Color and Saturation: Watercoloring Spring Blooms

Students will learn how to paint sky, clouds, and trees with highlight and shadow, while preserving white flowers. We will also explore the details of these stunning blossoms up close.

Your instructor will do extensive demonstrations, teach technique, and answer questions. She will provide sample reference images, but students are encouraged to look for their own reference inspiration as well (still life or photos).

All levels are welcome!

Notes:

Bring your own materials:

Supplies

• Hard pencil or Mechanical Pencil (HB or 2H)
• Kneaded eraser
• Watercolor paper: 9" x 12"–11" x 14"
• I suggest Arches Watercolor Pad, 140 lb., Cold Pressed, 9" x 12" (the “block” is triple the price, don’t buy that).
• Tray/palette: A metal travel palette with a lid and at least 12 wells for different colors
• A range of watercolor brush sizes, both round and flat: 0 round, 4 or 6 flat, 10 round, 20 flat, for example. (You will know them from oil brushes because the bristles on watercolor brushes are very soft to the touch.)
• I recommend: Princeton Art and Brush Co. Princeton Series 9000 Brown Handled Brush, Set of 7.
• 1 water container, plastic cup, or coffee tin (anything out of the recycle bin will do)
• Watercolor paint tubes
• I would recommend buying a box of 8–15 small tubes of all the basic colors.
• At the very minimum you must have primary colors:
• Cadmium Red Deep
• Cadmium Yellow
• Ultramarine Blue
• Lamp Black
• Burnt Umber
• (no White, Naples Yellow, or “Flesh Tint”)
• Right now, in demos I am using paint brands Sennelier and Holbein.
• The colors I use are (and you can add them to your palette in this order—this is not mandatory, mainly for those who are curious):
• Burnt Umber
• Raw Sienna
• Crimson
• Deep Red
• Alizarin
• Opera
• Vermilion
• Deep Yellow
• Light Yellow
• Lemon
• Yellow
• Yellow Ocher
• Olive Green
• Sap Green
• Shadow Green
• Viridian
• Ultramarine Blue
• Cobalt
• Prussian Blue
• Violet
• Payne’s Gray
• Black
• Brands to avoid:
• Reeves and Michaels brand paints. They are very frustrating to work with.
• Kitchen paper towels
• Masking fluid

• Water-resistant sumi ink
• Clamp light or desk lamp for additional light
• Blow dryer

If your class is canceled due to low registration, you will be notified by phone 4–5 days prior to start of class. We reserve the right to cancel a class for any reason.

You will be emailed the Zoom link for this class.