DAY 1 - THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MARKS YOU MAKE

Drawing with pencil or brush with skill and dexterity is fundamental however you paint, especially if combined with my seven essential priorities in your approach. We will explore, even question, aspects of drawing and with it the importance of tone, where interlocking shapes of light and darker areas are so vital to all aspects of perspective and composition. In this context we will be exploring the potential and the challenge of using just three primary colours.

DAY 2 - TEXTURE; PAINT AND PAPER WORKING TOGETHER

A variety of colourful textures can make more interesting everything from clouds, foliage and fields to buildings and their tiles, bricks and mortar, especially if we use different colours from yesterday together with different papers and careful control of water.

We will explore how best to achieve these effects, avoiding the temptation to portray too much detail of either natural surfaces or the regular structures of man made buildings. We will end by introducing a few novel techniques that you should find useful.

DAY 3 - GRAPPLING WITH GREENS; THE ‘OLD ENEMY'

Vegetation near or far, summer or autumn is not just ‘green'.

Look closely and there is a great variety of colour and texture. The coalition of appropriate paper, the best paints and water, and knowing how to handle them with the brush skills I stress you should use, is again the key. Let the materials do most of the work!

DAY 4 - REFLECTIONS; WINDOWS AND WATER

Windows and waters are mirrors both and reflect different views of the world. They also conceal worlds within, - other layers of interest, as their reflective surfaces are also ‘windows' into what lies beneath the pond surface or beyond the curtains of a living room. We will bring reality and insight to both.

DAY 5 - SHADOWS; FINAL REVEALERS OF FORM

Where the sun doesn't shine there is still light. Illuminated by this ‘shadow light' the same once bright and colourful sunlit surfaces assume a different tone and colour. We will explore where this shadow light comes from and how colourful it can (and should) be. Crucially its shade also reveals the shapes of your subject, subtle or strong, and completes the illusion of three dimensions that you may wish to capture on a two dimensional sheet of paper. Our end of week show will be a time show off the results.

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS TO BRING TO THIS WATERCOLOUR COURSE

While all essential materials will be provided by Summer School or myself you might consider bringing the following:

Kitchen roll

Cotton buds

Small hand held spray, (from Boots Chemist Travel counter)

2B and 4B drawing pencils

Pencil sharpener/craft blade

Eraser

Desk top easel if you have one and prefer to use it

Masking fluid (I use the yellow variety)

Applicator, (I recommend using a old, thin, fine tipped rigger type of brush) PTO

You may have your own favourite materials that you prefer to use so do bring them; I may be able to suggest improvements or future ‘best buys'. Maybe bring along a painting or two for us to both have a look at. The course will be supported by reference to original paintings, location photos, demonstrations, and notes for you to keep.

The more experienced painter may find this course helpful.

About the tutor:

After a long career producing wildlife films for the BBC in Bristol he now makes images with brushes not cameras. As senior painting tutor for activity holiday company AUTHENTIC ADVENTURES (formerly Andalucian Adventures), Roger paints with his guests on these holidays throughout Europe and Morocco, and in the Cotswolds.

He also tutors at the Adult Learning Centre at Farncombe Estate in Worcestershire and during the autumn and winter runs workshops at his home studio near Stroud. He demonstrates and runs workshops for art societies countrywide and contributes to the national annual exhibitions of the RSMA and ROI at the Mall Galleries in London.

Tel 01453 763210 info@roger-jones.co.uk

website and gallery at www.roger-jones.co.uk