Watercolour for Beginners

Fri 28 February Fri 28 February Fri 4 April Fri 4 April

This 6-week beginners course offers you the perfect opportunity to learn the fundamentals of working with watercolour paints. Under the guidance of Martin Swan, an accomplished artist and member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists, you’ll be introduced to the essential techniques – applying paint in thin washes, of deepening, changing and fading colour. Advice on drawing will be included as one of the basics.

You’ll learn how to paint a simple landscape. No knowledge is assumed and the tutor will guide you at every stage. Along the way, you’ll pick up valuable tips on materials etc and acquire some of the tricks of the trade.

Finally, with your new skills, you’ll paint a landscape of your own, with the tutor to guide you.

No previous knowledge is assumed and the tutor will demonstrate at every stage. 

What tools and equipment do I need?
For information on materials to bring with you please see the list below.
All will be available to purchase in the Quay Arts Shop (at 10% discounted price for course participants.)

Suitable for all, 18yrs +
Please read courses and workshops Terms & Conditions

Courses and Workshops
Terms & Conditions

BOOK TICKETS

Meet your Tutor:
My painting career started when I left university with unemployable qualifications. I spent my time in the countryside developing my skills with watercolour, painting landscapes. I found I could make a living. I later moved into painting marine subjects and changed from watercolours to oils. In 2000 I started exhibiting with the Royal Society of Marine Artists at the Mall Galleries in London. I was elected an associate member in 2003 and a full member in 2005.

I now like to paint a variety of subjects, including abstracts and portraits, and have started using watercolour again.

My work has been exhibited widely on the Island. In London, in addition to the Mall Galleries, it has been shown in The Houses of Parliament, The American Embassy, The National Maritime Museum, The RAC Club and the Bankside Gallery. Other notable venues include Portsmouth Cathedral and St Davids Hall, Cardiff and the Jonathan Grant Gallery in Auckland, New Zealand.

Mall Galleries Webpage

Materials for the course are available to buy in the Quay Arts Shop (at 10% discounted price for course participants)

PAPER WORKS

Tue 4 March Tue 4 March Tue 8 April Tue 8 April

PAPER WORKS’ is a paper arts course, exploring bookbinding, paper engineering, paper decorating and printing.

This practical course comprises six, three-hour evening workshops at the Jubilee Stores artist studios. The course is led by Kae Carlstedt-Duke who runs The Lazy Dog Press, a bookbinding and letterpress studio on the Isle of Wight. Kae has a reputation for inspirational and enthusiastic workshops for beginner and advanced students.

The workshops will cover a range of paper-based techniques: bookbinding and box making, paper folding and decoration. In addition, one of the workshops will be led by guest tutor, printmaker and artist Karen Mead who will introduce you to different effects that can be achieved with lino cutting.

The skills acquired on this course can be progressed individually or be combined in your own visual projects. These techniques also provide a taster to the future workshops held by Quay Arts.

COURSE PROGRAMME

Week 1
Japanese Paper Techniques
Two different Japanese paper art techniques, Momigami and Orizomegami, both involving paper folding and manipulation. One technique uses ink dipping to intricate, vibrant patterns and colour effects on the paper. The other crumpling or wrinkling paper to give it texture, a technique that results in a unique, soft, and often weathered appearance. Both papers can be used in many of the other workshops in this course

Week 2
Chinese thread book
This is a different take on the Chinese Thread Book which was traditionally used by women in rural areas of China, to organize and transport sewing materials and tools. We will use stencils to create our own paper designs and then use the traditional technique of folding our papers into the multiple compartments of our book

Week 3
Chine Collee
Explore this printing technique that involves adhering a thin, delicate paper onto a linocut base during the printing process to create giving the piece a rich, multi-layered look with textual and colour differences

Week 4
Box making
Flip top hinged box where the lid is connected to the main body of the box. We will make a decorative cube shape which is great as a candle gift box and you’ll have two templates sizes so that you can make more of these at home.

Week 5
Bookbinding
Two sewn book structures with exposed stitching on the spine, both methods are non-adhesive; Buttonhole Binding using a sturdy cardstock cover with visible, exposed stitching and an opening at the spine and Coptic Binding using chain stitching with heavier thread to create a decorative, textured spine.

Week 6
Monoprint Accordion
With a plexiglass plate and water-based inks we will explore a variety of mono-printing techniques to create unique images. With the resulting selection of hand-printed papers we will assemble an accordion book with pop-up inclusions.

Suitable for all, 18yrs +
Please read courses and workshops Terms & Conditions before booking

Courses and Workshops
Terms & Conditions

BOOK TICKETS

Meet your Tutor:
Kae runs a commercial bindery and letterpress studio under the name of The Lazy Dog Press where she carries out book repairs and new binding commissions. Her skills have been
developed over 25 years and she has trained in the UK, America, and Italy. As well as bookbinding, Kae is committed to keeping the art of letterpress printing alive and creates contemporary prints using traditional techniques on historical printing presses and this work has
been exhibited at home and abroad. Kae is an enthusiastic and encouraging teacher and loves passing on her skills, she teaches letterpress, bookbinding and paper themed courses on the Island.

DONATE TO QUAY ARTS

Even a little money can make a big difference at Quay Arts

Did you realise that when you buy a cup of freshly ground barista coffee in our Café Bar, you are helping to support the cultural life of the Isle of Wight?

However, the generosity of our supporters goes beyond sales of food, drink and theatre tickets. Gifts of money, time, and even specific items make a huge difference to the amount of work we can do. Together, we can continue to enrich the lives of islanders and visitors with our fantastic programme of events.