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Hanoi Drawing Intensive

Art study trip · Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi Drawing Intensive

Learn to draw in Hanoi. Then draw every place you visit.

No drawing experience needed. Spend one or two weeks in Hanoi learning to draw from real objects, in classes taught in English. Your apartment by West Lake, your classes and your rides to the studio are arranged.

Apply nowSee the program ↓
A collage: a classical bust of Apollo torn from an old engraving, over a torn corner of a 1771 map of Tonkin with a coral star on Hanoi, blue watercolor paper and a dotted route
Dates
Mar 4–18, 2027
Fee
US$850 for one week
US$1,300 for two weeks
Apply by
Jan 31, 2027

The program

One week of Pencil, or two with Composition and Sketching

Week one · Mar 5–10

Pencil

A pencil still life of a bowl and round fruit, shaded with hatching
A pencil still life of a bottle, a jar and a bowl

Light, shadow and form

You'll start with cubes, spheres and the space around them. This is where you learn to shade with light and shadow, measure what you see, and place a drawing well on the page.

The head and a still life

You'll learn to draw the head by breaking it into simple flat planes, then draw a classical bust. The week ends with a still life full of different textures.

What you'll leave with

  • Your own pencil drawings: basic forms, head studies and a finished still life.
  • The basics of academic drawing: measuring what you see, and shading with light and shadow.
  • A way of practicing that you can keep up at home.

Week two · Mar 12–17

Composition and Sketching

Two pages of small sketches of boats, trees and hills, showing the leading lines of each picture
A pencil sketch of a glass-fronted house among trees and shrubs

Left: two pages on composition from Drawing Made Easy by E. G. Lutz, 1921.

Composition

You'll study how Old Master paintings are put together, then design compositions of your own and keep improving them.

Sketching

You'll learn to draw quickly from what is in front of you: everyday objects first, then different ways to draw texture, then a whole corner of a room. Most of it is in the studio; a few sessions are outdoors, sketching the studio's building.

What you'll leave with

  • Everything from week one.
  • Compositions you designed yourself.
  • Sketches drawn from life, in the studio and outside it.

Academic approach

A shaded pencil drawing of a cube
A shaded pencil drawing of a pyramid

The classes follow an academic method, which means you start with simple forms and build up one step at a time.

  • Your teachers are academically trained Vietnamese artists, and they teach in English.
  • The course materials are inspired by the official training of the Vietnam University of Fine Arts.
  • You'll draw from real objects set up in front of you, not from photos.

Organized by Michelle Almagro of unwakingart

I work as a content and video producer. When I came back to art, I trained academically in painting and became a portrait artist. Before my painting classes, I didn't know I could paint. Academic training showed me I could, and I believe the same is true of drawing: anyone can learn, one step at a time. So I'm coming to Hanoi to study drawing from the foundations, the same way you will.

I've been traveling around East and Southeast Asia since 2013, with work exchanges in Taiwan and Japan, and I've arranged several trips for friends and family along the way. Hanoi is the city I keep coming back to. The people are warm, the food alone is worth the trip, and it's a starting point for Hạ Long, Ninh Bình and Sa Pa. If it's your first time, there's plenty to explore. If it isn't, it's an easy place to travel on from.

I arrange your classes, your apartment and your rides to the studio. I read every application myself and put the group together. Vietnamese instructors teach the classes, in English. I'll be in class with you.

What I want most is for you to be surprised by what you can do.

You can find me on Instagram at @unwakingart and on LinkedIn.

The timetable

Six class days a week, with Thursdays off

The two weeks run the same way: class from Friday to Wednesday, and no class on Thursdays.

  1. Thu4Arrive
  2. Fri5
  3. Sat6
  4. Sun7
  5. Mon8
  6. Tue9
  7. Wed10
  8. Thu11No class
  9. Fri12
  10. Sat13
  11. Sun14
  12. Mon15
  13. Tue16
  14. Wed17
  15. Thu18Check out

A class day

  1. 9:30amWe leave the apartments together
  2. 10am–12pmClass
  3. 12–2pmLunch break
  4. 2–4pmClass
  5. About 4:15pmBack at the apartments
  6. EveningFree

Thu, Mar 4

Arrive in Hanoi. Check-in opens at 2pm. Welcome buffet dinner in the evening.

Thu, Mar 11

No class, and nothing is arranged. If you came for one week, you check out by 12pm.

Thu, Mar 18

Check out by 12pm.

