Study the anatomy and form of tulips and reproduce their vivid colours and distinctive shapes while developing your skills in essential watercolour techniques.

This course will help you to improve your skills in watercolour techniques as you gain confidence in botanical painting. Learn how to reproduce the vivid colours and typical shapes of tulips, improve your knowledge and understanding of colours and colour-mixing theory.

You will use sketches to develop complex drawing and tonal work. Painting techniques covered include wet-in-wet, colour-mixing, composition, tone and shadows, planning a painting and keeping a sketchbook.

Your tutor will support you with demonstrations and individual tuition throughout.

By the end of the course, you will be more familiar with the watercolour painting process, have gained theoretical knowledge, as well as practice, and understand the anatomy of tulips. You will have improved your ability to identify colours and reproduce them, and you will have produced at least one finished painting.

Included

• Tulips from West Dean Gardens and the flower shop

What students need to bring

• Watercolour paper at least 300gms, Hot Pressed or NOT if in a block (glued on 4 sides) (or at least 300gsm is fine if you stretch your paper)
• Watercolour paper 640gms Hot Pressed if in loose sheets (no need to stretch this paper)
• Watercolour paints, preferably Artists’ quality (see list below)
• Brushes (synthetics are preferable to sables), numbers 6, 4, 2 and 00 Drawing equipment (pencil, putty rubber, plastic rubber, pencil sharpener)
• Tracing paper, sketchbook or cartridge paper
• Gummed tape (if you stretch your paper)
• Water pot
• Cotton cloths
• Any equipment you usually use
• Any tulips you wish to bring
• Eight essential watercolours: Green-bias yellow: Daniel Smith Hansa Yellow Light, or Daler-Rowney/Schmincke Lemon Yellow Orange-bias yellow: New Gamboge or Indian Yellow Orange-bias red: Scarlet or Vermilion Violet-bias red: Permanent Alizarin Crimson or Permanent Carmine, or Daniel Smith Anthraquinoid Red or Schmincke Ruby Red Pink: Permanent Rose (not Opera Rose) Violet-bias Blue: French Ultramarine Green-bias Blue: Phthalo Blue Green Shade or Winsor Blue Green Shade White: Titanium White Other useful colours: Quinacridone Red or Quinacridone Coral, Magenta, Perylene Violet, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber

Available to buy

Available from shop: A good variety of art materials including:

• Watercolour paper 300gms Hot Pressed or NOT in a block (glued on 4 sides)
• Watercolour paper 640gms Hot Pressed if in loose sheets
• Brushes (synthetics are preferable to sables) number 6, 4, 2 and 00
• Drawing equipment (pencil, putty rubber, plastic rubber, pencil sharpener), tracing paper, sketchbook or cartridge paper, gummed tape (if you stretch your paper)
• Watercolour paints essential colours: Lemon Yellow, New Gamboge or Indian Yellow, Scarlet or Vermilion, Permanent Alizarin Crimson or Permanent Carmine or Ruby Red, Permanent Rose (not Opera Rose), French Ultramarine, Phthalo Blue Green Shade or Winsor Blue Green Shade, Titanium White Other useful colours: Quinacridone Red or Quinacridone Coral, Magenta, Perylene Violet, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio. This includes stout covered footwear, i.e. no open-toes or sandals.

Arrival day - first date of course
Residential students can arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm for registration  
Student welcome, followed by dinner: 6.45pm (dinner included)
Teaching session: 8pm-9pm (attendance is essential)

Daily timetable
Course teaching: 9.15am-5pm  
Morning session: 9.15am-12.45pm including coffee/tea break  
Lunch break: 12.45pm-2pm (lunch included)  
Afternoon session: 2pm-5pm including coffee/tea break  
Teaching finishes: 5pm    
Evening working: students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with permission from the tutor and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed.

Departure day - last date of course
Course teaching: 9.15am-3pm (lunch included)  
Teaching finishes: 3pm  

Residential students will need to check out of rooms by 10am.
Please note, the tutor may make slight variations to the daily timetable as required.

Terms & Conditions