Course Description

This three-day plein air workshop offers an introduction to the fundamentals of landscape painting, guiding you to paint directly from nature and to discover its expressive possibilities.

Working fully outdoors, you will explore how observation and feeling come together to create art that reflects both the visible and the poetic qualities of the natural world. Nature, in its purest form, offers endless variation and beauty: it surprises, challenges, and inspires. Capturing these fleeting moments on canvas is both a technical exercise and a deeply personal experience.

Under the guidance of César Meza, whose admiration for nature defines his artistic path, you’ll learn how to simplify what you see, focus on essentials, and translate the vastness of the landscape into meaningful visual form. Through live demonstrations and step-by-step instruction, the workshop emphasises the balance between precision and expression, helping you understand composition, light, colour harmony, and atmosphere.

Rather than copying literally what you see, this approach encourages you to interpret nature’s essence, omitting what is unnecessary and highlighting what is vital. Each exercise builds toward clarity of vision, technical quality, and an appreciation of the landscape as both subject and source of inspiration.
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This workshop is open to anyone interested in developing your skills in landscape painting and learning to paint from life with greater sensitivity, structure, and artistic intent.

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Key Learning Concepts

• Learn to paint directly from nature, capturing both observed details and the expressive qualities of the landscape
  
• Develop skills in pictorial composition, light, colour harmony, and atmosphere for compelling plein air painting
  
• Simplify and interpret what you see, focusing on essentials to convey the essence of the landscape rather than literal copying
  
• Balance precision with personal expression, creating landscapes that are both technically sound and artistically meaningful

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Physical Requirements & Other Important Info for Working Outdoors

Physical Fitness
This workshop takes place fully outdoors. The nature of this class requires students to be able to comfortably walk up to 20-30 minutes outdoors in different types of terrain while carrying your painting gear.

Painting Locations & Bad Weather
Painting locations will be set within 30 minutes walking distance or less from the studio, with easy access to parking, public transport, and restroom facilities. Painting sites (and back-up locations, in case of bad weather) will be communicated to the group shortly ahead of the first day of class.
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In case the weather gets too severe to paint outdoors at all, DARA has a spacious private garden with large trees and plants, which we can paint from the shelter of the classrooms (not ideal, but can work in a pinch!)

Transport of Paintings
DARA can assist with transporting wet paintings and painting gear to/from the studio each day, as needed.
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César Meza

César Meza is a Mexican artist who has lived his professional life dedicated to aesthetics and excellence within classical art.

He began his formal training at the prestigious University of Guanajuato in the department of visual arts, where he also studied conservation and restoration of art.

He then continued his formal education at the Grand Central Atelier in New York, where his work merited him the highest honorary scholarship to the Academy's drawing year. He was later asked to join the Academy as part of their core instructors team.

César currently lives and works in Mexico, and continues his professional relationship with galleries in Mexico City, Massachusetts, and New York.

​@cesarmeza.pintura

Artist Bio >

​Traveling to DARA from far away? Visit our FAQ for travel tips like where to stay, and all you need to know before you book.

DARA FAQ >

Supply List

The following items are required to participate in class. We carry most supplies for sale directly in the studio (accepted students receive a detailed PDF with further information.)
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​DRAWING TOOLS
Small sketchbook of white or toned paper. Something light and small, like 15 x 25 cm or so, is recommended.
A few graphite pencils: HB, 2B
Utility / craft knife
Kneaded eraser
White chalk pencil (for those who bring toned sketch paper.)

PAINTING SUPPORT

• Color studies: an assortment of primed linen, canvas paper, or panels, around 10 x 15 cm or similar.

At least 3 are needed (one colour study per day), but you may bring more if you would like to make a multiple small colour studies each day.

Final paintings: 3 primed linen or panels, around 20 x 24 cm size.

OIL COLOURS
Ivory Black
Raw Umber
Ultramarine Blue
Kings Blue
Viridian
Sap Green
Alizarin Crimson
Burnst Sienna
Yellow Ochre
Cadmium Yellow
Cadmium Orange
Titanium White
(Optional) Lead White​
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PAINTING MEDIUMS
Linseed oil or walnut oil
Odourless Mineral Spirits

BRUSHES
César recommends bringing a variety of round and flat brushes, in small to large sizes. Natural and synthetic hair brushes are both fine.

