This watercolour course provides a rich and complete painting experience, working from photographic references. Suitable for both beginners and experienced artists who want to improve their skills in painting and sketching after travelling.

Over six classes, you'll explore a variety of urban landscapes, incorporating the warm, earthy tones and ornate features of the timeless architecture, to movement filled areas where people gather. The sense of life and energy of Europe will be highlighted by the intricate stonework and decorative elements of classical architecture. For anyone not having been overseas, think of the historic buildings in Australia and magnify greatly the scale, detail and grandeur.

Each class will focus on a different and interesting aspect of buildings and more within the urban environment. We will capture the charm, the history, and atmosphere of each location using a combination of loose, fluid brushstrokes and precise architectural elements.

You will learn various painting and drawing techniques using a variety of mediums – pen & wash, watercolour & watercolour pencils. And sometimes we will use a light-box for the outline shapes, to allow accuracy without the angst of drawing from scratch (after all, this is primarily a watercolour course!).

Classes include:

1. PERSPECTIVE: Looking through the Arch – This beautiful arch street scene will be built up in three stages.
2. SHADOWS: Door Focus, with supporting Cast - A wall, a blue door and shadows.
3. DETAIL: Suggestion, not Actual - Ornate Building/Dome – We will use the method that  utilized while sketching a cathedral in Barcelona.
4. SHAPES: Skyline Silhouette Focus & Bridge/more – Starting with a bridge and building scene, we will sketch this complex, but lively composition using Pen & Wash.
5. GRANDEUR: Warm/Cool Contrast - a Cathedral Interior – Tracing the basic image on a light-box, will ensure accurate proportions of this stunning cathedral interior.
6. PEOPLE: In a Street Setting – What is an urban environment without the people? A ghost town!

By the end of the course you will have developed a greater understanding of how to approach complex city environments. You will then be able to use these skills for your own urban scenes – of your local town or anywhere in the world.