Watercolor Workshops for Beginners (2 session workshop)

Workshop 1: Life by the Lake Landscape

Objective: Explore simple landscape composition and layering depth using light-to-dark methods

This beginner-friendly watercolor workshop invites you to paint a tranquil lakeside scene featuring a duck gliding through water, surrounded by grasses, wildflowers and shrubs. Students will learn essential watercolor techniques such as wet-on-wet, layering transparent washes, creating soft textures, and capturing reflections on water. We’ll focus on how to represent the movement and harmony of natural elements, like rippling water, delicate shrubs, and the gentle presence of wildlife. This class is both relaxing and imaginative, offering a fun way to build painting skills while connecting with the richness of nature through art.

Techniques Introduced:

• Flat wash for sky
• Layering distant background
• Wet-on-wet for water reflections
• Dry brush for texture
• Negative painting for highlights to define shape

Workshop 2: Trees and Field Landscape

Objective: Layered trees and field scene with movement and texture

This class focuses on constructing a dynamic landscape composition using layered washes and dry-brush techniques to depict trees and open fields. Students will learn how to create depth through tonal value shifts, atmospheric perspective, and edge variation. Emphasis will be placed on capturing natural movement with controlled brushwork and texture with thin sharpies. Ideal for artists looking to refine their landscape painting skills and explore expressive mark-making in watercolor.

Techniques Introduced:

• Dry brush & lifting for grass and bark textures
• Splatter or sponge texture for trees
• Layering or Glazing for depth