Watercolour behaves (and can misbehave), like no other medium. First
time painters can find it difficult to master, while more advanced
watercolourists often reach a threshold beyond which they find it
difficult to develop. Books, videos and TV programmes can be very
informative, but have one major disadvantage - there is no feedback
or constructive appraisal of your work as you try to progress.I run two kinds of watercolour courses. An introductory course begins with first principles and teaches you how to master the medium, developing a style which is all your own. Courses are clearly structured and take you step by step through a number of logical stages, building eventually to a comprehensive understanding of watercolour. The course includes;
- A general introduction to the working properties, advantages and disadvantages of the raw materials – paint, brushes and paper.
- Looking at tone – what tone is; its importance in modelling your subjects; how to see tonal relationships clearly and record them accurately with the brush; worked examples.
- Looking at colour; including not only the primaries and secondary’s, but also the theory and importance of the complementarys and colour temperature; the logic of colour mixing and avoiding mud; lots of worked examples.
- The do’s and don’ts of composition – arranging you and your subjects.
- Producing depth in your work – using colour, tone, composition and the rules of linear and aerial perspective.
- Techniques and terminology – A whole armoury of techniques, including wet-into-wet, lost and found edges, dry brush, masking, sponging, spatter, time lapse – the key to success; plus lots more, with examples of how and when to use them.
- Improving your drawing technique – working with line and tone as a preparation for watercolour, including lots of tips on training your eye to see and prioritise.
As a member of a small, friendly group, you will work from life and look at the work of other professional artists, including occasionally my own work in progress, to open your mind to a variety of styles and help accelerate your development.
If your technique is relatively well advanced you may appreciate the second course, where you can consolidate your working practice in like company, opt to develop areas of your choice, be it landscape, still life, portraiture or a particular specialism, with external input too. Running on Thursday mornings, you can be part of a stimulating and dynamic working environment, indoors and out, sharing knowledge and experience, using our DVD library and working in supplementary media (pastel/charcoal/gouache/acrylics) as you wish. These morning painting sessions take the form of a rolling programme, so you can join them at any time, with prior notice.
Courses are held at the Old School, Dore, Sheffield, cost £90 and comprise 9 classes each of 2.5 hours.
Places are now booking for the next introductory course commencing Thursday evening 20 August 2009. For details of this and about joining the “established painters” course, contact me
Workshops & Demonstrations
I work with Art Groups and
other agencies to give watercolour demonstrations and workshops.
Prices are subject to duration and distance travelled.
Subject matter can be your
choice or mine and need not result in the production of a painting -
watercolour surgeries based on questions from the floor often prove
extremely valuable.
For further
details/bookings, please contact me
