WEEK 1 : tutor led
24th & 25th January
Tutors : Rob & Siân
A warm welcome to Moor to Sea Arts Watercolour Classes. It will be lovely to catch up with old friends, and to welcome new aspiring artists to our ranks!
exploring techniques
We will begin the term by introducing the theme for this term. There is so much more to watercolour than simple washes ( which turn out to be not-so-simple!). There are so many more ways to apply paint than with a brush. There are so many things we can add to watercolour to enhance it’s character and versatility. There is so much fun to be had !
WHAT TO BRING THIS WEEK
A supply of watercolour paper ready for experimentation.
Your usual painting materials.
If you have the following, please bring them along: masking fluid, palette knife, ruling pen, old toothbrush, water brush ( the type you fill the handle with water), a stick, feather, spray bottle ( fine mist or old spray bottle), old dried up marker pen. If you do not have any of these, don’t worry, we will have some for sharing in class.
If you have some work you would like critiqued ( 1 or 2 pieces ) please bring them along.
If you are new to our classes please bring along some of your work (any medium, new or old) so that we can get a better understanding of where you are starting with us. Originals, if portable, are much better than photos on a phone!
book of the week
Watercolour Challenge Practical Painting Course
Published in 2001 this book remains one of the most comprehensive books on watercolour techniques that we have come across. An excellent starting point for beginners it contains so much that even more experienced watercolorists will find it useful.
It is still available to buy, but we suggest looking out for second hand copies. At £24.95 you might not want it to get splashed as you have it next to you while painting! Amazon (link above and on the picture) has second hand copies.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
This quote by Scott Adams is widely available on the internet. Try copying and pasting it into your search engine to find reliable sources. In doing you you are likely to come across other quotes about art which can be very thought provoking. If you find one you’d like to share with the classes in this spot, email it to us ( with the source ). If we get too many suggestions we reserve the right to choose :)
Materials advice
Watercolour is a sensitive medium, and the quality of the materials you use can make a real difference. It is well worth investing in decent materials right from the start. CLICK HERE for further advice, a suggested shopping list for beginners, and a list of shops we find useful.
This note also now appears on the opening page for Class Members , so the it is readily available and you don’t have to remember which week I posted it on :)
THE LITTLE CHALLENGE
Here’s a larger version of this weeks image for you to study in detail. Try to work out how the paint was applied and, if you can, the order it was applied in.
