In this 4 week class we will explore painting with watercolors. Each day Christine will begin class with a demonstration and lesson, and then the remainder of the class will be for our painting project of the day. While this medium can be challenging for many artists, there are some very important and helpful techniques we will be discussing to help make a successful painting. This is a fun medium where we can explore color theory and brushwork. Someone who has never touched paint before will be able to take this class and learn the basics of watercolors, and the experienced artist will work on the refining of their watercolor skills.
Here is a brief layout of our 4 weeks together:
Week 1: Familiarity with Materials - Here we will learn how to set up our paint palette and familiarize ourselves with our paper and brushes. We will do some basic experimenting with various elements (salt, scratching, dry-brush etc.) that affect our watercolor painting.
Week 2: Color Theory - In this part of the class we will be exploring how to mix our colors while avoiding muddiness. Because color theory is such an important part of painting we will make our own color wheel and experimental color swatches to refer to.
Week 3: Still Life - Here we will practice our skills we have learned thus far on a still life set up by Christine. We will focus on communicating light in our paintings; first - we identify where the light is coming from, and second - how we can communicate temperature in painting by using our color palette.
Week 4: Landscape - In this final class of the series we will be painting landscapes, and focusing on creating depth in our painting. We will experiment with techniques of creating texture, and work on varying our colors throughout the landscape scene.
Note from the Artist: Christine Joy Swanson
During these long weeks of early spring, I am looking forward to painting watercolors with you at the Chehalem Cultural Center! This has been a challenging year, but this is an activity that can bring us so much enjoyment in a Covid-safe way. Watercolors is a medium many people are intimidated by, but I have some simple tricks that will make painting with watercolors a great experience. I will make sure this class is approachable for the absolute beginner and have some more interesting tips and tricks for a more experienced artist. I am excited to paint with you!
The following supplies are required and can be easily purchased via Amazon, Blick Art, Merri Artists, and other art suppliers:
140lb Arches cotton cold press paper
Watercolor palette (one that folds close)
Paint Brushes (soft synthetic):
#10 round
#4 round
rigger/liner (thin and long)
medium flat edge brush
large flat edge brush
fan brush (with coarse bristles)
Paper Towel Roll
Watercolor Paint Tubes:
cadmium yellow light
cadmium yellow deep
cadmium orange
cadmium red
alizarin crimson
permanent magenta
violet
ultramarine blue
phthalo blue
hookers green
permanent green/gold
burnt umber
burnt sienna
payne's gray
small notebook for notes (optional)
To sign up and reserve your place, click the link below:
https://www.chehalemculturalcenter.org/adult/2021/watercolorschristinemay