FAQs

Got a question about our workshops and how they work? Take a look below or if you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, feel free to get in touch and we’ll be happy to help!

• Introduction to Watercolours (2 day course)

• Watercolours for Beginners (1 day)

• Watercolour for Improvers (1 day)

• Animal workshops (landscapes & farm animals, ponies & horses, chickens & ducks)

• Landscapes for Beginners (1 day)

• Landscapes & Farm Animals or Farmland

• Fashion Illustration

• ‘Painting Simple Figures’

• ‘Draw What You See’ - Drawing for Beginners

• Watercolour Skies

• Skies, Boats & Sea

• Seashore & Marine Life

• Buildings & Architecture

• Painting from Photos

• Parent & Child Workshops

• Printmaking & Painting Your Own Cards Workshops

Whether you have never picked up a brush before, or have often painted but been frustrated by the results, the Watercolour Mixologist Day will be a godsend for you! This workshop covers the absolute basics in watercolour: advice on what sort of brushes, palettes and paper to use and how to mix beautiful, fresh colours from just three “mother “ colours.

Great for those painters who always seem to end up with greys and browns, or insipid colours. We experiment with making transparent, pure colours and create a colour chart for future reference. Time is spent looking at brush technique, and the wet in wet technique.

The afternoon is spent in putting all this information and experimentation into practice, making small studies of fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers, and just enjoying loosening up with lovely, juicy paint. The emphasis on this day is to familiarise yourself with simple techniques, to lose inhibitions and possible unhelpful habits with watercolour, and not on producing a finished painting. It’s all about enjoying painting and building confidence. It’s not unlikely though, that one of those little studies may be lovely enough to make you want to have it framed!

Following on from the Beginner’s Day, we also have an ‘Improver’s Workshop’, where essential watercolour technique, glazing/layering will be covered in depth (that’s layer upon layer of transparent colour, to build up depth of colour; paint angular, flat sided objects, and create depth in your painting).

We will create tonal studies in blue to really look at how to make light and shadow work for our painting, with a mini workshop on looking at light and shadow, along with specifics such as on painting shadows on both flat and curved surfaces. We’ll look at how to create atmosphere by using both harmonious and complementary colour schemes, thinking about colour the way artists do.

There will be lots of advice on composition, and how to create lots of different paintings from the same subject matter. Sarah will be circulating to give help, encouragement, and administer watercolour first aid for any little mishaps! Go for it with all those new techniques to create your own still life watercolour.

All one day courses begin at 10am and finish at 4pm.

All materials are included, so you don’t have the headache of sourcing lots of things beforehand!

– Basic tea, coffee and milk is provided; if you take any special tea, or drinks etc., please bring those along.

– You will need to bring along your own packed lunch (please be aware we have around 30 mins for lunch, and it’s a few minutes walk form the studio to buy food or drink ).

There is an emphasis on frequent demonstrations, methodical, step-by-step tuition and encouragement. Printed notes on all the techniques covered are given to all students to take home, too. The atmosphere is relaxed, cheerful and supportive, so nervous beginners needn’t worry at all!

Workshops take place in my art studio in central Penzance, Cornwall, fifteen minutes walk from the sea, and the same walking time from Penzance Railway Station.

Group workshops (6 hours) £95 per day (group size maximum 6 to 7 people)

VIP One to One Days (6 hours)
£300 per day for one person
£150 each for each additional person

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