Watercolour Painting for Absolute Beginners

Participants have the option of renting a beginner kit from the instructor, which includes a selection of brushes and professional-grade watercolour pigments in a small palette.

The items below are in the optional kit you can purchase from the instructor.

Paint 

Buy artist quality paints in tubes, i.e. DaVinci, Winsor Newton, Daniel Smith and Holbein. Do not buy student quality paints like Cotman or Reeves.  Start with a warm and cool version of the primary colours. (See below). Arrange colours on a palette in a sequence similar to a colour wheel. The suggested colours are:

• Aureolin Yellow (cool)
• Indian Yellow (warm)
• Permanent Red or Scarlet Lake (warm)
• Permanent Rose or Quinacridone Rose (cool)
• Ultramarine Blue (warm)
• Cobalt Blue (mid)
• Cerulean Blue Genuine (cool)

Additional optional colours

• Raw Sienna (yellow)
• Burnt Sienna (rusty brown)
• Indigo (very dark bluish black)
• Sap Green (yellow green)
• Cobalt Turquoise Light (milky opaque turquoise)
• Quinacridone Gold
• Quinacridone Burnt Orange
• Perylene Green (very dark green)
• I do not recommend cadmium colours for beginners.

Palette  

A White palette with large wells and a lid. (Robert Wood, Stephen Quiller, Mijello etc.).    

Brushes

• synthetic watercolour brushes (gold or white taklon).
• 1" flat wash brush
• No. 3 or 4 Script or Rigger brush -long thin bristles
• Round: No. 2 or 4, 6 or 8, 10 or 12

Paper 

• newsprint or cartridge paper for practising brush strokes
• watercolour paper 100% cotton, acid-free Arches 140 lb. cold press sheets 22" x 30" or Winsor Newton, Fabriano Artistico or similar
• Cut the 22 x 30" paper into quarters.  

The items below are not part of the optional kit and are part of the required materials.

• painting boards (Plexiglas, Coroplast)
• 2 water containers 
• paper towels, Kleenex
• plastic palette knives (or old credit cards)
• masking tape
• Salt (regular and coarse)
• Spray Bottles (spritzer type)
• Toothbrush
• Drawing pencils and kneaded eraser (grey)
• Sketchbook

Optional

• Masking fluid
• Rubber Cement Pickup (for removal of masking fluid)

Mandatory Studio Safety Practices

Your health and safety is our priority. Our studio environments can have a number of objects, tools and chemicals that require personal protective equipment (PPE) or other consideration for your well-being. All persons (including faculty, staff and students) are asked to observe the following while in the shops and studios:

• Wear sturdy and appropriate shoes such as sneakers, closed leather shoes or work boots open-toed shoes, flip-flops or high heels are not allowed
• No long, dangling clothing or accessories (scarves, flowing sleeves, chains, long necklaces, etc.)
• Long hair must be tied back
• No bare skin if exposure to chemicals or tools/machinery is likely
• Appropriate PPE is mandatory when operating tools and equipment within the studios.
• Please consult with the faculty or studio technician to determine the appropriate PPE required for specific machines and studio processes.
  

Fit tests are required for courses requiring a respirator as noted on your material list. Arrangements will be made on-site. As these are mandatory safety practices, we will follow up directly with students who may have oversighted the above. Individuals may be asked to address any concerns before continuing to work in the studio. Be sure to buy appropriate, good-quality safety articles and equipment, i.e. safety boots, protective eyewear, hearing protection, work gloves, x-acto knives, etc. - ask your supplier for advice.