Watercolours
with Sophie Newnham
Watercolours are a pleasure to work with, whether adding a wash of colour to a drawing, layering to find new colours and shades or as a way to create delicate textures and form.
This medium has subtlety, translucency and an element of surprise. Over the course, we will also be looking at a handful of artists who have found new and interesting ways to use watercolours.
Open to all levels
Course Dates Spring Term 2025
6, 13, 20, 27 January
3, 10 February
(Half Term 17 February)
24 February
3, 10, 17, 24, 31 March
Spring Term part one: Wildflowers and Vases
inspired by the work of Margaret Firth and Susie Fasht
Suzy Fasht November Flowers 2022
Weeks 1-2: Inspired by the works of Margaret Firth we will be learning how to create wistful abstract watercolour marks of plants and flowers on painterly backgrounds
Weeks 3-4: Studying the works of Susie Fasht, we will learn how to depict branches and flower stems in vases. Detailing flowers and buds.
Skills covered: Composition balance, spacing and learning how to create flow with abstract brush marks.
Materials: Pencils, drawing sketchbook, watercolour paper, watercolours, inks and fine-liners
Spring Term part two: Architecture
Inspiration from Luis Barragan, Frank Lloyd Wright and Michelangelo
Luis Barragan Design proposal for Parque Azteca Mexico City 1954
Weeks 5-6: Learning how to create colour balancing; block colours and tones we will be taking inspiration from the architecture of Luis Barragan
Weeks 7-8: Structural drawings in inks plus watercolour washes inspired by the paintings of Frank Lloyd Wright and Michelangelo
Skills: Perspective, straight lines, balance, pattern and detailing.
Materials: pencils, drawing sketchbook, watercolour paper, watercolours, white-out and fine-liner inks.
Spring Term part three: Birds - free form to Fine Art
Inspired by the work of Humphrey Ocean and John James Audubon
Humphrey Ocean Mallard Hen 2021
Weeks 9-10: Inspired by the works of Humphrey Ocean we will be painting straight onto paper without lines, building up layers and strengthening chroma.
Weeks 11-12: From drawing to painting large exotic birds in the style of John James Audubon, we will learn how to balance a composition; add and fine-tune detailing to add new dimensions to our work.
Skills: Pigment strong layering brushwork and drawing details.
Materials: pencils, drawing sketchbook, watercolour paper, watercolours, white-out and fine-liner inks.
Skills covered: From drawing to watercolour painting. Painting with washes vs detailing; Fine-tuning our watercolours with pencils and fine-liner pens; Adding depth, seeing a range of tones; highlighting.
All necessary materials will be provided for your first session.
Materials provided throughout the course: Pencils- Hs to Bs; rubbers; basic paint, palettes and water holders.
Materials to bring with you: a range of watercolour brushes of various sizes; a block of watercolour paper; a simple set of watercolour paints; a set of fine-liner coloured inks; a bottle of masking fluid, and paper towels.
““Sophie took us through all the key skills we needed for drawing and painting from nature and somehow I now have the confidence to just try drawing things around me. Before this I had no idea how to even start. Thank you!”
Undecided? contact us to arrange for an initial taster. If you decide to continue to the end of term, the taster is deducted from the fee for the remaining sessions.
For a taster session, all materials are included. For regular students, we can advise you on obtaining materials at the taster.