Let's get comfortable with our Watercolours
During this 4-week class we will cover a wide variety of watercolour techniques and really lean into playing and experimenting. To spend time 'learning by doing' is where discovery and confidence lives. A perfect opportunity for beginners to explore in a safe, fun and non-judgemental space and for experienced artists to step outside any creative boxes they have found themselves in.
In this class you will explore a variety of techniques and play with a bunch of tools. You'll use plastic wrap and salt to create textured backgrounds. Also, we will explore how to use different tools including, watercolour pencil crayons, different brushes, and one of my favourites: white gouache.
Earlier this summer I pulled out my watercolours to do some painting with my daughter Robyn and watched her work away at a little painting and saw how everything she struggled with about using watercolours is covered in this class.
Watercolour is a medium that has so many little things about it that if you learn to use them you can create so many special effects.
If you've done watercolour classes with me before, some of the materials will be repeated, but it is a wonderful chance for you to expand on techniques you've tried.
Schedule:
Saturday mornings 9:30-11:30
May 10-31
$100
Week one:
Backgrounds, playing with salt, and plastic, different colours, wet on wet, wet on dry, different brushes. The first week we'll be exploring and creating backgrounds and landscapes and working on the 'rule of thirds.' Do you want a big sky, or a big foreground? You'll find out.
Week two:
Clouds. I spent hours last summer looking at and photographing clouds. This is a continuation of the landscape class.
Week three:
Depth. There are techniques that can add depth to your paintings, using colour, scale, and composition. Week three will be experimenting and figuring out how to make our paintings look like you could walk straight into the picture.
Week four:
Trees! Simple to complex, adding trees to landscapes and as stand alone pictures..
This schedule is flexible, and if there's something you've been wanting to learn, usually other people are curious too.
What I want you to leave with is the confidence that you can paint stuff!!! I never tried to paint real things because I can't draw what I see accurately, but a year ago a challenged myself to learn how to paint trees, and what I really learned was if I try, and practice, I can paint stuff. So join me, for 4 weeks of watercolour fun and learn that you can paint stuff too.
For supplies you'll need:
Marie and I at Articulations have put together a supply kit for anyone wanting to get started with Watercolours.
- Watercolour paints
- Paint brushes
- 6 or more 4" X 6" ish cards of watercolour paper or a watercolour art pad (Canson is good) each week
- painting boards or something to tape your paper to (some use their counter)
- an 8" X 10" or whatever size you want, piece of watercolour paper for your big painting
- An old credit card or library card
- Plate or palette-dollar store
- Masking tape
- Spray bottle (dollar store)
- Paper towel
- White paint, ink, gesso, or guache
- 4 or 5 rinse water cups
- Salt
- Cling wrap or a thin plastic bag
- Watercolour pencil crayons (if you have them)-blue, brown and green
- Any other art supplies that you love and want to explore