PALETTE & PAINTING TOOLS
Palette (something easily portable)
1 palette knife
Metal palette cups
Paper towels
Airtight brush-washer or sealed glass jar, to rinse brushes in
Plastic bag to dispose paper towels, hand wipes, etc.
Clamps to better secure your canvas to your easel (optional)

SUGGESTED ITEMS FOR WORKING OUTDOORS
Comfortable walking shoes
Sun protection
Water bottle
Hand wipes
Trash bag to collect painting waste
Hat
Portable & lightweight outdoor chair

​FIELD EASEL
You are welcome to bring your own. DARA also has field easels available to borrow. You pay a small deposit when borrowing the easel, which is returned to you if the easel is given back to DARA in the same condition.

Tuition Fee & What's Included

INCLUDED  |   The tuition fee includes 18 hours of instruction (delivered fully outdoors), complimentary lunch served daily, coffee / tea / light refreshments (served outdoors), basic studio equipment (field easels), and an end-of-workshop borrel (alcoholic & non-alcoholic drinks and light bites.)

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NOT INCLUDED  |   Accommodation, airfare, transport costs, and drawing or painting supplies are not included with the tuition fee.

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WHAT'S FOR LUNCH?  |   We serve a complimentary light lunch, prepared daily in house with love. Typical lunches include sandwiches, soups, salads, wraps, and other light and healthy fare. Menus change daily. We are happy to accommodate vegetarian & vegan diets.

Payment Deadlines

Acceptance when there is more than 1 month before the start of the workshop:

To keep your place on hold, a deposit payment must be made within 14 days of your acceptance letter:

• Option 1: The entire tuition fee is paid in one sum.
• Option 2: You pay in two parts: the first half is the deposit, and the second half is paid one month before the first day of class.
• Option 3: You sign up via our ecommerce platform to pay in monthly instalments, of between 4 to 6 instalments total according to your preference. The first instalment is considered the deposit. A 5% surcharge is added when you select this option. Monthly billing is available for Spring workshops before March 2026, and for Summer workshops before May 2026.

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Acceptance when there are 4 weeks or less before the start of the workshop:

The full cost of tuition is due within 5 working days of your acceptance letter. Tuition fees must be paid in full before the first day of lessons in order to participate.

Discounts & Financial Aid

To support artists in our community, DARA has several discounts on offer for our 2026 workshop roster - please see terms and conditions below. Additionally, you may be eligible for third-party subsidies to help fund your education at DARA.

Please note that the following offers apply to our Workshop Programme only. Available discounts may differ for our Trimester Programme & Bootcamps.​

Early Bird Discount

You are eligible for this discount if you register between 10 to 30 November for any workshop scheduled between the months of April to September 2026 and you reserve your space by paying a deposit within 14 days of your letter of acceptance.

Terms & Conditions:

• If you enrol in multiple courses, this discount applies to the workshop with the lowest tuition fee.
• If you cancel your enrolment and then decide to join the course at a later time, the discount is void.
• If your deposit payment is not received by the deadline (within 14 days of your letter of acceptance), the discount is void.
• If you enrol in a workshop at the Early Bird rate, and then later decide to transfer to a different workshop, the discount is void.
• This discount does not apply to the workshop "Drawing the Portrait: Structure & Form" with Kevin Muller-Cisneros, scheduled in January 2026. Kevin's workshop has a separate special discount on offer - see here for details.

Artist Discount

Registering for multiple workshops? The more courses you take, the more you save!

As a show of gratitude to our dedicated students, DARA offers you a €50 discount for each additional workshop you join in 2026, for maximum savings of up to €200.

What you save:

• Any 2 Workshops: save €50 off the combined total of tuition fees;
• Any 3 Workshops: save €100 off the combined total of tuition fees;
• Any 4 Workshops: save €150 off the combined total of tuition fees;
• Any 5+ Workshops: save €200 off the combined total of tuition fees.

Terms & Conditions:

• You can combine this discount with the Early Bird discount. Register early and maximise your savings!
• If you cancel your enrolment in one or more workshops, the full discount will no longer apply.
• This discount only applies to our Workshop Programme. If you enrol in only one workshop, but also join some other type of course (a trimester course, bootcamp, etc.) you are not eligible for this discount.

