SPP01) Watercolor Painting (Basics)

About this class

This is an introduction to watercolor painting focusing on the use of the transparent medium to explore both abstract and realistic subjects. Participants will learn tips for mixing paint and handling brushes, basic wash techniques and capturing the effects of light. The topics covered will include negative painting, basic color tips, painting from still life, and using photographs as sources for cityscape and landscape subjects.

Class Outline

1. Introduction to watercolor painting and materials – view a wide variety of historical and contemporary watercolor painting examples. Tips for stretching watercolor paper and using the brushes to make a variety of lines and shapes will be introduced. Students will also be introduced to flat washes and value scales.
2. Introduction to negative painting techniques using flat, graded, and variegated washes.
3. View a variety of watercolor still life examples. Paint from a still life arrangement using washes and negative painting techniques. Tips for making preliminary sketches and for creating interesting negative shapes will be introduced.
4. Painting from still life continued. Discuss art elements and principles.
5. View a variety of watercolor landscape painting examples and begin creating dynamic compositions with a focus on landscape painting, using photographs for reference.
6. Exploration of color schemes and color mixing with tips for creating beautiful shadows.
7. Landscape painting continued.
8. Tips for putting the finishing touches on paintings and cutting a hinged matt to display watercolor paintings.

Materials needed

Please note: VCUQatar reserves the right to cancel classes for which not enough participants are registered. Already paid fees will be refunded.

Please do not purchase materials until VCUQatar has sent final course confirmation.

Items to buy for this class

• Artist-quality watercolor paints, i.e. Winsor & Newton’s Cotman Water Colour – 12 x 8ml tube set
• A3 watercolor paper: cold-pressed 140lb, approx. 20 pages slightly textured, would be appropriate
• Watercolor brushes: No.12 or No.14 synthetic round, 1- or 2-inch flat (a large hake), No. 2 or No.4 flat synthetic with stiff bristles for scrubbing, a rigger or one of No.2 or No.4 round synthetic
• The watercolor palette for color mixing (ceramic or Plastic with wells, with a lid if possible)
• Drawing pencil (2B & 4B) or watercolor pencils, soft eraser, two small plastic water containers (with a lid if possible), a sponge, a scraper (used for outdoor painting and often available at a hardware store), a hair dryer, a knife for cutting paper
• A roll of gummed tape in dark beige: available at Cass (Fire Station), Carrefour, or Family Food Center (Al Rayyan Branch)

On occasions, there may be some more materials to be bought and brought in if and when advised by the instructor.

Where to buy your materials

Most of the materials are available from any art supply shop, for example:

• Cass Art (Fire station): Community Classes students get a 15% discount upon presenting the registration ticket
• Jarir Bookstore: on Rayyan Road or Salwa Road
• Color Note: on Al Nasser Street
• Ibn Al Qayyim: at Markhiya Roundabout
• Al Rawnaq

Schedule

Start: Sat, 5 Feb, 2022
End: Sat, 12 Mar, 2022
Lessons:
Days: Saturdays
Time: 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Location: VCUQatar
Cost: QAR 1250

Instructors

Yang Soon Ju

Yang Soon Ju (Elizabeth) is an interdisciplinary designer and entrepreneur with an MFA in Design Studies and a BFA in Fashion Design from VCUarts Qatar.
She has engaged with numerous projects/events and developed designs/collections in partnership with community organizations: to name a few, Doha Film Institute, Tim MakowerArchitects, Sidra Medicine/Hospital, Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition, Doha Festival City, and Galeries Lafayette and Tasmeem Biennial Art and Design Conference. Her entrepreneurial positions in Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Qatar span two decades, ranging from founding an English-speaking school; textile trading, and designing/producing household items and specialty clothing, as well as marketing those products, to consulting in financial auditing/ bookkeeping and business management. In addition to her entrepreneurial initiatives, she currently teaches in the Fashion Design department and Continuing Education and Community/Continuing education programs at VCUarts Qatar.

Register

To register for this course, access the form.