Beginning Watercolor for Adults

Watercolor has a reputation for being a difficult medium to master and our Beginning Watercolors for Adults course is designed to debunk that myth!  Yes, it can be finicky, but with a little patience, you too can learn how to paint beautiful watercolor paintings.  

Students will be introduced to different watercolor techniques including utilizing different papers and mediums, water-to-paint ratios, hard and soft edges, and preserving paper-white highlights.  The first class of the term will review supplies and some basic techniques. If you have never painted with watercolors, it is important that you attend the first day of class.  

This course is open to continuing students as well as new students.  If you are new to watercolor, please let the process unfold. You may feel intimated in the beginning, but we work hard to meet your individual needs. Our lessons are designed to teach you the basic skills that will help you achieve success. 

In addition to our in-class support, we have an active, closed Facebook group. Once you are a registered student, you may join our FB group. You’ll see other students posting their work and you are encouraged to post your own.

This class is held at our South Salt Lake Location.

Instructor: Barbara Kidd

Supply List:

Paper:
One pad of good “student grade” watercolor paper.

Recommended paper:
Bee Paper Watercolor Artist Studio Pad 9 x 12 in. This paper is inexpensive and can be
purchased online or at Walmart.
At least one sheet of Arches #140 cold press (torn into sheets of 11x15” or less). You
will need this later in the course. You can purchase a single sheet at Blick’s on 2100
south, SLC. They keep the paper in a draw so you may need to ask for assistance.

Sketchbook:
A watercolor or multi-media sketchbook is highly recommended, but not required. We
will discuss the advantages of a sketchbook in class.

Paint:
If you are undecided about your commitment to watercolors, you can purchase a Prang
or Crayola watercolor set. These sets are inexpensive but have great color intensity. DO
NOT purchase a similar yet different brand.
If you would like to jump in and purchase higher quality paints, tubes made by Utrecht,
Blick’s, Winsor & Newton, and Daniel Smith are recommended as they are professional
paints. Winton and Van Gogh are acceptable but are considered student paints. Artist’s
Loft paints are not acceptable.
Some students have watercolors in “pans”. These are dried colors that are already preloaded in a palette. These are acceptable (if they are from a reliable brand) but you may
need to supplement with some tube paints. Again, Artist loft “pans” are not acceptable.

The following colors are suggested (you will probably buy more later)

Lemon yellow

Cad yellow light or medium

Yellow ochre

Cad red light
A

lizarin crimson

Ultramarine blue

Prussian blue

Hooker’s green

Burnt sienna

Brushes: One medium (#8) and one large (#12 or 14) round brush.

Optional: one #4. I
prefer Escoda Perla Torey white synthetic rounds. These can be ordered online.

One 1-
inch flat brush such as s Richeson Quiller 7010 flat.

Palette: Something to mix your paints on. I recommend Mijello Fusion airtight
watercolor palette (18 wells) or John Pike 10.5 x 15” watercolor palette.

Other items:
Pencils: #2B pencils are fine. #4H pencils are good for detail work.

Erasers: A grey, kneaded eraser.

Paper towels: VIVA or blue paper towels are great, but any work well

Tape: Masking tape to tape down paper. White or cream colors are preferred.

Cotton rags may be used instead of paper towels

Board: Something to tape your paper on to. No need to purchase an expensive drawing
board. Plexiglass, MDF board, Sintra boards (google it!), or gatorboards all work

A carry tote or box
Easel: Something that will give you a slant. We can discuss this in class. Do not
purchase a table easel before class. 

Minimum Enrollments and Refunds:

We need a minimum of 5 participants to be able to provide the class. If we don't reach our minimum enrollment, we may need to cancel the class. The best way to ensure your class goes on is to get your friends to join in on the fun!

This class is eligible for students to drop-in or use Flex Passes.

If you are unable to attend the class, we are able to process refunds up to 2 weeks before the first day of class. After that date, we can either transfer you into a different class or offer you a credit towards your account up to the first day of class.

Please contact our office if you have any questions.