Painting, Itinerary and Price
This is a résumé of our 5 day intensive watercolour workshop.
Our workshops happen throughout the year and are held in Barcelona more or less every other week – see course dates. The classes are structured and quite intensive. Unless rare bad weather prevents us the workshops are held ‘en plein-air’ at various locations in the city.
The cost of the 5 day course – tuition and all materials – €450
Paul has been coaching watercolourists of varying levels of proficiency for some years now and has seen the same mistakes being made time and again. He has designed a one week intensive watercolour course which approaches the technique from fundamentals and takes painters through various exercises that will ensure they understand the ground rules of successful watercolour painting.
Participants need no experience. They can be complete beginners or practising artists. The week’s itinerary is designed to be informative for all levels of proficiency.
It is not necessary to bring any equipment. Easels, palettes, brushes, paint, paper and all necessary materials are provided by the course during the mornings on location.
Each day’s tuition lasts for approximately 4 hours, leaving students time for sightseeing in the fascinating city of Barcelona.
If you would like to paint in your own time after course hours you will need to bring your own equipment.
We generally paint standing at an easel. Should you need to sit please let us know in advance.
We don’t provide accommodation so participants will need to book this themselves. We will email or text a rendezvous time and place each evening for the next morning’s painting.
Day 1. Composition & Values
We meet up at a prearranged location and familiarise ourselves with the equipment. Paper, brushes, easel. Paul will start by making a demo-sketch and explaining how to create a good composition. Students will then make their own pencil sketches.
On the first day Paul asks students to make a monotone ‘value’ study in watercolour. This is generally done in Sepia. He will demonstrate step by step the method of laying on ‘washes’. This helps students to get used to handling the paint, the brushes and understanding the importance of tonal ‘values’ in painting. If students are more experienced they can quite often find time to make 2 or more sketches in the morning.
Afternoon
Students can profit from using the afternoons and evenings to visit the huge range of of attractions available in Barcelona. There are Museums, galleries, concerts, tours, a variety of classes and not least endless excellent restaurants and bars. Paul and Angela can suggest a varied itinerary of fascinating things to do and places to go and can often help you by pre-booking the pursuits online.
Quite a few museums are closed on Mondays – please check before going.
Day 2. Warm & Cool colours
Today we meet again at a prearranged location and start (as on the first day) with a pencil sketch. This time Paul will ask students to work in two tones only – warm and cool. Having now experienced first hand the power of tonal values we will now see that by adding warm or cool tones to correct parts of the painting we double the amount of information we can communicate. This is a great exercise and should be well understood. It enhances the drama, the light and the depth of field in you paintings. Many students are surprised by what a satisfying painting they can make with just two colours.
Packed lunch with wine
Afternoon
Excursions and tours.
Day 3. Basic colour concepts and palette
We meet at a pre arranged location. Today we start painting with a palette of 4 colours. With this many paints you can achieve a full colour range but by keeping the palette deliberately restricted will make your painting more unified. We are now also incorporating the lessons of the first two days whilst producing a full colour painting. Paul will explain colour mixing, various colour combinations and palettes you can use.
Packed lunch with wine
Afternoon
Excursions and tours.
Day 4. Adding more colours
We meet at a pre arranged location. We have now understood values, temperature and a core palette. Paul will now explain and demonstrate how a more comprehensive palette is used without disuniting your picture. Bright colours can now be used whilst maintaining balance. Students make their own paintings from their own choice of colours.
Packed lunch with wine
Afternoon
Excursions and tours.
Day 5.Paint on…with confidence…
The last day is another opportunity to try different compositions and combinations of colours whilst incorporating all the other technical points you have learned.
Packed lunch with wine
Afternoon
Excursions and tours.
