.

Can I send the invitation to a friend who hasn't registered?

No. The V.I.E.W. workshop is only for registered participants. The moderator can see everyone accessing the session and will only accept the people who are registered.