Friday 17th – Wednesday 22nd April 2026
(Join us right after the Children’s Book Fair in Bologna!)
Overview of the retreat:
Dorien will be on hand every day to help you explore and grow your creative voice.
Over the course of 5 practical workshops you’ll learn how to make an attention grabbing dummybook, from layout through to planning, pacing and composition.
And we’ve added: a printing workshop (where you’ll learn a fabulous technique for your illustrations) and an exciting, full day outing to the Ancient Roman city of Ostia Antica!
Finally, Dorien will share her personal experiences with working for publishers in many different countries and advice on how to get your foot in the door in the first place.
Meet Dorien Brouwers:
Dorien is a picture book author and illustrator, who works predominantly in watercolour and ink. Her distinctive style – rich in texture and detail – has garnered much recognition.
Her book ‘Sail’ won the Cross category at the World Illustration Awards in 2022 and was shortlisted for the prestigious Bologna Illustrators Exhibition.
Stunningly told via textured watercolor-and-monoprint art.”
— The New York Times
Dorien has also illustrated many non-fiction projects such as Life ( Elli Woollard’s picturebook on the history of evolution ) and the charming 4-book series Wild by Nature written by Gabby Dawnay.
What’s included?
- 5 and 1/2 full days at the Inky Larks studio to delvelop your picturebook project and complete your dummy book with Dorien’s personal guidance and support.
- 5 Picturebook Making sessions with Dorien, as well as a fabulous bonus printing workshop!
- Welcome drinks and a homemade Italian dinner the first night.
- Daily Sketching Outings including a walking tour of the beautiful sites around the Inky Larks studio, a visit to the stunning ancient city of Ostia Antica!
- Group Feedback sessions – one at the beginning of the week to get your picturebook started, and one at the end of the week to see your progress and plan what to do next. Plus daily individual feedback sessions to support your progress throughout the retreat.
- Breakfast every day on the roof terrace with freshly baked cornetti, fresh fruit, cappuccino and tea.
- On the last day we read out our completed dummy books, and celebrate the great work done and all the progress made with drinks and a festive dinner!
N.B. Please note that accomodation is not included. If you’d like a list of b&bs, hotels, rentals etc. which are walking distance to the Inky Larks studio, fill out the contact form at the bottom of the page. We’ll be very happy to send it to you!
Cost:
The retreat is € 715 (£ 559 ). Check the box below to see all the goodies that are included!
What People Loved About Dorien’s Previous Retreats::
“I cannot say enough wonderful things about this week in Rome. Having the time and space to focus on a project is a wonderful and rare thing indeed, but to have the support and incredible insights and feedback from Dorien and Diletta was remarkable and special. In short, it was magic. I feel deep gratitude for getting to know and connect with such a wonderful, caring, inspiring, and talented group of people. And of course to have all of this surrounded by the wonders of Rome, well, it was a dream. A honest to goodness dream. I will forever be grateful.” – Amberlea
“An amazing few days full of creativity, thought provoking conversations, people and of course food.” – Charlotte
“It was wonderful and so much better than I could have hoped! The balance of group sessions, individual work and outings was the perfect balance for me. Having so many books to look at was really helpful as I tried to find the voice of my main character. Honestly, I can’t think of anything that could be improved upon!” – Saira
“I enjoyed the vibe of the rooftop studio, it was really a retreat in the sense that it felt like some kind of secret getaway where you could make beautiful things with a small group of like minded people. Most of all I loved the encouragement that both Dorien and Diletta gave us. Not only was it very instructive but it also gave me the confidence and support to improve the story and finish the storyboard in a really short time. Diletta was always there to cheer you on and Dorien shared lots of her experience and pointed out possibilities for the story and storyboard that helped me take it to a ‘next level’.” – Xandra
“Your retreat was perfect for me. There seems nothing to improve.” – Ilse
I’d love to hear from you:
Italian 
English