Beginning Watercolor for People with No Time or Talent

Instructor: Tom Nixon

If the phrase “the fuzzy end of the brush goes into the paint” is a revelation to you, then this is the class you are looking for. This class I designed for the person who has absolutely no artistic ability but yet wants to try something new or learn watercolor. We will work towards the understanding of watercolor and how to handle this wonderfully fun medium so you can produce landscapes.

I have successfully taught beginning level watercolor painting to many folks over the past nearly 20 years both in the private sector and through the classes with the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival. This evening class is a low pressure way to take a step into the field of visual art with a high possibility of having fun and learning the basics of watercolor painting.

I will teach you the way to create the illusion of depth in a painting, how to use color to back up that illusion and how to use warm and cool colors to create emotion in a painting. Also we will work with light and dark values to create depth and a focal area.

Please read the Materials List before you go to checkout.

TOM NIXON MATERIALS LIST

These will be the same paints that Tom uses in the class and his studio. These are professional level
materials that provide good solid results. This set up will be yours to take home at the end of the class.
Keep reading ……

PAINT COLORS WE USE: Mostly DiVinci, Dan Smith or Holbein Watercolor Paint. Cool and Warm
Yellow; Warm and cool Blues; Warm and cool Reds. One red is Bright Rose which is great for wild roses
and fireweed! Additional colors added will be Cadmium Orange, Transparent Iron Oxide or Burnt
Sienna, Veridian Green, Yellow Ochre, Midnight Blue and Purple. These are his core colors, that you
will learn to work with.

BRUSHES: Note that all brushes are nylon. There will be a ½” flat, #6 round and a #1 Rigger. A large 2”
flat wash brush; we will use this for pre-wetting paper.
These are the basics, as you paint, you will acquire more.…….. It’s always fun to get a new brush!

PALETTE: We use the Mijello covered palette arranged in an oval pattern making it easier for laying out
the basics of the color wheel. It will have a white glass insert in it for mixing.

PAPER: Arches paper is pretty much the industry standard internationally
and it is all Tom uses in his studio and to teach. This will be Arches paper that he pre-cuts. You will use
this paper for class work.

PLEASE ALSO BRING THESE MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS:

*wide roll of 3M off-white masking tape,

*2 small plastic tubs for water (about the size of a small cereal bowl or 1 pint cottage cheese container).

*Roll of paper towels,

* A full roll of toilet paper

* An old credit card

* #2-B pencil and a mechanical pencil

* A kneaded grey eraser (find at Michael’s), 

* A small cardboard box or a tote bag to carry your stuff in (so your palette can lay flat when carried,

* A notebook for sketching and taking lecture notes.

* A black Sharpie pen.

* An inexpensive 12 inch plastic ruler.

* And….a really good supply of humor!!

QUESTIONS: Contact Tom or Nelda at 907-456-3329 or Email at [email protected].
NOTE PLEASE: If you are taking this class as a Refresher, call and talk with Nelda and see what you already have and what you need to bring!