Ink Painting Workshop

Bring the calm of East Asian ink painting to your workplace

Looking for a calm, creative activity for your event? Think of it as a zen alternative to paint and sip. Your team learns the art of Chinese ink painting (shuimohua) and Japanese sumi-e, discovering how to control water and ink to bring a subject to life on paper. We run it at festive events or design it around your event theme, such as one of our favorite – sakura matsuri fan painting workshop with soft colours for spring.

  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Bamboo weaving
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Book binding
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Gold foil printing
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Book binding
  • Guests practising calligraphy with brush and ink at a Dear Asia workshop in London
  • Book binding

Chinese Ink Painting & Japanese Sumi-e Workshop in London

designed for your event

Painting is one of our favourite calm and mindful activities. The workshop begins with the Dear Asia Ink Painting Storybook, a short journey through the history and meaning of water ink painting, from Chinese landscapes and plants to Japanese sumi-e artworks. Then everyone picks up a brush for a guided, hands-on session and paints their own piece. It works as a standalone activity or as part of a wider event, and is led by our artisan painters.

how to organise?

format

Our host introduces the four treasures (brush, ink, paper and inkstone) and basic strokes, then guides everyone to paint a simple subject such as bamboo, plum blossom or koi. Guests paint on paper or on a paper fan. Choose a black and white version or explore using pigments to augment your subject.

price

Pricing depends on group size, format and materials. Share your date and headcount and we will send a quote.

set up

We bring brushes, ink, paper and table protection. You only need tables and chairs. It is seated, low-mess and easy to set up in a meeting room.

DURATION

Typically 1.5 to 2 hours as a standalone workshop, or around 30 minutes as one activity within a festival event.

Why choose us?

three traditions, one workshop

We bring Chinese ink painting, Japanese sumi-e and coloured ink painting together in one workshop, so you can match your event or let guests sample all three. Our hosts are experienced teachers who guide complete beginners.

one stop shop event partner

We’re experienced event organisers. Our team brings together event facilitators and craft teachers, so you don’t need to source multiple suppliers yourself. On the day, we handle setup, materials and introductions end to end — you just need to book the room. Explore all our Asian craft workshops in London.

Shuimohua, Sumi-e and Coloured Ink

Shuimohua (水墨画) in China and sumi-e (墨絵) in Japan are two names for one art: painting with brush and black ink. Shuimohua flows with poetry, while sumi-e is simple, with bold strokes and room for empty space. We can also layer soft pigments over your ink strokes to paint blossoms, birds or goldfish, a bright choice for festivals and spring events.

Fan Painting Workshop

Our signature workshop uses the paper fan as a canvas for calligraphy or ink painting. For centuries in China and Japan, scholars and artists carried fans as small canvases, painting a landscape or a flower, or writing a line of poetry. Guests choose Chinese or Japanese brushwork, or a touch of colour (sometimes we use acrylic paints), and leave with a handmade fan that is both a keepsake and a lovely gift.

Trusted by teams across london

From global firms to growing teams, companies across London choose Dear Asia for their culture-led team events, some many years in a row.

Ink Painting Workshop FAQs

Want to organise an ink painting workshop for your event? Let us help you.

Our hosts are experienced ink painting teachers who guide complete beginners step by step. This workshop is facilitate with Dear Asia culture educators who will bring you on a journey of learning about this art form history and representations.

Guests paint classic subjects such as bamboo, plum blossom, orchid, chrysanthemum or koi, on paper or on a paper fan. In a coloured session, they add soft pigment to blossoms, birds or goldfish. Our hosts would showcase his/her work as inspiration for you.

Both use brush, ink and paper. Chinese ink painting is often more fluid and detailed, with a long tradition of pairing painting with poetry and calligraphy. Sumi-e is typically more minimal, with bold strokes and plenty of empty space.

Yes. Guests can paint on flat paper or on a paper fan to take home. Tell us your preference when you enquire.

Yes, we’re happy to travel to run workshops outside London — let us know your location when you enquire and we’ll confirm availability and any additional travel costs.

Yes. Dear Asia holds public liability insurance for all workshops, and we’re happy to share our risk assessment and insurance documentation for your internal approval process — just let us know when you enquire.

Yes. Ink painting is a seated, table-based craft, and we can adapt the set-up for guests with mobility or accessibility needs. Tell us in advance.

Calligraphy workshop

Want to organise an ink painting workshop?

Contact us to talk about it.

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