Watercolour Course for Beginners

Visual arts. Open to everyone.

Have you ever thought you might enjoy watercolour painting? It’s such a wonderfully soft and expressive medium, quite delicate; but dynamic. Then this relaxed weekend could be just for you.

Your facilitator, a master of fine art, will guide you step-by-step through the basic techniques and skills. After spending just two days learning watercolour, you will have attained the confidence to paint pictures you will be proud to show your family and friends, as well as having a brand new means of artistic expression at your fingertips.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• recognise the complexity of watercolour painting
• recognise the nuances of colour and colour mixing
• identify where light and contrast are seen in painting
• employ some of the various watercolour painting techniques available
• see and relate to painting form in its many guises
• obtain confidence in the knowledge that you are now able to paint almost any subject.

Content

This course covers the following topics:

• Colour identification
• Colour mixing and application
• Composition and subject matter

Intended audience

Suitable for anyone new to art or with some previous experience. Everyone will begin to learn on the same footing – from the fundamentals.

Delivery style

• Face-to-face workshop delivered on University premises.
• Delivered over two weekly, 5-hour sessions.

Materials

Please bring the following along to class:

Materials

• Drawing board: a little larger than A4
• Brushes: medium size soft wash brush, and three round, soft brushes size 2, 4 & 6
• Sponges: small natural sea sponge
• Pencils and rulers: HB or H pencil and an ordinary ruler
• Rubber: hard white Staedler rubber
• Masking tape (artist quality)
• Water container: jam jar or equivalent
• Mixing dishes: an ordinary large white china plate
• Masking fluid: watercolour masking fluid.

Paints

Either tubes or pans (ie paint box pans) of the following watercolour paints:

• Reds: Cadmium Red & Alizarin Crimson
• Yellows: Cadmium Yellow, Lemon & Yellow Ochre
• Greens: Hookers, Sap & Viridian
• Blues: Cerulean, Ultramarine & Cobalt
• Browns: Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber & Raw Sienna.

Note: Black and white watercolour paints are not needed.

Paper

• Canson, 300gm watercolour pad, medium texture, size A4

We recommend waiting until one week prior to the first class before buying any materials, as we cannot refund any funds spent on materials if the class is cancelled.

Subject matter

Your subject matter can be taken from a photograph, so please bring along a selection of your favourite shots. Ideas of photographs include:

• animals, birds or favourite pets
• people or family members
• a favourite holiday destination
• a still life group
• a flower study.