Beginners Watercolour 2024

Sharon Whitecross

 

Margaret Christie Studio

 

Course Outline

In this course I hope to give you an understanding of the following:

Week 1.

Basics of Watercolour,

This includes what paper, what brushes and what paints to use and why.

Then we’ll move on to some simple exercises, Wet on Wet. Wet on Dry.

Having fun with colour runs.

Week 2.

Making our own colour chart and why.

Colour mixing (on paper or palette) and recognizing tones.

Colour wheel. Warm colours and cool colours and the difference.

Complimentary colours.

The importance of an art journal.

Week 3.

Understanding your paints.

Layering or glazing.

How to layer your colours, what colours layer better than others.

Making your own Glazing charts.

Week 4.

Composition. What makes a good picture better in terms of configuration?

Where to start on my blank page?

Horizon lines and distance.

Week 5.

The importance of leaving whites.

Using Gouache.

Making fluid and/or wax crayons.

Pen (or Ink) and wash.

Week 6.

Tonal value

Adding depth with shadows.

Negative painting.

About The Tutor:

Hello there, I’d like to introduce myself, and the gentle art of Watercolour, to you.

My first experience with Watercolour was at this U3A in a Beginner’s Class. Just two weeks in and I was hooked. I have loved this medium right from the very start and after our introductory weeks ended I joined the Intermediate Class, not because I was up to their standard, in fact far from it, but I decided that I loved watercolour enough to learn more and  teach myself everything that I could.

What do I love so much about watercolour?  The gentle flow of the colours as they mingle, the softness of the hues and the interesting shapes and designs that appear on my page excite and fascinate me at the same time. I love this medium. I’ve learnt by trial and error, by googling, by YouTube and educating myself.

I’m not a teacher, nor do I have any credentials other than a love of watercolour and the excitement to share my enthusiasm and knowledge with you, so you too can begin to understand and enjoy creating your very own watercolour paintings…. So, let’s paint!