Painting lessons in Dakar mean taking up painting with an artist, in a one-hour taster session, a three-hour workshop or a full day. The options are for adults and children alike, and a full three-month course lets you go further.

Six options, from taster to three-month course

Several formats exist, all priced per person:

• Taster session, one hour, to try it out;
• Painting workshop, three hours;
• Full-day workshop, with three distinct audiences: adults, teenagers aged 13 to 17, children aged 9 to 12;
• Full three-month course, for steady progress.

The artist teaches the basics, the brushwork and composition. The full-day workshops are divided by age group, adults, 13-17 and 9-12, so you paint among peers.

You choose the format according to your time and enthusiasm. The one-hour session is a no-commitment test; the three-hour workshop leaves time to finish a piece; the full day lets you settle in for longer, including for teenagers and children, who each have their own option. The three-month course is for those who want to build a regular practice.

If you live in Dakar, a course is a way to have a regular creative appointment. If you are visiting, the taster session or the full day is enough to try painting during a stay.

Painting in Dakar

Dakar is a city you get to know through its neighbourhoods, from the colonial Plateau to the lively Médina, from the skyscrapers of the Corniche to the pirogues of Soumbedioune: a rich setting for anyone who wants to paint. The Dakar region also takes in the Pointe des Almadies, the westernmost point of mainland Africa.

Extending your time around Dakar

To carry on with the arts, the Museum of Black Civilisations and the Théodore Monod Museum of African Art give a grounding in the art of the continent. Other craft and skills workshops and dyeing, batik and textile workshops extend creative practice, and Gorée Island is a classic outing.