The Painting Workshops in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are one of the game’s most cryptic side activities that leave plenty of players scratching their heads about what they’re supposed to do. You might encounter these swirling portal-paintings scattered across the Continent, jump to the bottom, and have no idea where to go next.
The Painting Workshop is one central hub that can be accessed via three different portals across the world map. You need to visit all three entrances, collect a specific item from an NPC in each, and bring them all to the central statue to unlock the single boss fight. This guide shows where to find every Painting Workshop entrance, how to beat the Lampmaster, and what rewards you can collect.
How to Complete the Painting Workshop in Expedition 33
When you enter a Painting Workshop, you will be transported to a surreal platforming zone with painting, frame shards, and stones that you use to move from one platform to another. Midway down the path, you’ll find a large painting platform with a Faceless Boy standing on it. Speak to him and agree to help him with the specific dialogue option. He will then give you a piece of the Beast every time.
- Entrance 1: He gives Light of the Beast.
- Entrance 2: He gives Colour of the Beast.
- Entrance 3: He gives Shape of the Beast.
Once you receive the item, go down the bottom platforms to find the massive statue in the middle hub and interact with it to insert the received item into the statue. You can do this one by one or collect all three beast parts and add them at once.
Note: The controls can be slippery here. If your character keeps rolling off the edge after a jump, press the Attack button immediately on landing which cancels the roll animation and stops you dead in your tracks.
Expedition 33 All Workshop Entrance Locations
As already mentioned, the Painting Workshop has three separate entrances that all connect to the same mysterious space at the bottom. Story progress is necessary to access these areas, especially to have unlocked Esquie’s traversal abilities to get there.
First Workshop Entrance
Head northeast of Stone Wave Cliffs, where you’ll spot an island located between there and Forgotten Battlefield. You’ll need Esquie’s swimming ability to reach it.
Once there, talk to the Faceless Boy on the large painting down a few platforms, select “We Will” when prompted to help him, and get the Light of the Beast.
Next, go down the platform towards the statue in the middle hub. If this is your first piece, interact with the statue to place it in.
Second Workshop Entrance
The next entrance you can find is northwest of Forgotten Battlefield, south of Monoco’s Station. If you exit the battlefield from the north, head west to find the painting nestled between trees and rocks. It’s usually intended to visit when you can fly using Esquie’s ability, but some players have managed to access the area earlier by falling into specific respawn zones near the first entrance (though the intended path is flight).
Platform your way to the middle section. Speak with the Faceless Boy, agree to “put an end to her night” with the same “We Will” prompt, and he will hand over the Colour of the Beast. Now, you can similarly go down to the central statue and use Colour of the Beast on it, or visit the third Painting Workshop entrance if you plan to insert all items at once.
Third Workshop Entrance
You’ll find this last entrance on a floating island to the east of Sirene, near the Sinister Cave. It’s locked behind story progression—you must have reached Act 3 and have Esquie’s flight ability unlocked. Fly over, enter the portal, and find the Faceless Boy on the midway platform. Agree to help him to receive the final piece, the Shape of the Beast.
Lampmaster Boss Fight
Once you have placed the Light, Colour, and Shape items into the statue at the bottom of the hub, the magical barrier behind it will shatter. Grapple across the gap to enter the arena to face the Lampmaster boss. This Lampmaster isn’t the pushover version you fought in Act 1 at Stone Wave Cliffs. He hits harder, has more health, and uses nastier status effects.
Watch the lamps floating around him that shoot the projectiles. They will light up in a specific sequence, and you need to use Free Aim to strike them in that exact order to counter his powerful Sword of Light attack. He can apply Dizzy frequently, which messes up your Free Aim reticle—deadly when you need to shoot the lamps. His Blight melee attacks reduce your max Health. Use Anti-Blight Pictos if you have or bring Verso, Lune, or Sciel with a cleanse skill.
A couple of his multi-hit combos include delayed hits designed to bait early parries. This fight is for late-game builds. With uncapped damage, it can end extremely fast. Use Slow and Rush to manipulate the turn order. If you are leveled fine (around level 30+), you can burst him down, but don’t get greedy if you are under-leveled.
Painting Workshop Rewards
Defeating the Lampmaster unlocks the Noir et Blanc Achievement/Trophy, and you’ll receive these rewards:
- At Death’s Door Picto
- Energising Attack I Picto
- Grandiose Chroma Catalyst x3
- Recoat
After the fight, go back to the exit portal and talk to the Faceless Boy standing right next to the exit. He’ll give you a Perfect Chroma Catalyst, which upgrades any weapon to max level Level 33.
