The Magic of Watercolours: A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started

Watercolour painting is often described as one of the most magical and versatile mediums in the art world. Its fluidity, transparency, and unpredictability make it both challenging and deeply rewarding. If you’ve ever wanted to try watercolours but didn’t know where to start, this blog is for you.

Why Watercolours?
Watercolours are perfect for capturing the delicate beauty of nature, from flowing rivers to soft, blooming flowers. They are also highly portable, making them ideal for plein air painting or quick sketches on the go.

Watercolour painting thrives on unpredictability. Unlike oils or acrylics, which rely on control and layering, watercolours embrace an element of chance, rewarding artists who allow the pigments and water to flow organically. In a recent session, I encouraged my students to let go of rigid expectations and embrace the fluid nature of the medium, creating luminous, delicate effects.

Embracing the Flow

One of the fundamental joys of watercolour is its ability to flow and blend in unexpected ways. Instead of fighting the medium, I urged my students to work with it—tilting their papers, adding splashes of water, and letting pigments merge naturally. By relinquishing control, they discovered that even so-called mistakes could lead to breathtaking textures and colour variations.

We also explored wet-on-wet techniques, allowing soft edges to form and create atmospheric depth. The key takeaway? Watercolour rewards patience and intuition, encouraging artists to work in harmony with its spontaneous character.

 In my Watercolour for Beginners Course, I covered a range of essential topics to help new artists get started with confidence. Here’s a breakdown of what we explored:

Getting Started: Essential Supplies

• Paints: Start with a basic set of student-grade watercolours. Look for tubes or pans in primary colours (red, blue, yellow) to mix your own shades.

• Brushes: A round brush (size 6 or 8) and a flat brush are great for beginners.

• Paper: Use watercolour paper (140lb/300gsm) to prevent warping. Cold-pressed paper has a nice texture for most techniques.

• Palette: A simple plastic palette with wells for mixing colours will do.

Basic Techniques to Try

• Wet-on-Wet: Apply water to the paper first, then add paint for soft, blended effects.

• Wet-on-Dry: Paint directly onto dry paper for sharper, more controlled lines.

• Layering: Build up colours gradually by letting each layer dry before adding the next.

Watercolour painting is a journey, and every brushstroke brings you closer to mastering this beautiful medium. So, grab your supplies, and let’s get painting!

A Milestone Moment: Hosting My First Fully Tutored Portrait Class

Hosting my first fully tutored portrait class was an unforgettable experience—a blend of excitement, creativity, and shared learning. It was a day filled with discovery, as we explored the art of portraiture through a mix of working from photographs and a live model. The result? A room buzzing with focus, inspiration, and the joy of artistic growth.

The Concept: Blending Photography and Life

Portraiture is one of the most challenging yet rewarding forms of art. Capturing the essence of a person requires not only technical skill but also an understanding of emotion, expression, and individuality. For this class, I wanted to offer participants the best of both worlds: the precision of working from photographs and the dynamic energy of drawing from life.

We began with photographs, allowing participants to study facial features, proportions, and lighting in a controlled setting. Then, we transitioned to a live model, where the challenge shifted to capturing the subtle shifts in expression, posture, and personality that only a real-life subject can provide.

The Session: A Journey into Portraiture 

Part 1: Working from Photographs

Tutured Portrait Workshop in Manchester

The class started with an introduction to the fundamentals of portraiture. We discussed proportions, the importance of measuring, and how to map out the key features of the face. Participants were given high-quality photographs to work from, which allowed them to focus on technique without the added pressure of a moving subject.

I guided the group through the initial stages of sketching, emphasising the importance of light and shadow in creating depth and dimension. Using graphite pencils, we experimented with different textures and shading techniques to bring the portraits to life.

 Part 2: Drawing from Life

After building confidence with photographs, we moved on to the live model portion of the class. This was where the real magic happened. Drawing from life introduced a new layer of complexity, as participants had to adapt to the model’s movements, changing angles, and fleeting expressions.

The live model brought a sense of energy and immediacy to the room. I encouraged participants to focus on capturing the essence of the person—their personality, mood, and unique features—rather than getting caught up in perfect details. This shift in perspective led to some truly expressive and heartfelt portraits.

The Results: Portraits Full of Personality

By the end of the session, the room was filled with stunning portraits, each one unique and full of character. Some were highly detailed and realistic, while others were more expressive and impressionistic. What united them all was the sense of connection and emotion that each artist had captured.

Hosting my first fully tutored portrait class was a milestone I’ll always cherish. It was incredible to see how much progress everyone made in just a few hours, and how each artist brought their own style and vision to the table.

This class reminded me why I love teaching art: it’s not just about technique, but about fostering creativity, building confidence, and creating a space where people can connect and grow. 

Join Us for the Next Chapter

If you missed this session, don’t worry—there are plenty more to come! Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, my portrait classes are designed to help you explore, experiment, and elevate your skills. Stay tuned for upcoming workshops, and let’s continue this artistic journey together.