Fee

What it costs, and what it covers

One week · Pencil

US$850

Dates
Mar 4–11, 2027
Application deadline
Jan 31, 2027

Includes

  • 6 four-hour classes
  • 7 nights in your own serviced apartment
  • Welcome buffet dinner
  • Transport to and from art studio

Not included

  • Flights
  • Meals, apart from the welcome dinner
  • Activities not mentioned
  • Travel insurance
  • Visa (if required)

Installment plan

Downpayment, within 3 days of being acceptedUS$290By Feb 10, 2027US$280By Feb 20, 2027US$280TotalUS$850

Two weeks · Pencil, Composition and Sketching

US$1,300

Dates
Mar 4–18, 2027
Application deadline
Jan 31, 2027

Includes

  • 12 four-hour classes
  • 14 nights in your own serviced apartment
  • Welcome buffet dinner
  • Transport to and from art studio

Not included

  • Flights
  • Meals, apart from the welcome dinner
  • Activities not mentioned
  • Travel insurance
  • Visa (if required)

Installment plan

Downpayment, within 3 days of being acceptedUS$450By Feb 10, 2027US$425By Feb 20, 2027US$425TotalUS$1,300

Fees are in US dollars, paid by Wise.

Sharing an apartment

If two of you apply together, you can share one apartment, which has one double bed. Together you pay US$1,450 for one week, or US$2,100 for two weeks. The details are under How to apply.

Good to know

Before you apply, see if this is the right fit for you

West Lake from above, with Trấn Quốc Pagoda on its island
Trấn Quốc Pagoda
West Lake and the city lights at dusk
West Lake at dusk
Inside Lotte Mall West Lake
Inside Lotte Mall

We stay in Tây Hồ, by West Lake

Photos of West Lake: Nguyen Ngoc Tien and Linh Tran, on Pexels.

  • Tây Hồ is the district around West Lake. It's a diverse area, with cafés and restaurants of many cuisines. Lotte Mall is nearby for groceries and anything you forgot to pack.
  • Your evenings are free. When you want the busy side of Hanoi, the Old Quarter is a short taxi ride away.
  • The apartments and the studio are both down lanes that cars can't enter, which is normal in Hanoi, and it's how you get to see the everyday city up close. Every ride starts and ends with a short walk, so you'll want to be comfortable walking on uneven streets.
The apartment: a double bed, a dining table and a kitchen
A desk and a wardrobe beside the bed
The private bathroom with a glass shower

You have your own serviced apartment

  • You stay in your own serviced apartment in Tây Hồ, Hanoi's West Lake district, near Lotte Mall. It's yours alone, with a double bed, a private bathroom and your own kitchen. It's an aparthotel, not a hotel: it's cleaned once a week, in the middle of the week. The building has a lift.
  • We all stay in the same building, so the group is always close by, and you still have a quiet place of your own at the end of the day.
  • You're welcome to bring a companion at no extra charge. Your companion isn't part of the intensive: the classes, the welcome dinner and our shared car to the studio are for participants only.
  • Two people joining the intensive together can share one apartment, with one double bed. A shared apartment can't also take a companion. See Sharing an apartment, under How to apply.

Are meals included?

  • Only our welcome buffet dinner on the first evening is included. Your apartment has a kitchen, and Lotte Mall is nearby if you'd like to buy groceries.
  • Lunch is on your own. There's no group lunch, so the two-hour break is yours to eat wherever you like. A few places are a short walk from the studio, or you can take a taxi further, at your own cost.

Are flights included?

  • Flights are not included. That leaves you free to plan the trip your way. Come a few days early or stay on afterwards to see more of Vietnam.

Do I need a visa?

  • It depends on your passport. Some passports can enter Vietnam without a visa for a set number of days.
  • Rules change and differ by country, so please check the current rule for your passport before you book anything. If you plan to arrive early or stay on, make sure your whole stay fits within what your passport allows.

What's the weather like?

  • March in Hanoi is cool and mild, usually around 18 to 23°C. Skies are often gray, with light drizzle on many days. It's comfortable weather for walking around and for long days in the art studio.

What should I bring?

  • A light jacket or a few layers, and a small umbrella for the drizzle. Bring comfortable shoes for walking too.

How do we get to the art studio?

  • Transport to and from the art studio is included. We share one car there and back, to keep the intensive affordable.

What about laundry?

  • The building has a washer and dryer.

How to apply

Six steps from this page to Hanoi

  1. 1

    Apply by Jan 31, 2027

    Fill in the application form below. It asks about you and your art experience. Complete beginners are welcome. I'd just like to know where you're starting from.

