The Beauty of Watercolour

The beauty of watercolour requires an understanding of the medium's relationship with water – an element that can make it a daunting proposition. Working with internationally recognised teacher Terry Jarvis, be supported to develop the necessary foundational skills to paint beautiful watercolours.

The beauty of watercolour requires an understanding of the medium’s relationship with water – an element that can make it a daunting proposition. Working with internationally recognised teacher Terry Jarvis, be supported to develop the necessary foundational skills to paint beautiful watercolours. Learn about papers, brushes, colours and how to use them.

Develop techniques such as wet into wet, dry brush, glazing, mixing colours, and flat and graded washes. Learn how to construct a painting from start to finish and how to use light and colour. With your new skills, go on to enjoy a session of painting ‘en Plein air’ outdoors.

Enrol
  • Full days - Monday to Friday - 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
  • Suitable for ages 16 to adult
  • Beginner, Intermediate
  • Join waiting list

Course Info

First, you’ll learn about the materials required to produce and convey great watercolour messages to those viewing the final painting. This includes understanding paper, brushes, and pigment, and how to use them will be the theme.

The next session is designed for those who find watercolour a daunting proposition! Today will provide you with the necessary foundational skills to paint beautiful watercolours. Areas covered will be wet-in-wet, wet-in-damp, dry brush, edges, temperature, tonal evaluation, subject matter, and shapes. You might be terrified at the start, but you won’t be at the finish as you integrate buildings and landscapes. Terry will cover perspective, composition, painting into the light, painting with backlighting and moments from dawn to dusk. You will paint from differing vantage points, integrating buildings, animals and figures into your landscape.

We also cover one of the most avoided subjects in watercolour, ‘the interior’. Light is a significant consideration. Demonstrations and explanations will show how to paint the right edges in the right circumstance. Terry will also treat the painting of different textures.

You’ll explore a nautical theme that includes water, waves, reflections, boats, harbours, sand, shells, headlands, and sunny, stormy, and cloudy days. Weather permitting, there will also be an opportunity to paint ‘en Plein air’ outdoors. Get ready for a wonderful week working with Terry and fellow students to discover the delights of watercolour painting.

For beginners and improvers

Please bring the following on your first day of class:

  • Watercolour Palette –1 plastic palette with plenty of mixing areas is fine
  • Water pot
  • Permanent White Gouache (Rowney is a good brand for gouache)

 Paints –Windsor and Newton/ or any Artist Quality Brand

  • French Ultramarine Blue
  • Cobalt Blue
  • Cerulean Blue
  • Viridian
  • Permanent Rose
  • Cadmium Red
  • Cadmium Yellow
  • Lemon Yellow
  • Burnt Sienna
  • Raw Sienna
  • Burnt Umber
  • Neutral Tint
  • Cobalt Turquoise
  • Cobalt Turquoise Light
  • Quinacridone Gold
  • Permanent Magenta
  • Cadium Orange

 Brushes

  • Round No. 1, No.3, No. 6, No. 8
  • Mop Brush for large washes
  • Synthetic Brushes are fine or sables

 Paper

  • Watercolour Paper 3 sheets 300gsm (Fabriano, Canson Heritage, Canson  Moulin du Roy, Saunders, Arches)
  • Alternately Pads or Blocks are fine.  If you have large sheets we will cut them up to 1/4sheets to work on. I FIND BLOCKS ARE SO EASY TO TRAVEL WITH!

 Easels

You may prefer to stand and paint (as I do) or sit and paint. If you prefer to sit at a table as many do, you will need a table easel or something to prop up behind your board to get a nice slope to paint your watercolours on. If you prefer to stand, a light tripod easel would be suitable, and a small table or something to rest your pallet/water/brushes/ etc. on to place alongside your easel would be handy, particularly if we get to paint en plein air (outside).

 General supplies

  • 1 Roll of 25mm. masking tape
  • 1 medium size board to tape your watercolour onto – approx. 40cm x 45cm
  • 1 2B Pencil and sharpener
  • 1 kneadable eraser
  • 1 drawing pad or drawing paper
  • 1 pad for notes
  • A rag
  • Tissues
  • Stool
  • Small Easel
  • Hat
  • Sunscreen
  • Insect repellent
  • Water bottle -some to drink, some to paint with!

All these requirements are only a guide, of course. For example, if you have some paint sets or can buy a set of paints a bit cheaper, by all means, bring them along. I am super flexible! Get what you can afford, and we will work with your equipment.

Try to be ready at least 10 minutes before we start the workshop to set up your equipment so we can start on time.

Happy Camper Reviews

Such good grounding in watercolour techniques.
Terry is a fantastic Tutor. The class was relaxed informative thorough balanced and encouraging. It encompassed a broad range of topics, styles and techniques which I will be able to use in my practice of watercolour.
Terry is a very good teacher plus it was relaxing and a very supportive learning environment.
Terry Jarvis is a superb tutor and has a friendly, relaxed style which can elicit the best efforts from the class members
Terry Jarvis was an excellent teacher, who really knows how to teach well. He is organised, gives everyone individual attention, gives excellent demonstrations to the class and individually where needed. He is kind, understanding, inclusive, entertaining and engaging. What more could I say. He is one of the best Camp Creative teachers.
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Terry Jarvis
Course Tutor

Terry Jarvis

Terry Jarvis is one of Australia’s exceptional watercolour artists. His passion for his craft and his love for the wonderful medium of Watercolour is revealed through his varied subject matter ranging from magnificent Australian scenes to paintings of his travels which include the Greek Islands, Tuscany – Italy, Finland, Northern Ireland, Sweden and France.

He is a much sought-after tutor across the globe in watercolour. He is a regular tutor across Australia each year, his exhibitions are always a great success, and he exhibits in most national capital cities.

He is an award winner in his chosen field, and his work hangs in collections in Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Japan, the UK, the USA, Finland, Northern Ireland, Italy, and many other countries.

He has written feature articles for Australian Artist Magazine, the Artist Magazine – UK, and is a featured artist in two books, ‘The New Encyclopedia of Watercolour Techniques and ‘Watercolour Secrets’ London Publications.

Terry conducts International Painting Tours for many organizations each year and Tutors many tours in Greek Islands/Tuscany/ In the footsteps of Monet tour in France/The U.K. and was part of an exceptional exhibition in Dalian, China, showcasing some of the best work of Australian Watercolour Artists.

Terry loves the challenges that every watercolour brings, to catch the light, to capture that special moment in time, to discover that watercolour is forever your master in all of its nuances, its edges, its flow across a page that delights the heart.

It’s like writing a book, visually, without the words.

Tutoring and sharing the delights of the watercolour  medium is only secondary to creating my own work.

It will always be a privilege to paint with this wonderful medium.

I am looking forward to sharing the joys of Watercolour with you all.

See you there!