Dates: 28 October – 4 November 2023
Teacher: Tony White
Title: Simple Strong and Striking
Content: Watercolour
Programme: Daily morning workshops of 3 hours
Suitability: All levels
Excursions and extras: Visit to waterfall, beach picnic, village visit
Food: Three meals a day.
Itinerary: Arrive Savusavu Satuday. Course starts morning Sunday, ends evening Friday. Depart Savusavu Saturday morning.

Materials: A list of materials to be purchased for the course is given below.

I’ll show you my way of simplifying a scene and stripping it back to its bare essentials ensuring we capture the most important elements of Strong light and atmosphere.

My painting style is loose, impressionistic and light-driven. The approach I take is to use the medium to its full advantage and exploit its unique characteristics. Watercolour does things that no other medium can do. Let’s push those things. Let’s push the light. Let’s simplify the scene and break it down into its important elements. Let’s not obsess with detail. Let’s create some cracking art!

I cater to all levels of competency. Watercolours often daunt beginners but with my relaxed, fun approach to teaching and relaying knowledge, they always LOVE my workshops because I focus on alleviating the pressure that they put on themselves when starting in WC. We’ll be producing 2 completed works per day. I’ll demonstrate the scene in sections, to ensure the process is broken down for easy reference. Students paint each section after I’ve completed the section first. All the while, I don’t stand still. I am always over shoulders helping and guiding where needed. While the painting is the primary, FUN is mandatory. I will ensure this workshop be a memorable one for reasons of learning AND having a damn good time!

This Materials List is merely a GUIDE based on what I use. Please don’t spend up unnecessarily, we’ll make whatever you have work. The ONLY thing I’d fuss over is the paper.

Paper:

I mostly use Baohong Medium but  Saunders OR Arches, Rough 300gsm would be great also. This is the only thing I am pedantic about, quality-wise. You will not get good results with bad paper

We will paint on quarter sheets so we can get a couple done each day. You can either buy the paper in Blocks, pads or the most economical way is in full sheets, then cut into quarters. An Advantage of a block is that it negates the need for a backing board. Remember to BRING ENOUGH! Plan for a couple per day.

Brushes:  Mops, Fans, Rounds, Hakes, Flats, Riggers.  Variety of sizes, but leave the really little ones at home.

My Typical Brush wallet consists of a Bamboo Sable calligraphy brush, a small synthetic mop, a white taklon round pointy brush (escoda Perla are great Size 10-12), a flat, soft synthetic brush from Officeworks, a rigger of some sort, an old rubbishy brush that you can abuse for tree-foliage and things and a Soft, squirrel Dagger (really good for branches and stuff).

Colours:

Brand-wise, I use Schmincke and Daniel Smith. They are fantastic quality but once again, you don’t have to go and spend up big. Anything you have already, we will work with and if you’re on a budget, Cotman student-grade paints do a great job.  Just remember to BRING ENOUGH!!

My Colour palette for this trip is as follows

Neutral Tint

Maroon Brown (or Burnt Sienna)

Transparent (or Cadmium) Orange

Hansa Yellow light

Raw Sienna

Carmine (or Alizarin Crimson)

Scarlet Red (or just a BRIGHT red)

Ultramarine Blue

Cobalt Blue

Mountain Blue (cerulean)

Turquiose

Carbazole Violet

Lavender (Holbein)

Titanium White Watercolour OR Gouache

It is really important to set up comfortably as you would at home or when you’re out and about. Design your luggage around this and pack the bare essentials. There is no need for every single tube of paint that you own and every massive toolbox that has all of the art supplies you’ve ever bought. Stick to this list and you’ll be right. BE COMFY!

A light-weight easel and chair (there are chairs available at Daku)

Notebook or sketchbook, pencil and eraser

Water container

A small dish sponge for removing excess moisture from brush

Tissues

Spray Bottle

Old credit card or keycard . Something to scrape with if needed.

Masking tape or bulldog clips for your backing board (whatever your preference is)

Enthusiasm and willingness to have a great time (NOT negotiable).

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