 

Sketching Stories: Life Drawing Inspired by Lowry & Romeo and Juliet

Life drawing is often about capturing the essence of the human form, but it becomes even more exciting when infused with a specific theme. Recently, I held two very different life drawing sessions—one inspired by L.S. Lowry’s distinctive figures and the other by the timeless tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Both offered unique challenges and creative insights, proving that life drawing can be as much about storytelling as it is about anatomy.

A Lowry-Inspired Life Drawing Class

L.S. Lowry, famous for his ‘matchstick men’ and industrial landscapes, isn’t an artist typically associated with life drawing. However, a class dedicated to his style was an intriguing departure from traditional figure studies. The emphasis here wasn’t on anatomical perfection but on character, posture, and movement.

The model was instructed to hold dynamic, everyday poses—walking, chatting, or standing in contemplative stances, evoking the bustling scenes of Lowry’s cityscapes. Instead of striving for realistic proportions, we focused on exaggerating limbs and simplifying facial features, mimicking Lowry’s signature figures. The challenge lay in capturing emotion and interaction rather than fine detail. Using charcoal and soft pencils, I encouraged participants to embrace the loose, sketchy quality of Lowry’s work, creating figures that seemed to belong to a bustling industrial town. The experience was liberating—proof that life drawing doesn’t always have to be about rigid accuracy but can thrive on energy and expression.

Drawing Passion and Tragedy: A Romeo and Juliet Session

The second session transported us into the world of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, focusing on drama, romance, and movement. The model posed in ways that evoked scenes of love, despair, and longing. Soft drapery and candlelit shadows enhanced the theatrical atmosphere, making every sketch feel like a moment frozen in time.

Here, the emphasis was on storytelling through gesture and composition. How do you depict tension in a glance? How does body language convey forbidden love? The model enacted key moments—the balcony scene, the lovers’ embrace, and even their tragic demise. Using a mix of sanguine chalk and ink washes, participants captured the emotional weight of each pose.

These two sessions highlighted the versatility of life drawing and the power of artistic storytelling. The Lowry-inspired session reminded us that figures don’t need to be hyper-realistic to convey life and movement, while the Romeo and Juliet session reinforced how body language alone can tell a compelling story. Whether capturing industrial scenes or tragic romance, both approaches pushed us to think beyond anatomy and embrace the emotions behind the figures.

Have you ever taken part in a themed life drawing class? If not, I highly recommend it—it might just change the way you see the human form.

Embracing Movement and Form: A Rubens-Inspired Life Drawing Class

Life drawing is often about capturing the human form with precision, but sometimes, it becomes a celebration of movement, energy, and drama. Recently, I hosted a life drawing session inspired by the Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens, whose work is renowned for its dynamic compositions, rich textures, and voluptuous figures. This session challenged artists to embrace a more fluid, expressive approach to drawing, focusing on the dramatic interplay of light, shadow, and form

Exploring the Rubenesque Aesthetic

Rubens’ figures are celebrated for their vitality, fullness, and sense of motion. Unlike the rigid classical approach, his work pulses with life, often depicting figures in dramatic action, intertwined in complex, dynamic compositions. To reflect this, our session focused on capturing the energy and weight of the human body rather than strict anatomical accuracy.

The model took on powerful, twisting poses reminiscent of Rubens’ mythological and historical scenes. Instead of static stances, they moved through sequences, allowing artists to sketch flowing gestures that conveyed a sense of motion. We emphasised exaggerated curves, expressive limbs, and rich tonal contrasts to create depth and physicality, mirroring the grandeur of Rubens’ art.

Mastering Light, Shadow, and Drama

One of Rubens’ defining features is his masterful use of chiaroscuro—the dramatic interplay of light and dark—to create volume and movement. To replicate this, we used strong directional lighting, casting deep shadows and highlighting muscles and skin folds in a sculptural manner.

Participants worked with charcoal, sanguine, and sepia tones to enhance the warmth and drama of the figure. Participants started with bold, sweeping strokes, layering and building up their drawings before refining the details. This workshop allowed artists to focus on the essence of the pose, embracing the richness of form rather than getting bogged down by perfectionism. Many found this liberating, as it shifted the focus from precision to expression.

The Results: Drawings Full of Life

By the end of the session, the room was filled with drawings that felt alive, bursting with energy and drama. Each piece captured the dynamic spirit of Rubens’ work, from the fluidity of the poses to the dramatic contrasts of light and shadow.

 This Rubens-inspired life drawing class was a reminder that art is as much about storytelling and emotion as it is about technical skill. By embracing the grandeur and movement of Rubens’ work, we pushed beyond static figures into a realm of dynamic composition and expressive form.

If you’ve never drawn inspiration from Baroque art, I highly recommend exploring it. There’s something truly invigorating about letting go of strict realism in favour of movement, expression, and bold artistry. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or a beginner, stepping into the world of Rubens can open new creative possibilities and breathe life into your work.

Join Us for More Artistic Adventures
Inspired by this session? Stay tuned for more themed life drawing classes that explore the works of other great artists and movements. Let’s continue to push boundaries, embrace creativity, and celebrate the beauty of the human form together.

 Bee Creative Studio
Where Art Meets Inspiration