Paint St Ives Harbour in Watercolour - without leaving home

Water-based / Watercolour / Landscape

We haven’t scheduled this course yet. Please email us to register your interest for future availability.

Register Interest

Course details

Learn how to use watercolour to paint a harbour scene with artist David Webb in this live webinar. Learn to look at a scene with an artist’s eye and choose which elements are important and which can be left out.

David will show you how to create vibrant paintings with a limited palette, how to work from light to dark by building up your painting in loose transparent washes. The webinar will include demonstrations of several techniques including painting wet-on-dry, wet-into-wet and mixing your colours on the paper surface.

Learn how to compose your picture, using sketches and tonal studies, before beginning your painting. With watercolour, it pays to have a plan and these preparations help to achieve a successful outcome.

You can watch the session live and paint along with David or watch later. We send you a recording so you can watch again on demand as many times as you like for up to one month after. This way you can pause a scene, rewind and finish your painting.

Once you have booked a session, you will receive a link on the morning of the broadcast. All you need to do is follow the link. You will also be invited to join our Facebook Alumni group so you can share your discoveries with our community of fellow students from around the world.

How does an online session work?

Once you have booked, we will send you a link 30 minutes before the session starts so you can join us live. All you need to do is follow the link ten minutes before the start time. You can watch this on a PC, laptop or tablet and if you have chromecast or miracast you could even cast to your SmartTV from your phone.

You can put questions to the tutor using the chat function during the session. The sessions are recorded and you will be able to watch again at your leisure as many times as you want for up to 1 month. You will also be invited to join our Facebook Alumni group so you can share your discoveries with fellow students from around the world.

What will I learn?

How to compose your painting
The importance of tonal values
Joining shapes of similar tone
Colour mixing in watercolour
Painting with a limited palette
How to build up clean, transparent washes
Painting techniques, such as: wet-on-dry, wet-into-wet and dry brush
Judging the correct ratio of paint to water

The importance of hard and soft edges

Paint St Ives Harbour in Watercolour – without leaving home

Water-based / Watercolour / Landscape

We haven’t scheduled this course yet. Please email us to register your interest for future availability.

Register Interest

Who is this course for?

This webinar will provide an insight into David’s working methods and will be suitable for beginners and improvers alike, as he explains each step along the way. He is a great believer in demonstrating the techniques he has learned over many years and also pointing out some of the common mistakes that can be avoided.

Taught by

David
Webb

View David’s Work

My teaching involves drawing, composition, understanding the importance of tonal values and the techniques required to paint successfully with watercolour. As its name implies, watercolour is a very fluid medium. It is transparent and relies on the whiteness of the paper to shine through a series of washes built up from light to dark.

What to Bring

If you would like to join in live you will need 2b-4b pencils for sketching, watercolour paints, brushes, mixing palette with 5 or 6 large wells and heavy watercolour paper.

Suggested colours: Cobalt Blue, Burnt Sienna, Alizarin Crimson, Lemon Yellow, Indian Yellow, Raw Sienna and Sepia or Black for monochrome sketches

You will need access to the internet and ideally a PC, laptop or a tablet with audio. Phones are not really suitable to watch a webinar on, unless you can cast to your Smart TV, as the presenter will be hard to see when they share their screen with you .

Timings and Breaks

We will start teaching at 10.30am and work for 2.5 hours with a short break.

We will pause for questions at different points during the session; you can pose questions to the artist using the chat function.

We will be sending you a recording of the session so you can revisit as often as you like for up to a month after broadcast.

What our students say

David was absolutely brilliant – the techniques were so easy to follow – I just need to practice practice practice!

Claire Thorburn

I really enjoyed the session, David is a great tutor as well as watercolourist.

Dianne Van Staeyen

FAQs

Art Courses

Do I need any previous art experience?

Not always. We offer courses for all levels, including complete beginners, intermediate students and more experienced artists. You can look for the experience level listed on the individual course page to find the most suitable option for you. If you need any guidance on what course might suit you best, contact on our friendly team on 01736 797180 and they will be able to help.

In Person Courses

How large are your art classes?

Our studio courses are taught in small groups of around 10 to 12 people, allowing tutors to provide individual guidance alongside group demonstrations and discussions.

What is included in an art course?

Course fees include professional tuition from a practising artist and use of the School’s studio facilities. Materials and equipment are all included in our in person courses, workshops and life drawing sessions – so you can just turn up and get started. Teas and coffees are also provided throughout the day.

Can I attend an art course on my own?

Absolutely. Many students come to St Ives School of Painting independently. Courses offer a welcoming and sociable environment, with plenty of opportunities to meet other people who share an interest in making and learning.

How do I choose the right art course?

Start by considering how you would like to work. You may want to learn a particular medium, improve a skill such as drawing or colour mixing, explore a subject such as landscape or still life, or develop a more personal approach. Each course page explains the content, materials, level and teaching approach to help you decide. Our friendly, helpful team are always available to help further.

Please call us on 01736 797180 to discuss your options or email [email protected].

How do I get my work home?

Tutors have special techniques for transporting oil paintings and for our 3 day courses we will give you a plastic folder with a handle. These are also available to purchase for £3.50 or do bring a portfolio.

Please note: For the course Bigger, Bolder, Braver with Boo Mallinson, we will provide a large A1 size plastic folder for your work but please consider how you will be able to transport the larger canvases home safely before signing up for the course as we will not be able to store large paintings in the studio. On this course you will be painting on a 50cms x 50cms and a 1m x 1m canvas alongside smaller pieces.

For international students we are happy to arrange transportation of your work back home, postal costs will be borne by you.

What do I need to bring?

You don’t need to bring anything with you unless we specify beforehand. All materials, aprons and tools are provided, however some people do like to bring along their favourite set of brushes or sketchbooks.

What do I do for lunch?

Courses allow an hour’s break for lunch and there are numerous places nearby or you are welcome to bring a packed lunch into the studio.

What times do courses run?

Most of our courses start at 10am and end at 4.30pm on the first day. Subsequent days we start at 9.30am ending at 4pm.

Short workshops start at 10am in the Summer and 9.30am/ 1.30pm during September festival


Can I bring my dog?

The studios are busy places with lots of equipment and not suitable for bringing a pet dog. We can accommodate assistance dogs with prior notice so we can make suitable adjustments. If you wish to bring an assistance dog please call 01736 797180 or email [email protected]

Choosing an Art Course

Do you run life drawing classes in St Ives?

Yes. We hold regular life drawing sessions in St Ives, including Thursday evening and Saturday morning classes. These welcoming, tutored sessions are open to a range of experience levels and provide an opportunity to practise drawing from a life model. Our life drawing sessions are held just a 5 minute walk from our studios at The Island Centre.

Do you offer art courses for adults?

Yes. We run art classes and courses for adults throughout the year, from accessible introductory workshops to more intensive courses for people looking to deepen their creative practice.

What types of painting can I learn?

Our courses cover a wide range of approaches, including oil painting, acrylic painting, watercolour, gouache, landscape painting, still life, portraiture and abstraction. We also offer courses exploring colour, composition, mark-making and creative confidence.

You might also like...