Subsidies & Financial Aid

Career Development for Creative Professionals: Funding up to €2.000
If you work in the creative sector in the Netherlands, either for a company or as a ZZP'er, you may be eligible for third-party funding from Werktuig-PPO when you enrol in courses at DARA.

Please check terms & eligibility here.


Volwassenenfonds Sport and Culture
This fund provides support that enables those from low-income households to be involved in the arts. You must have a registered address within the Netherlands. You can apply to the fund in your own region through the website.

Please check terms & eligibility here.

Cancellation & Studio Policies

See all Studio Policies >

• Policies if I cancel >

• Policies if DARA cancels >

• Credit tuition fees to something else >

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• If you cancel your enrolment, you may be eligible for a full or partial refund. DARA is not liable for the cost of accommodation, airfare or travel, or any other student expenses associated with the workshop.
  
  Full Refund
  1) If you cancel within 14 days of paying your first instalment of tuition fees, you receive a full refund, even if the course already began.* (*In this situation, you are required to pay the cost of services rendered. This is calculated by the number of lessons that were completed at the time you cancelled, regardless of whether or not you attended class. The remaining balance is refunded.)
  
  2) If you cancel more than 6 months before the start of the workshop, you receive a full refunded.
  
  3) If you cancel at any time before the workshop, and either you or DARA is able to find someone else to take your place, you receive a full refund 14 days after the alternate student has paid to reserve the vacant space.
  
  Partial Refund
  1) If you cancel when there are more than 4 weeks, but fewer than 6 months, before the start of the workshop, DARA retains 50% of the total tuition fee. If you have paid more than 50% of the tuition fee, than the remaining balance is refunded to you.
  
  Please note that if we are able to find someone else to fill your place in the workshop, we will refund you in full 14 days after the alternate student has reserved the available space.
  
  Situations where you are not eligible for a refund
  1) You are not eligible for a refund if you cancel when there are fewer than 4 weeks before the start of the workshop. However, please note that we will waive this policy and refund you in full if we can find someone else to take your place before the workshop begins.
  
  2) You are not eligible for a refund if you are absent from class, or you withdraw from the workshop for any reason after the course starts. You are also not eligible to credit your tuition fee to a different course in this situation.
• If we have not reached sufficient levels of student enrolment for the course to go forward, we will notify you two months in advance of the scheduled start date.
  
  In this circumstance, you can opt to:
  
  

  • Keep a space reserved to attend the course at a postponed date;
  • Transfer your enrolment to another available course;
  • Receive a full refund of tuition fees.

  
  ​Please note that DARA is not liable for students' accommodation, airfare, travel costs, or other expenses affiliated with the workshop.
  
  If a single lesson is cancelled (for example, due to the instructor falling seriously ill or other exceptional circumstance), every effort will be made to schedule a make-up session at a time convenient for the majority of students. A refund for the lesson is offered to any students who cannot attend the make-up session. DARA reserves the right to substitute in another qualified instructor or model in a class if necessary.
• Crediting your tuition fee to a different workshop is permitted in the following circumstances:
  
  Conditions of eligibility
  1) There are more than 6 weeks before the start of the workshop you were originally accepted to.
  
  2) You will transfer to a specific course which is currently open for registration at DARA. We are not able to keep tuition fees on hold for a hypothetical course at some unfixed time in the future.
  
  3) The course you would like to transfer into has places available, and if there are any eligibility requirements, you meet them. (Please note that there are no entrance requirements for workshops or bootcamps, however there are requirements for our Trimester Programme.)
  
  4) If there is a price difference between the two courses, such that the tuition fee of the course you want to transfer into costs less than your original workshop, DARA will refund the difference in tuition fees up to €300. Any amount left over is retained by DARA.
  
  If all four conditions are not met, it is not possible to credit your tuition fee to a different course. Please refer to the Cancellation Policy.
  

Register Now

< Seeing & Mixing Colour: The Optical Art of Portrait Painting

Tom van de Wouwer

24 to 28 August 2026

Learn More

Painting a Narrative in Oils >

César Meza

31 August to 11 September 2026

Learn More