Additional information

Instructor

Chris Simonite

Level

Beginner

In stock

Paint Your Summer: Watercolour Basics

$130.00

Monday – Thursday, 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
July 6 to July 9, 2026
4 Days
 

Build a foundation in the dynamic medium gracefully well-suited for documenting the beauty of the world around you. Whether you have some experience in watercolour or none, this is a great opportunity to nourish creativity and learn technique. Participants will explore all the basics of watercolour and create a diversity of images from basic shapes and washes to landscapes and still life.

Begin with a review of materials and tips for managing your painting setup. Discuss the essentials for starting a watercolour painting… like understanding the golden rule, working from light to dark, and two fundamental techniques, wet-on-dry and wet-on-wet. Learn about mixing pigments with the ideal water ratios for desired shades and crispness. Practice brush control skills and discover how to create detailed lines, soft washes, leaf strokes, rough textures, flat washes, skies, gradient washes and much more!

At the end of this workshop, you’ll be ready to start painting the beautiful scenes around you this summer! Sunset skies, beach and lake scenes, vibrant green trees, wildflowers, and anything else you’re open to trying.

*Please note that some experience and/or comfortability with drawing is fundamental for rendering paintings.

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Instructor’s Recommended Materials:

  • Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolours.
    • These are student grade and are very good quality. There are professional grade paints, which will cost more. The Cotman paints come in tube form or in pan form (solid blocks of paint). I prefer the tube ones. These are available at Artist’s Emporium and Michael’s. Other brands can work well also.
  • In this class we will be using a Split Primary Palette. I recommend:
    • WARM RED: Cadmium Red Hue. COOL RED: Alizarin Crimson.
    • WARM YELLOW: Yellow Ochre. COOL YELLOW: Lemon Yellow, or Cadmium Yellow Light Hue.
    • COOL BLUE: Phthalo Blue or Prussian Blue. WARM BLUE: Ultramarine Blue. I use Ultramarine much more than any other blue. Other good cool blues are Cobalt Blue Hue and Cerulean Blue Hue.
    • Additional colours: Burnt Sienna, Payne’s Grey. Feel free to purchase a set of colours that will contain most of these colours.
  • Brushes:
    • Round brushes #4, #8, #10
    • One flat brush 1/2”
    • Optional, a liner brush and a dagger brush.
  • Spray Bottle
  • Masking Tape (optional craft tape AKA butcher’s tape)
  • Paper Towel
  • 2 Containers for Water
  • Pencils and Erasers. (I like to use kneaded erasers, but a variety is a good idea)
  • Paper
    • One sheet (22×30) of 140lb
      Arches (preferred)
      Cold Press Watercolour Paper.
  • Plastic corrugated sheet as a backing board. These are available at hardware and Michael’s. A drawing board or even a small piece of smooth plywood is also appropriate.
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Forum Art Centre is in Treaty 1 territory, the traditional and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe, Ininiwak, Anishininiwak, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and the homeland of the Red River Métis. Our water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation in Treaty 3 territory, and much of our hydro-electricity comes from Treaty 5 territory in northern Manitoba. We are committed to learning and engaging in reconciliation and decolonization.

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