  2. 2

    Hear back within 24 hours

    I read every application and reply to everyone on the Instagram or TikTok account you give me, whether it's a yes or a no. Please follow @unwakingart there, and accept my message request if your account is private.

  3. 3

    Say yes on WhatsApp, then pay your downpayment

    If you're accepted, I'll send you my WhatsApp number. If you'd still like to join, message me there within 24 hours to say yes. I'm holding your spot until then, and you can ask me anything there. Your downpayment is due within 3 days of being accepted, so you have time to read the policies. If I don't hear from you by then, I'll offer your spot to the next applicant. Once your downpayment is in, your spot is confirmed and the intensive goes ahead, however many people join. Book your flights after that. The amounts are under Fee.

  4. 4

    Pay the rest in two installments

    The balance is split into two payments, both due in February. The dates and amounts are under Fee. I'll remind you on WhatsApp 7 days before each one.

  5. 5

    Meet the group

    Once your balance is fully paid, I'll add you to a WhatsApp group chat so everyone can get to know each other before Hanoi.

  6. 6

    See you in Hanoi

    Thursday, Mar 4, 2027. Check-in opens at 2pm, and we have our welcome dinner that evening.

Before you pay

Policies

The cancellation policy, and the terms and waiver you agree to when you apply.

Read the policies

Cancellation policy

  • No refunds. The downpayment and installments are non-refundable, because the intensive has to run for the rest of the group.
  • If your spot is filled. If you cancel and I fill your spot from the waitlist, you get back everything you paid except the downpayment.
  • Insurance. Your travel insurance must cover trip cancellation. It protects your other plans, such as your flights, if you have to cancel. It does not cover your fee, which is refunded only as this policy says.
  • Transfers. You may transfer your spot to a friend, who fills in the application form as well.
  • Late payments. Installments are due on their dates, and I'll remind you 7 days before each one. If one is late and I don't hear from you within 24 hours, I'll offer your spot to the next applicant, and the cancellation policy applies.
  • If the intensive is canceled. It's never canceled for too few people. If I have to cancel by Feb 26, 2027 for reasons outside my control, such as severe weather, a natural disaster, political unrest or travel restrictions, you get back everything you paid. After that, you get back everything I can still recover. Flights are your own.
  • Missed classes. Classes run on their set days, so a class you miss, or arrive late or leave early from, can't be refunded or made up.

Terms and waiver

  • You travel at your own risk. You join by choice and accept the ordinary risks of travel, such as illness, injury, accidents, theft and delays. That includes your free time: anything outside the classes and the welcome dinner is at your own risk and cost.
  • Your responsibility. You are responsible for your own safety, health, belongings and medical costs. Travel insurance that covers medical care abroad and trip cancellation is required.
  • Release. unwakingart is not liable for injury, illness, loss or damage during the trip, and any claim is limited to the fee you paid. The studio, the apartments and the taxi companies are independent businesses, each responsible for its own service.
  • Age. The intensive is for adults: you need to be 18 or older by Mar 4, 2027.
  • If you get sick or hurt. If illness or injury keeps you from part of the trip, the cancellation policy applies, and your travel insurance is there to help with the rest. Keep its emergency number on your phone: it can arrange a doctor or hospital for you, since I'm in class with the group during the day.
  • Visa and entry. You are responsible for your visa, a passport valid until at least September 2027, and meeting Vietnam's entry rules. If you are refused entry, or can't travel because of your visa or passport, the cancellation policy applies.
  • Your apartment and companion. You are responsible for your companion, and for any damage either of you cause to your apartment. These terms apply to your companion too.
  • Conduct. You follow Vietnam's laws and the rules of the studio and your apartment building. For serious misconduct you may be asked to leave, with no refund.
  • Materials and allergies. We draw with pencils, erasers and other drawing materials, which can cause reactions in people with allergies, asthma or other sensitivities. You are responsible for knowing your own. If you have any, please check with your doctor before you apply.
  • Changes. If needed, the schedule, the instructor or the apartment may change to something equivalent.
Apply byJan 31, 2027

Application form

Intensive Application

What are you booking? See Sharing an apartment.
Are you bringing a companion to stay in your apartment?
How long are you staying?
Are you comfortable with short walks on uneven streets, several times a day?
Emergency contact: someone I can reach if something happens to you during the trip.
Please tick each one to apply

I use these details only to arrange the intensive.

Learn to draw in Hanoi.
Then draw every place you visit.

Applications close Jan 31, 2027

Apply now