By Mike Homer
If you spend even a short time in Portugal you can’t help but notice painted tiles (azulejos) adorning the walls of palaces, churches and houses the length and breadth of the country. Originally from Persia, tiles arrived on the Iberian peninsula in the 13th century, becoming definitively established in Portugal by the 16th century.
With the exception of the hand-painted azulejo panels that decorate churches, palaces and train stations, many Portuguese tiles sport geometrical designs. These are produced using a variety of methods, including stencils. Few are painted by hand these days but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a go.
Intrigued by the process, the chance to try my hand at painting a tile was too good to turn down. So one Saturday morning I joined an English couple and a huge hen party(!) at a long table in the basement of Domus.arte in Porto.
After welcoming us, Fernanda, our teacher for the next 2 hours, gave a brief introduction to the use of decorative tiles in Portugal, its history and relevance and assured us that, although we shouldn’t expect too much from our first tile painting-attempt, we would have fun experimenting.
She was right!
Choosing a pattern
Fernanda carefully went through the procedure for the morning and then let us loose to get creative.
The first step was choosing which of the many tile designs caught our eye. There was a good range of simple to complicated and plain to colourful options to suit different tastes and levels of confidence.
Once we had picked our pattern, we set about copying them. For this we used a yellow carbon paper and Fernanda showed us how to transfer the design onto our own tile. And how important it was to make sure we had copied everything before removing the carbon.
Once everyone had their copied tiles in front of them it was time to paint.
Azulejo painting
There were plenty of colours and shades to choose from and Fernanda encouraged us to select alternative colours if we wanted, rather than sticking with the more traditional blue, yellow and red. We learned how to mix the colours with just the right amount of water and various other do’s and don’ts (i.e. let things dry before moving on, one I learned the hard way!).
I found the actual painting to be very soothing and it took quite a lot of concentration. Despite the rather large group, the atmosphere was very relaxing and it was easy to become absorbed in the process, or have a little chat with your neighbour.
The refreshments provided consisted of biscuits, juice, a glass of port and even – due to the happy occasion – a glass of champagne!
Drying and firing
Time flew by and before we knew it, Fernanda was encouraging us to put our names on the back of the tiles and finish up.
She collected everyone’s tile and put them in a drying rack. Once they were all properly dry she would pop them into an oven for an hour. Our very own tiles would then be ready to be collected later on that afternoon.
The verdict
This was such an enjoyable experience, informative and shared with some lovely people. It’s definitely given me the appetite to buy some paints, a box of white tiles and to let my imagination run wild!
Practicalities
You will need to return to the workshop 2 hours (or so) later to collect your tile so factor this into your plans for the rest of the day.
Do you need to be good at art to enjoy a tile painting class?
No. There’s plenty of guidance, patterns are provided and there’s no pressure to produce a masterpiece. The emphasis is on enjoying the process.
Is it messy?
No. The paints are water-soluble so even if you did manage to get some on you, it would wash off.
For more great ideas of what to do in this city see my 40 Of The Most Amazing Things To Do In Porto post.
If you’re looking for accommodation take a look at this Where To Stay In Porto post.
