Arts and Crafts
Adult Courses
CS:
6/7
Making your Colour Sing
Watercolour is often mistaken for being difficult. What is a stain? Which pigments are transparent? Which colour is warm, which are cool? How do complimentaries work?
These questions are often asked by beginners who have been drawn into the mysterious nature of painting in watercolour. There is so much to discover, so much to explore. Susanna Bailey offers insight into the way to use both colour and compositional colour to make your painting come to life. By demonstrating and introducing workshops we will look at pure pigments, the mixing of delicious greys, the trouble with green, black magic, glowing whites, simple harmonies in complimentary colour, all encompassed within beautiful composition. When you leave the summer school you will take with you a treasure trove of information that will serve you for the rest of your creative life. A small portfolio, lovely paper, and a palette of all the pigments that we use to work with are provided. Please bring your own materials as it is always interesting to share in the knowledge of watercolour. Stimulating photographs of the Wiltshire countryside, your own sketch books, and a simple still life will provide the backdrop for your colours to open up and sing!
This course is designed to be both inspiring as well as really fun! Each day follows the steps that will lead to a much greater understanding of colour, its chemistry, and its idiosyncrasies in the curious process of watercolour painting.
Susanna will work closely with individual students and at the end of each day will review the developments of the work as a whole. This course can be enjoyed over two weeks as watercolour workshops never produce the same results! That is the simple nature of the magic and the mystery of the medium.
Day 1
Morning – After a short introduction to the tutor and the course we will set off on the first step of understanding the paint, the colour and pigment. We will paint in the earth palette and develop tone.
Afternoon – The Triochromatic Palette. Workshop.
Day 2
Morning – Looking through the eyes of John Sell Cotman. Working in luminous greys.
Afternoon – Workshop mixing glowing colour and creating "colour impact”.
Day 3
Morning – Understanding composition and comparing the skills of three great Wiltshire painters.
Afternoon – Students begin their own personal study encompassing colour and composition.
Day 4
Morning and Afternoon – Workshop. Painting black and white in watercolour. Understanding the power of compliments and the trouble with green!
Day 5
Lots of one-to-one and polishing off beautiful work. Final review followed by an exhibition and partying!
