Workshop materials

Every now and then you will be sent out a workshop required materials list only to discover when you get there that it is very out of date to what the tutor is currently using.  This happens when a tutor has been with the same organization for many years and has forgotten to give them an updated list to distribute to new attendees.  For this reason, try to check with recent past students of this tutor if they found the list they received was up to date.

For watercolor painting it is very important to have the right paper, paints and good brushes. Quite often you will have the colors the tutor has or one that can be a useful substitute e.g. if the tutor recommends Winsor and Newton Aureolin (a cool yellow) then you could replace it with another cool yellow if you have one.  If you tutor paints with very big brushes and you have tiny ones you will have trouble painting  his work, if your watercolor paper is of poor quality  (some I have seen acts just like blotting paper because they had so little sizing) you’ll have a great deal of difficulty.

Reference images

Check whether or not you are supposed to bring some of your own reference material or if the tutor is going to supply everything.  If the tutor wants you to bring some of your own it’s well worth your while to do so. Again past students may be able to help with this.

Workshop paintings

When working on your workshop paintings keep an eye on how your own work is going.  You should not get concerned if other students work is better than yours. Attendees at watercolor workshops have very different experience levels and usually there are always some people better at watercolor painting than you and some that are worse – if not for all the paintings done, then at least for some.

Remember, it’s not the quality of the work you produce during the workshop that counts but the amount you learn that will allow you to produce improved work after it’s over.

Continue to: Watercolor workshops how to tackle one: part 4