Watercolours Next Steps - Mansfield Central Library - Adult Learning

During the course you will revisit and build on basic watercolour techniques, developing more confidence with water control, layering, colour mixing, and brushwork. We will explore when and why you might stretch paper, and how different papers can affect your results. You will work from simple still life objects and images of animals or natural forms, using both careful, detailed observation and looser, more expressive painting techniques.

The focus will be on experimenting, making creative choices, and developing confidence rather than producing perfect finished paintings. You will create a range of small studies and samples and have the opportunity to develop one piece further if you wish.

What will learners achieve by the end of the course?

• Prepare watercolour paper for painting and describe when stretching paper may be useful.

• Apply washes, glazes and controlled brushwork to build colour and tone in a watercolour study.

• Use observation to paint at least one simple still life subject, such as fruit, flowers or everyday objects.

• Experiment with loose brushwork to suggest movement, texture or character in an animal or natural form study.

• Select and combine watercolour techniques to create texture, shadow or detail in a small painting.

• Share your work with others and identify at least one strength and one next step for developing your watercolour skills.

What you need to bring to the course:

• Watercolour paper in a pad or loose sheets, ideally 300gsm/140lb, in either a paper pulp or cotton.

• Watercolour paints, either a basic pan set or tubes

• Small selection of watercolours brushes (at least 1 round and 1 flat) we can work with any sizes but try not to go too small so a size 6 upwards.

• Water vessel, a yogurt pot or jar is fine

• Apron or clothes you don’t mind splashing water and paint on.

You can buy these locally in Art Shops, as well as at The Range and Hobbycraft or online at Amazon.

Funding and Fees

If you receive certain benefits, you may be able to take the course for free.
If money is stopping you from enrolling, please visit our funding page to see what help is available.

Living in England

To book and join one of our courses, you must live in England permanently and either:

• Live inside the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) area (Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire)

or

• Live outside the devolved areas listed below

You cannot enrol if you live in these devolved areas:

• Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)

• Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

• North East Combined Authority

• South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority

• Tees Valley Combined Authority

• West Midlands Combined Authority

• West of England Combined Authority

• West Yorkshire Combined Authority

• Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority

• York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority

• Hull and East Yorkshire

• Greater Lincolnshire

• Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority

• Cornwall Council

• Lancashire Combined County Authority

• Buckinghamshire Council

Residency Requirements (Additional Information)

If you live in the UK on a visa, we’ll need evidence of your visa to confirm funding. You can upload this when applying, and you’ll need to complete a short questionnaire.

Some exceptions include:

• Your visa must last until after your course ends.

• Asylum seekers must have lived in the UK for at least 6 months while their claim is being processed.

• You are supported by your local authority under Section 23C or 23CA of the Children Act 1989, or under the Care Act 2014.

Anyone who does not meet the funding criteria would need to pay full course fees.