Watercolour: still life
Weekend-long practical course
7 July 2018 10.30am - 5.30pm8 July 2018 10.30am - 5.30pm
The Life Room, Royal Academy Schools
£420. Includes all materials, lunch, and a wine reception.
Terms and conditions
Led by watercolour artist Sarah Holliday and working with still-life objects, this weekend-long intensive course will explore various techniques and possibilities presented by watercolour, a wonderfully versatile medium.
It could be said that the use of watercolour paint is the original medium for painting. At its most basic, it is ground pigment mixed with water and a binding material, and would have been used in this form to create images on cave walls. Although the chemistry has been refined significantly since then, the components are still much the same: pigment, binder and water.
This weekend-long course explores the diverse methods, tools and techniques that can be used for watercolour painting, exploring the versatility of the medium under the expert guidance of Sarah Holliday. Participants are encouraged to develop their own ideas and themes and explore the range of possibilities that watercolours present, working from a central still life arrangement.
Watercolour is best known for its transparent properties, allowing layers to be built up, creating a luminosity which to some extent defines the medium. This classic painting technique was perfected in England during the 18th and 19th centuries, at which point watercolour was applied in a series of transparent washes that allowed light to be reflected from the surface of the paper through layers of colour. This technique gives watercolour its unique glow. However, watercolour can also be made opaque by mixing with a whiting and in this form is known as body colour, or gouache. This option allows for a greater flexibility in the application of the paint.
In 1768, when the Royal Academy was founded, watercolour was much practised in the topographical manner, and as a way of making preliminary studies. It took artists such as Paul Sandby, often called the "father of the English watercolour", Thomas Girtin, and J.M.W. Turner to move the medium into a means of expression beyond just studies.
Still-life painting as a genre developed in the 16th and 17th centuries with artists such as Juan Sánchez Cotán and the Netherlandish School. Their paintings ranged from flamboyant arrangements of exotic fruits and vegetables, to one or two closely studied objects. They were always beautifully composed and immaculately painted. More recently, still life has been painted by artists such as Van Gogh, Matisse and Braque, but it took painters such as Cézanne and Morandi to explore the subject fully using watercolour.
During this weekend-long practical course, using still-life arrangements in the RA Schools’ Life Room, participants will be introduced to the exciting possibilities of the medium of watercolour, learning about the materials and the different painting techniques.
About the course
This weekend-long course will explore the methods, tools and techniques used within the art of watercolour painting. Participants will explore the versatility of the medium through the practical application of techniques initially introduced by Sarah Holliday RWS.
Participants will be encouraged to develop ideas and themes to explore the various possibilities that watercolours present, working from a central still life arrangement.
The opportunity for informal discussion and one-on-one feedback with the tutor will run throughout the weekend.
This course is suitable for all levels, preferably with some prior experience of drawing, painting or creative practice.
This course is for you if:
• You have some prior knowledge of drawing and/or painting and would like to extend your skills into the practice of watercolour painting
• You would like a new perspective in your approach to still-life painting
• You would like the opportunity to develop your skills and ideas in a small group setting and in the historical setting of the Royal Academy’s Life Room
Minimum age 18
The number of participants is strictly limited to enable detailed feedback from the course tutor.
Price: £420
Saturday 7 – Sunday 8 July 2018
10.30am – 5.30pm on both days
Includes:
• An introduction to the medium of watercolour and the genre of still life painting with reference to works from the RA's Collection
• Exclusive access to the RA Schools' historic life drawing room
• All practical materials and equipment
• Light refreshments and lunch each day
• A drinks reception at the end of the first day
• A certificate of participation upon course completion
About the tutor
Sarah Holliday RWS
Sarah Holliday RWS studied painting with watercolour with Charles Bartlett and Leslie Worth, both past Presidents of the Royal Watercolour Society, and dedicated masters of the medium. She was elected an associate of the RWS in 1993, and a Fellow in 1996. She was represented by the Curwen Gallery, London, and has works in private and corporate collections in the UK and abroad, including Babcock & Brown Ltd, The Inner Temple, BP Amoco and General Medical Council. She is a very experienced teacher, and was an Art Expert on the popular Channel Four series, Watercolour Challenge.
About the space
The Life Room
The Royal Academy’s historic Life Room sits at the heart of the RA Schools. Usually closed to the public, this unique and significant space was designed in the 1860s, when the galleries and art school first moved to Burlington Gardens.
The semi-circular seating arrangement, based on an ancient design, traces its British history back to Hogarth’s Academy in St Martin’s Lane, c.1730. Directional light is used to enhance the delineation of the model’s musculature and aid life drawing, which has been practised in this room by generations of Royal Academy artists and students.
Our courses and classes programme
Our programme of short courses and classes offers the opportunity to explore a range of subjects, led by expert tutors and practising artists.