The Art of Botanical Watercolor
Class | Available
LOCATION NOTE: This class will be taking place at our South Lake Union Location.
Come to this beginner to intermediate class to watercolor portraits of plants and fruits. In this class you’ll capture the different moments from the lifecycle of a plants and fruits (bulbs, seed heads, flowers, leaves, fruit). In this class students will learn: how to create a harmonious color palette, techniques that produce realistic and accurate paintings, an understanding how light reveals form, and how to improve their observational and visual interpretation skills. Students will work from both photographs and live specimens. Upon completion of class, students will leave with finished watercolor pieces and the confidence to paint other subject matter!
- Watercolor paint set - You will want a range of colors in blues, reds, yellows and earth colors. You can go with either tube or half pans. If selecting tubes look for Hansa Medium Yellow, Quinacridone Gold, Pyrrol Scarlet, Quinacridone Rose, Ultramarine Blue, Phathalo Blue Green Shade, and Burnt Sienna.
Brands I recommend are: Winsor and Newton Cotman Watercolor Tube Set, Daniel Smith Watercolor Half Pan Ultimate Mixing 15 Piece Set or, Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor Half Pans and Sets
Watercolor brushes: You can use a range of sizes and shapes; I recommend getting a size 3 and fine tip brush. You will want a high quality brush that has a fine tip and a full belly. To test this at the store: dip it in water and try it on the special board they usually have. You should be able to get a very fine line. And dip and then tap it against your wrist to see if it comes to a single point, not a split one.
Brands I recommend are: Princeton Select, Escoda Reserva Kolinsky-Tajmyr Sable, or Rosemary & Co.
Watercolor paper: 140LB, and 100% cotton. Brands I recommend are: Arches and Strathmore 400 Series.
Paint palette or ceramic plate
Water container (2)
Paper towel or rag
Pencil: HB, 2H Kneaded eraser: this kind lifts pencil marks instead of smearing them.
Ink Pen*: I recommend Pigma Micron 01.
Sketchbook
Tracing paper*
Bone folder or spoon*: this tool is used for transferring images.
Gator board or watercolor board*. You will affix your paper to the board while working on your painting. Needs to be larger than the paper you are using. If you are using a watercolor block then you will not need this item.
Artists tape or blue tape*
Masking fluid*?
*Optional items