Course Description

A course for those who like to work in pen and wash where the image is drawn in ink and the painting completed in watercolour, or vice versa. The subject matter will be varied, and you will have the opportunity to try several ways in which different inks and pens can be used to create the basis of some exciting paintings. You will be able to try some new techniques and the emphasis will be on producing some lively and interesting results.

As well as using pen and watercolour wash in its more traditional and accepted form, you will also be shown ways in which this combination of mediums can be used to produce some more contemporary paintings. You will be working from reference material provided by the tutor where you will be able to choose the kind of subject matter that interests you including landscapes, flowers, still life, and figures, etc.

Suitable For

Some previous experience in drawing and watercolour painting is advisable, but not essential.

Requirements List

Paper:

Watercolour pad or loose sheets about A4 or A3 size 300 g/m2 (140 lb) Not surface. Bockingford, Fabriano, Arches, or Saunders Waterford are all excellent makes.

Paints:

Watercolours in tubes are best, as these allow you to mix large amounts of colour for washes. Or if you prefer, pans of colour in a folding palette. ‘Artist’s Quality’ paint by Winsor & Newton, Schmincke, Jackson’s, Sennelier, and Daniel Smith are among the best quality watercolours.

Suggested colours:

You don’t need all of these, but these are the colours I use most often.

• Cadmium Yellow Light
• Cadmium Red
• Permanent Rose or Magenta
• Cerulean Blue
• Cobalt Blue
• French Ultramarine
• Viridian Green or Phthalo Green
• Hookers Green
• Raw Sienna
• Burnt Sienna
• Raw Umber
• Burnt Umber
• Payne's grey
• Winsor Violet or Dioxazine Purple

Brushes:

• Watercolour brushes in sizes 3, 8, and 10 or 12. It’s important that these brushes are of good quality and that they form a point when wet. Sables are expensive, so synthetic ones are a good substitute
• A square ½″, or 1″ brush
• Large brush for washes

Other Materials:

• Small bottle of black acrylic ink, or Indian ink
• A steel-nibbed dip pen if you have one
• A selection of waterproof black pens in a variety of sizes: roughly 0.2, 0.5, 0.7
• HB pencil and sharpener
• Drawing board – large enough to hold A3 size paper

• Putty rubber
• Masking tape
• Tissues/Kitchen towel
• Large palette with several mixing wells
• A couple of jars for water

If you wish, you can bring along some of your own images that you might like to paint