This short four-week course will focus on learning about water control and its impact in your watercolor painting. Class time will focus on mixing different mixes of pigment and water and then exploring the effects you can get from these different mixes. The class will also consider the impact of the paper's dampness on the effects you achieve in your paintings. The class will feature demonstrations and class projects to reinforce these ideas as well as class time to pursue your own projects utilizing the techniques taught in the class.
Supply List for Class
1. Paints: I use primarily Winsor and Newton professional grade watercolor paints, but you can choose any paint you wish. But, be aware that color brilliancy, permanence, and quality will vary vastly between a child’s paint set, student grade paints, or professional grade paints. For the class, you should have:
Ultramarine Blue or French Ultramarine Blue
Cobalt Blue
Aureolin
New Gamboge
Permanent Rose
Winsor Red
Burnt Sienna
Indigo
If you buy Winsor and Newton professional grade paints, you just need the small tubes of this paint
2. Brushes: you need two round brushes (size 8 and 12), a ½” inch flat brush, and a rigger.
One number 6 round brush
One number 12 round brush
One ½” flat brush
One rigger (or liner) brush
I like the Silver Black Velvet Brush for the rounds, but there are many watercolor brushes available at Cheap Joe’s, Dick Blick, or Jerry’s Artarama. You do not need the very expensive (all natural brushes), but a good brush is helpful when painting.
3. Paper: I will be using Arches 140 pound cold pressed paper for all demonstrations. You can buy this in 30 x 22 sheets. Our paintings will be smaller than this, but the class will demonstrate how to tear the paper and this larger size will give us greatest flexibility with our class projects. We will need at least three large sheets for the class. The art suppliers on line will offer you a discount if you buy a package of this paper.
3 sheets 22 by 30 inch wide of watercolor paper, preferably Arches 140 pound cold pressed
Although you are welcome to use other papers in the class you may find that some of the techniques we will be using will not work on all papers. The Arches 140 pound cold pressed paper is the WORKHORSE paper for a great many watercolor artists because it is durable, of high quality, and can handle a lot of water and scrubbing.
4. Palette for your colors: this can be a white plate or it can be a plastic palette. I currently am using a very portable smaller palette (like this Folding Watercolor Palette | BLICK Art Materials).
One watercolor palette
5. Board to support your watercolor paper: This board should be approximately 15 by 20 inches. Smooth Masonite, gatorboard, plexiglass, or a plastic corrugated smooth surface will all work.
One support board for painting
6. Other items:
Paper towels
Masking tape: 1 inch wide and a fresh roll
Number 2 pencil
Kneaded eraser
Old Towel
Snap blade knife (this is a very inexpensive cutter that you can find at your local hardware store)
Sprayer bottle
Painting References (bring at least five choices)
Pliers
Tracing paper