Workshops
Shasta Garcia teaches workshops in person in the San Francisco, Bay Area bringing the Play Ethic Studio to different venues. All workshops aim to spark your creative curiosity. Learn techniques and concepts in a systematic approach while having a fun thoughtful experience for all.
Don’t see any workshops scheduled?
Direct message to schedule a private workshop with your friends (minimum 4 people). Also available for team-building activities.
Watercolor theory and pigment basics
From three colors to many; create a wheel of color possibilities
Explore the basic properties of watercolor and pigments. All activities use a beginner friendly approach, utilizing ceramic palettes designed to visualize color relationships with ease.
Workshop takeaways
Intro to color theory for watercolor
Understanding basic properties of watercolor as a medium
Understanding pigment basics
A color wheel you made! (A great reference tool for future painting and color mixing)
Transferable color concepts that apply to mediums, like gouache, acrylic, oil, or ink
Skill level
Beginner
Nature and neutrals watercolor theory
Create essential blends: Blues, Grays, and Greens using a limited color palette
Learn how to work with a limited color palette to create colors that show up in nature. Get familiar with a range of blues by creating a watercolor skymeter, Shasta’s spin on the cyanometer concept for measuring the blueness of the sky. Use those same blues to mix up grays like you’d see in foggy San Francisco. The blues will then join a range of yellows to complete the nature and neutrals triad for mixing and evaluating greens.
Workshop takeaways
Picking blues and other colors for a limited palette
Mixing grays and greens
Understanding the basic properties of watercolor as a medium
Understanding pigment basics
Basic color concepts are transferable to other color mediums like gouache, acrylic, oil, or ink.
Skill level
Beginner
Intro to analog dot planners and life logs
Adaptive journaling for your days, months, and year
An introduction to popular dot journaling techniques — Build an analog planner that adapts to your needs. We’ll break down the core elements while teaching visual concepts that aid in life planning, thought organization, and reflection tools for self-care.
The benefits of analog journaling methods include improved memory and recall, stress reduction, overcoming decision fatigue, mental clutter, and time management. Aids in habit building, visualizing your life, and more.
Workshop takeaways
Create a practical planner set up for your needs
Learn over 10 concepts, frameworks, and functional layouts
Approaches to fit analog journal planning into your routines
Ideas for pairing analog and digital organization tools
Fun and creativity in planning
Skill level
Beginner
Inked monoprint postcards and souvenir sketchbook techniques
Turn photos into paintings in this all-skill-levels mixed media class!
This is a sampler class of many techniques, all beginner friendly. Using pen, ink, shape, pattern, and color we’ll go on a 3 hour tour of simple sketchbook, watercolor, and monoprinting techniques. Gain a creative toolbox for quickly capturing memories on-the-go. Put it all together to create monoprint postcards using photos, ink, and watercolor.
Workshop takeaways
Basic approach to capturing experiences and memories using shape, pattern, and color
Basics of monoprinting technique
Playing with a variety of mixed media tools
Strategies for packing art supplies on-the-go and recommended tools
Skill level
Beginner