Watercolour used to be considered as a 'polite hobby' for genteel Victorian ladies but Turner showed that watercolour was the ideal medium for recording many moods and momentary effects of light in the landscape and watercolour became a contemporary art material. It is often considered to be the hardest method of painting as unlike oils and acrylics if a mistake is made the chances of rectifying the error is slim. With acrylics and oils the painting method is to start off with the darkest shades and layer the lighter shades on top. With watercolour the opposite is true. The lightest colour will always be that of the paper and the artist layers darker shades gradually until they reach the desired effect. The aim of our workshop is to gently guide the artist through the maze of painting in this medium. The end result is to ensure that the course gives enough information that the user can then use watercolours at home in confidence. Tutor: Paula Trower, BA (Hons) Fine Art
Acrylic Painting
Rowney (now Daler-Rowney) were the first manufacturers to see the potential of acrylic paints and made them available to artists during 1963. The benefits of this medium make it very versatile and safe to use in the home. It can mimic the effects of both watercolour and oil without the use of harmful chemicals and unlike watercolour and oil it can be used successfully on many more surfaces. Acrylics can be safely applied to raw canvas. The fact that it is quick-drying means that acrylics are very useful in mixed media, allowing the use of pastel, charcoal, pen etc on top of dried acrylic paint. It also tolerates the mix of sand, rice and even pasta. The aim of the workshop is to gently guide the artist through the maze of painting in this medium. The end result is to ensure that the course gives enough information that the user can then use acrylics at home with confidence. Tutor: Paula Trower, BA (Hons) Fine Art
drawing basics
Many people will say that they cannot draw. The fact is that people can learn to draw just as well as they can read or write. To do this successfully the person has to be self-critical and accept when a mistake has been made as soon as they have realised it. To carry on hoping that the mistake could rectify itself is a grave error and instead of rectifying itself, the error only magnifies itself. This could result in losing hours of hard work. The aim of this workshop is not to concentrate on subjects that are obvious in the short term but to train the eye to translate directly from observation, three-dimensional information into marks on a two-dimensional surface. This will result in the ability to be able to draw with confidence without tuition in the comfort of your own home. Tutor: Paula Trower, BA (Hons) Fine Art
