Watercolour in Practice

WEEKLY: Thursdays at 2 – 4:30pm 

DATES:
1st block: Eric Ravilious and Emil Nolde
6 weeks from 16 April 2026
16, 23, 30 April
7, 14, 21 May

Half Term Break: 28th May (no class)

2nd block: Rebecca Hind and William Tillyer
6 weeks from 4th June2026
4, 11, 18, 25 Jun
2, 9 Jul

A little previous watercolour experience is recommended for this course.

Watercolour in Practice: Eric Ravilious and Emil Nolde (April-May course)
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 Eric Ravilious and Emil Nolde. Ravilious’ approach involves using a barely moist brush and building the strokes up in layers. It offers excellent scope for exploring varied mark-making, composing an image and optical colour-mixing. In contrast to Ravilious carefully planned and rigorously composed method, Nolde’s work involves an instinctive free-flowing wet-in-wet approach using varied consistencies of paint and unconventional compositions.

Class Content 

• Learning design skills to create a dynamic composition.
• Analysing and experimenting with the drybrush techniques of Eric Ravilious.
• Mixing all colours from a primary palette.
• Understanding light and shade and making a tonal plan for paintings,
  Using wet-in-wet watercolour in different consistencies to create bold gestural painting inspired by Emil Nolde.
• Creating an unusual floral composition with interesting cropping.

Learning Outcomes 

• Improved drawing, design and composition skills.
• Good perception of tonal values and ability to use them to make a more dynamic painting.
• Considered use of drybrush techniques in a painting including hatching, stencilling, masking and mark-making,
• Know how to structure and plan a painting using both drybrush and wet-in-wet techniques.
  Ability to mix desired colours from the primaries and understanding of optical colour mixing.

Materials:

Pencils in a range of softnesses e.g. HB, 2B, 6B; putty rubber; ruler; some sheets of A4 or A3 cartridge paper, A4 or A3 pad of good quality cold-pressed watercolour paper (recommend Bockingford). Min. of 6 artist quality watercolour paints: warm and cool version of red, yellow and blue (suggested cadmium red, alizarin crimson, winsor lemon, cadmium yellow, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, optional extras: viridian or winsor green blue shade). Minimum of 3 watercolour brushes: large flat or round wash brush, round brush size 5–8, fine brush size 2 or 3, large palette; approx 4 sheets A4 tracing paper; scissors; masking tape; household sponge; toothbrush.
Optional: Masking fluid; candle; 3 coloured pencils (red, yellow and blue); stencil brush(es); selection of any other brushes already owned which can include hogshair; fan or old battered brushes; scalpel; small cutting mat.

For First Class:
Please bring all of the above.

Tutor
Emily Burton

Second block starts 4th June
4, 11, 18, 25 June
2, 9 July

Watercolour in Practice: William Tillyer and Rebecca Hind (June-July)

The course will look in further detail at 2 artists during each module and encourage students to adopt a creative thinking practice with their own work. The artists referenced during this course are William Tillyer and Rebecca Hind. Both of these contemporary artists push the boundaries of watercolour, using it in experimental as well as traditional ways. In addition to developing skills of handling various types of watercolour wash, and colour-mixing from the primaries you will also explore abstracting from a representational image and handling wet-wet washes through paint-pouring techniques.

Class Content:

• Abstracting from a representational image.
• Introduction to different types of wash.
• Understanding of tonal values and using them to create interest.
• Using Hind and Tillyer’s elemental paintings as inspiration.
• Creating paintings using poured watercolour.
• Mixing from a primary palette.

Learning Outcomes:

• Being able to abstract using shapes and analysing the essence of an image.
• Ability to mix desired colours from the primaries, both on the palette and when combining paints through pouring.
• Greater control and understanding of how speed, consistency, dampness and gravity act when creating the washes you want.
• Combining aspects of both artists’ work to create a painting inspired by the elements.

Materials

Pencils, putty rubber, ruler, masking tape, some sheets of A4 or A3 cartridge paper, A4 or A3 pad of good quality cold-pressed watercolour paper, approx 4 sheets of A4/A3 tracing paper, Min. of 6 artist quality watercolour paints: warm and cool version of red, yellow and blue (suggested cadmium red, alizarin crimson, Winsor lemon, cadmium yellow, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, optional extras: permanent rose, viridian or Winsor green, prussian blue). Minimum of 3 watercolour brushes: large flat or round wash brush, round brush size 5–8, fine brush size 2 or 3, large palette, art masking fluid. Optional extras: very small jars or containers with lids, craft knife or scalpel. You may already have materials which can be used.

Tutor
Emily Burton

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