Language
English, French
Duration
3 hours
Difficulty
Beginner
Next Date
19/05/2026

Gouache illustration workshop in Cascais at House of Wonders Restaurant on Tuesday 19 May at 10am, a three-hour project-based class where you paint an adorable Corgi using gouache paint, guided by freelance illustrator and designer Julie Lesouef Baleia. All materials included, a light brunch and drinks are part of the experience, and you leave with a lovely illustration you painted yourself. Perfect for complete beginners and more experienced artists alike. Sessions run in English and French.

Julie brings the same warmth and creative freedom to her workshops that she discovered when she left corporate life in 2016, moved to Portugal and retrained as a graphic designer and illustrator. Her passion for murals and large-scale painting gives her a particular understanding of colour, composition and the joy of making art that feels genuinely liberating, and she translates that into workshop sessions that are relaxed, friendly and genuinely fun. You also receive a digital handout with guidance to support you during the class, so you always have a reference to hand throughout the session.

What you’ll learn

🎨 How to work with gouache as a painting medium and explore its properties

🎨 Illustration techniques for painting an adorable Corgi from scratch

🎨 How to use colour, form and detail in a gouache illustration

🎨 An introduction to gouache that may well make you fall in love with it

🎨 Practical illustration skills applicable to future projects of your own

What’s included

🖌️ All materials including gouache, paper and tools

🖌️ Full guidance from Julie Lesouef Baleia throughout the three-hour session

🖌️ A digital handout to support you during the class

🖌️ Light brunch and drinks

🖌️ Your finished gouache illustration to take home

What you leave with

A finished gouache illustration of a Corgi painted entirely by you, a genuine feel for the medium and a very enjoyable Tuesday morning in Cascais with good food and good company.

I am Julie Lesouef Baleia, a freelance illustrator and designer based in Portugal. I left corporate communications in 2016, moved to Portugal and retrained as a graphic designer and illustrator. Painting has always been part of who I am, and in recent years my work has expanded into murals, which give me a sense of creative freedom that is genuinely unmatched. I now also run workshops in the Lisbon region where I guide people to create their own illustrations in a relaxed and friendly environment. The goal is always the same: that you leave having had fun, made something you love and discovered a medium worth returning to.

Takes place on Tuesday 19 May at 10am at House of Wonders Restaurant, Cascais. Duration approximately three hours. Sessions in English and French. Price 50 euros including all materials and brunch.