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Workshop with Marc Folly
I’ve just returned from a fantastic workshop in Cascais, organized by Paint in Portugal and Margarida Ornelas. This time she had invited the French artist Marc Folly from Lyon, and since his workshops fill up quickly, we had booked almost a year in advance. We were 14 participants from different countries, gathered for three intense and inspiring days.
 From the very first day, I noticed that Marc has a very clear yet playful way of teaching. He started with something that sounded almost too simple: just three colors – ultramarine blue, a yellow (similar to Indian Yellow), and Permanent Rose. But it quickly became clear how much you can actually create with such a limited palette. He showed how to mix the colors step by step and how, together, they can produce almost any shade, especially the greys he often builds his paintings on.
We then followed along as he sketched one of our subjects – a large industrial-like space with boats and various objects in strong backlight. What impressed me most was his calm approach to drawing. He never rushed, constantly comparing proportions and building the composition methodically. For complex shapes like boats, he even started with a simple rectangle and worked his way into the form. He uses a simple HB mechanical pencil and paper from Hahnemühle that doesn’t absorb the paint immediately, making it easy to lift color later and adjust light and shapes.
 When he started painting, he demonstrated a method that differs from many others: beginning with the darkest areas, then the mid-tones, and finally the lightest parts. We followed him step by step, and although the subject was challenging, the process worked surprisingly well—as long as we let the paint dry and didn’t “overwork” it.
 We then moved on to a new subject—a small river in backlight with trees on both sides. Marc worked from top to bottom, starting with branches and leaves, allowing many of the effects to emerge naturally from the interaction between water and pigment. He is very generous in letting chance play a role, and the results are often both lively and unexpected.
Although he mainly stayed with the same three colors as on the first day, he also added some Van Dyke Brown. And while the palette is limited, he has plenty of brushes—spread out all over the table—always searching for “the right one,” often with a sense of humor. Toward the end, he also showed how to lift color using water and a cloth to create light areas. It looked almost magically simple when he did it.
 On the third day, we worked on a classic Marc Folly subject: a workshop in strong backlight, with large windows, clay pots, and old tools. He carefully drew the window first, then built the composition by painting the dark areas between the objects—working with negative shapes. After that came the colors: first the darks, then warm touches of yellow and red, while adding a more abstract green area in one corner to create balance.
 What I took with me most from the final day was his attitude toward mistakes. He emphasized not being too quick to correct things that don’t turn out as planned. Sometimes it’s better to wait until the painting is nearly finished—what first seemed like a mistake may not look wrong at all, and might even enhance the painting.
These were three days full of energy, laughter, learning, and inspiration. Marc is not only a skilled artist but also a generous and entertaining teacher who is always there to help.
Marc Folly’s quote that I’m taking home with me:
“Take care of your mistakes – they may become the best part of your painting.”
Here you can read more about Paint in Portugal
and here you can find Marc Folly’s website. |
