This course explores how space, light and form interact in nature-based landscapes, with a focus on trees, paths, sky and buildings. Through simple black-and-white studies, you will learn to design clear patterns of light and dark that give your work balance and structure. From there you move gently into colour, working with loose, atmospheric washes and allowing forms to emerge in a suggestive manner exploring: trees against walls, branches over rooftops, paths curving between hedges.

Each session combines short demonstrations with guided exercises, using a mixture of supplied references and your own photographs or sketches from the surrounding landscape. Looking at how to simplify complex scenes, group shapes, and balancing large quiet areas of sky or ground with smaller, more active passages of texture and detail. There will be an emphasis on suggestion and soft, lost edges, so that the painting breathes and the viewer’s imagination can enter the scene.

By the end of the course, you will have a practical process for approaching nature-based subjects: from quick Notan thumbnails (Notan is the balance of light and dark in a composition) through to more resolved watercolours. You will be encouraged to develop at least one personal motif from your own daily surroundings, and to leave with both finished work and a way of seeing that you can continue to explore in your practice.

Included

On this course the College will supply 2 sheets of 300gsm watercolour paper.

What students need to bring

• Essential watercolour paints in the following colours: Aureolin Yellow / Lemon Yellow, Rose Madder / Permanent Rose, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna
• Recommended extra watercolour paints in the following colours: Raw Sienna, Viridian / Phthalo Green, Alizarin Crimson, Sepia
• Brushes: Large flat brush size 2 (1.5-2 inches), round brush size 4 or 6, mop brush size 12, rigger brush size 1 or 2
• Palette knife
• Water spray bottle

Available to buy

Gardens Gatehouse Craft Shop: The shop has a good range of watercolour paints, paper, palette knives and brushes.

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes).

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.

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