Watercolour in Practice: John Singer Sargent and Bernhard Vogel

Weekly: Thursdays 2.00pm-4.30pm

Dates:
10-week course
15, 22, and 29 January
5, 12, 26 February
No class on 19^th February for Half-term Break
5, 12, 19, 26 March

The aim of this course is to develop solid watercolour skills whilst looking at the practice and themes of contemporary as well as traditional artists. The course will look in further detail at 2-3 artists during each module and encourage students to adopt a creative thinking practice with their own work. We are looking for this project at the watercolours of John Singer Sargent (1856 -1925) and the contemporary German artist Bernhard Vogel (1961-). The course will allow you to become familiar with their conceptual influence and how their approaches can inform your own work.

You will learn how to mix the colours you need from the primaries and how to analyse and enhance subtle colour biases. You will explore very different approaches to structuring a watercolour painting, both traditional and experimental. You will learn how to use hard and soft edges to create focus and variety in a painting.

Who’s this course for?

• Beginners with some basic knowledge
• Intermediate learners with some experience
• Advanced, proficient learners with regular practice

What you’ll explore:

• Observational drawing skills
• Layered tonal studies with hard and soft edges
• Mixing the colours you need from a limited primary palette
• Analysing and mixing a range of greens
• Exaggerating the colour in shadows
• Making experimental textural backgrounds
• Negative shape studies
• Creating a painting with hard, soft and lost edges

What you’ll walk away with:

• Developed observational drawing skills and the ability to perceive tonal values and shapes
• Confidence in mixing the colours you want from the primary colours
• The ability to detect colour bias and exaggerate it in your painting
• Structuring and planning a painting logically
• Refining your ability to control watercolour paint as you wish
• Using experimental mark-making to enhance your painting
• Making informed decisions about where to use hard, soft and lost edges

Materials and supplies required:

• Pencils, biro or fibre tipped pen, putty rubber, ruler, masking tape.
• Some sheets of A4 or A3 cartridge paper
• Approx 4 sheets of tracing paper
• A4 or A3 pad of good quality cold-pressed watercolour paper (Please avoid cellulose papers; Bockingford is a suitable brand but other good papers are available.)
• Minimum of 6 artist quality watercolour paints: warm and cool version of red, yellow and blue (suggested cadmium red, alizarin crimson, winsor lemon yellow, cadmium yellow, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, either viridian green or winsor green (blue shade). The basic colours you need should be in a Winsor and Newton Cotman pocket set.
• Minimum of 3 watercolour brushes: large flat or round wash brush, round brush size 5–8, fine brush size 2 or 3
• Large palette
• Optional: art masking fluid.

What to bring to the first class:
Please bring all supplies and materials to the first class. You’ll receive a syllabus at the first session that will describe what you need to bring each week.

What to wear:
Anything you don’t mind getting watercolour paint on, although it generally washes out easily.

Most attendees wear their usual clothes but might bring an apron too.

About the tutor:
Emily Burton holds a BA in Graphic Design, specialising in illustration, and an MA in Drawing. With nearly twenty years’ experience teaching a wide range of art courses, she brings both expertise and enthusiasm to her classes.

Emily enjoys working with adults of all levels, valuing the humour, life experience and curiosity they bring. Her teaching is clear and structured, yet responsive to the needs and individuality of each student. She aims to create a supportive environment that nurtures confidence while also challenging those with more experience.

In both her teaching and personal practice, Emily encourages rigorous observation and creative experimentation.

Testimonials:
‘Emily is quite simply, the best Art teacher I have ever had and I went to Chelsea Art School in the 60s! She is kind, funny, terribly well-prepared, innovative with her techniques. She references artists to help with our work and to be more knowledgeable about different art movements. She always provides written lesson records and what to bring for each project’. –Jiff S

‘Emily is a superb tutor.  Her well-planned classes progressively developed my skills and built my confidence.  She is fully engaged throughout each session, providing constructive advice, guidance and encouragement. Her classes are a joy to attend’. –Anne-Marie H

‘I have had a number of art classes with Emily and have found her nothing but exemplary . She prepares the class well, she spends time with each student giving helpful advice and suggestions and is kind and conscientious. I can certainly recommend her as an art tutor’. –Juliet B

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