Introduction to Watercolours

11.30-5pm  | 16+ yrs

This workshop will cover the basics of painting with watercolour enabling you to gain confidence in your practice.  Equipment, colour mixing, painting techniques and building layers will all be explored in a series of practical tasks and exercises.

What will the day cover and how will it be taught?

During this workshop you will learn to explore and practice painting in watercolour through a series of enjoyable exercises, culminating in a final project/painting.  It will cover painting with an experimental attitude to really expand your watercolour practice. How to start a painting, how to change a painting and building layers will all be covered, as well as practical guides in equipment, surfaces, colour and using different brushes and tools.

What do I need to bring with me?

Drawing boards and easels will be provided.

All painting materials need to be provided by the students.

Please bring:-

• Basic set of watercolour paints.
• One decent watercolour brush (No. 8, 10 or 12 is good), plus option to bring ½” – 1” soft flat brush, and one stiff brush.
• Kitchen roll.
• A sectioned watercolour mixing palette.
• Water spray bottle.
• Water pots.
• Some decent watercolour paper at least 300gms (gummed pads are good). At least one of these should be a large sheet.
• Masking Tape.
• A small notebook and pencil.

NB – if purchasing art materials at Youdells access a 10% discount by saying that you are attending an Art Class at the Brewery.

When using art materials your clothes could potentially get dirty so you may wish to bring an apron and/or dress for mess.

Important Information

This course will be held in Studio 3.

Are there any additional costs?

No

About the tutor

Catherine MacDiarmid has 29 years’ of experience teaching a range of art classes and applying her knowledge as a practising artist to her role as a Tutor.  She exhibits widely, including exhibiting in the BP Portrait in 2001/2, New Light Art Tour 2021/22 and 2023/24 (of outstanding Northern-based Artists) and regularly at the Mall Galleries.  Catherine has won many awards for her art, most recently being the Watercolour Materials Award in the Jacksons Painting Prize 2023.  She is an elected member of The Lakes Artists Society, the Contemporary British Portrait Painters and appeared in Sky Portrait Artists of the Year 2014, 2018 reaching the semi-finals in 2019.  As well as completing private portrait commissions her work is collected internationally and she works from her home-studio in Kendal.

See all Creative Learning courses here.