Watercolors Course

Watercolor paints are known for their delicate, luminous quality and their ability to create subtle blends and gradients of color. In these classes, we will explore the endless possibilities of watercolor painting through experimentation and play.

Watercolors are a fabulous, fun and colorful medium! When using watercolor paints, the pigments are mixed with water to create a thin, fluid consistency. The amount of water used can affect the intensity, transparency, and flow of the paint, and artists often use different techniques, such as wet-on-wet or dry brush, to create different effects.

These classes are perfect for anyone, and no experience in watercolors is needed! We will start with the fundamentals, such as materials, color theory, and composition, and work our way up to more complex subjects.

Please note: unlike most of my classes, this class does not include your materials!

I'm excited about this course, and the many things I'll be able to teach you in our four week program. Initially, we will be learning a little bit about the different forms watercolors come in, and how they differ. I'll have all kinds on hand for you to observe. You will learn the basic techniques of watercolor painting, including color mixing, brushwork, and layering. We will try out different techniques like glazing, wet on wet, drybrush and additives. I will demo and teach you expressive brushstrokes and let you experiment with different styles and work on multiple experimental creations as you learn to paint! Together we will start developing our ideas, vocabulary and techniques.

In later classes, we will build upon the techniques and methods taught. You'll get demos and all the tips and tricks I have, to allow you to continue exploring this medium. We will explore different techniques for painting natural subjects, such as skies, trees, flowers, and water, and experiment with different styles and approaches to capturing your subjects. Using different brushes and brushwork, we will learn how to manipulate the paint in a way that allows you to explore different techniques for capturing the beauty and mood of different landscapes, from mountains and forests to oceans and deserts, and experiment with different styles and approaches to watercolor nature and landscape painting.

In our later sessions, we will discuss portraiture, painting abstracts and florals, with an emphasis on slow layering and detail painting.

By the end of the course, you will have a solid understanding of how to use watercolors to create beautiful and expressive works of art.

This class is BYOB, and drinking, (or eating, if you’d like to bring snacks), are always options!

I am dedicated to offering stress free, stress reducing art classes that are fun, no matter what your art experience may be!

While you go at your own rate in all my classes, this tends to be a slow, low intensity class.

*As with all Ruthi Makes classes, no previous experience in art or special talents are necessary!*