In this week's class we will be taking inspiration from cactus gardens and botanical hot houses. Cactus plants offer an exciting opportunity to explore texture, colour and scale. In this class we will look at the Australian painter Cressida Campbell for ideas on how to layer our paintings to make playful work.
Katie will be demonstrating live on camera so you can follow along - all classes are beginner friendly but also great for anyone wanting to take a looser approach to their watercolour paintings.
About Katie's Classes...
Katie is an illustrator and designer with 10 years of experience teaching painting. Her classes aim to offer playful techniques and a light hearted approach to help you build confidence and learn how to put your own stamp on your watercolour paintings.
She teaches every Wednesday online following new themes each week. For more information see her website.
Materials list...
For this virtual class you will need the following materials:
- A set of decent paint brushes.
- Watercolour Paper (at least 280gsm thickness, A4 or larger is best)
- A watercolour tin set, or a set of paint tubes.
- A water glass and some kitchen roll or toilet roll
Katie's notes on Materials:
Please try to shop locally if possible and support small businesses ! Many local art shops do delivery too.
Some links to materials I recommend:
Paper: Its very important to have watercolour paper. I use Daler Rowney Aquarelle paper in an a3 jumbo pad, but you can get smaller pads- it has a good texture and holds a decent amount of water.
Paints - I use a set called Schmincke Horadam which I would recommend only for people wanting to really dedicate time to their painting - they are very, very expensive but the pigment is the best! Windsor and Newton offer a much more affordable but good quality sets. Their Cotman travel set is a good starting place. You can also get some good pigments using tubed watercolours such as these by Artistik
Brushes: Your brush collection will grow over time when you figure out the shapes and styles you like. I recommend a brand called Da Vinci 's Nova range to start with. Try to get a selection of rounded brushes with a good point and some larger flat headed brushes.
Images below:
Cresida Campbell, Cactii garden,198
Cresida Campbell, Cactii garden, Cactii, Botanic Gardens, Adelaide, 198
Cesar Manrique Cactus Garden in Lanzarote
Cesar Manrique Cactus Garden in Lanzarote
