Feel inspired by the unique language of watercolours as Tanya Baily guides your discovery of the medium with structured lessons full of demonstrations and exercises. Whether sketching quickly or creating more sustained pieces, feel supported in finding your rhythm and artistic style. Learn how to mix colours, organise your palette and preserve the light and vibrancy in your work. From wet washes to glazing and dry brush techniques, this course provides students with the opportunity to build a strong technical understanding of watercolour painting.

Tanya shares her wealth of knowledge of not only the application of watercolour paints but the tools, materials and studio systems that set students up for success.

Tanya’s instruction is delivered alongside engaging and visually stimulating subject matter, including still life, landscape and the human figure. Students will be introduced to techniques both past and contemporary, with reference to watercolour artists from history to the present.

Tanya explores watercolour techniques through a different theme or subject each term. The course has been developed to allow beginners to develop essential skills, while experienced artists broaden and extend their practice. For example, a term may have a theme such as Reflective Objects: Shine and glass and reflections in the landscape.

Through this course, students will gain confidence in the application and manipulation watercolour paints. You will build foundational knowledge of paper properties, palette building and brush selection, discovering how these elements work together to support expressive and intentional watercolour practice.

Please note: There will be no class 14 June due to the King's Birthday Long Weekend

*NAS Short Courses are open to students of ages 16 years and over. The NAS Art Club is open to students between 15 - 17 years old.

*Drawing and painting short courses may be held in upstairs studios. If access to stairs is not suitable, please contact NAS Short Courses Administration at short.courses@nas.edu.au

*What to bring? Please refer to the list of required materials in the Art Materials field below.

Students must supply their own art materials, please refer to the list below.

Enclosed footwear is essential in all studios on campus.

Basic materials

• Good quantity of high-quality watercolour paper, approx. A4 size or A3 size preferable – Arches 300gsm loose sheets divided up yourself is the ideal paper
• Watercolour pan palette(s)
• 2 clean jars or containers
• Soft pencil, eraser, ruler, masking tape
• Sketchbook or paper for drawing up composition plans
• Box of tissues

Watercolour paints

Buy quality paints such as Winsor & Newton, Art Spectrum, Daniel Smith, Schmincke or Old Holland. Below is a basic palette idea (with a cool and warm of each primary colour):

• Raw sienna
• Lemon yellow
• Windsor red (or cadmium)
• Alizarin crimson
• Prussian blue
• Ultramarine blue

Brushes

Soft-haired watercolour brushes, for example number 8, 10, 12 (e.g. Roymac revolution taklon round 10 or 8 / Artworks squirrel 2)

or

1 soft-haired watercolour brush 1 inch wash brush (flat) – for laying down washes (e.g. Francheville Ox Hair 5/8 Wash brush or Neef 3/4 camel hair wash/mop brush)

Note: These brands are example brushes however you can also bring any other watercolour brushes you have.

Optional extra materials (not for the first class)

• Masking fluid
• Inks and ink pen
• Watercolour sponge
• Loose sheets of thick cartridge paper for ink drawings
• Larger brushes

Optional: small hair dryer