Watercolour for People Who Don’t Know Where to Start

A four-week instructional course for the novice watercolour artist.

All materials included. Spots are limited — Sign Up below!

Dates & Times:

Thursday evenings, 5:30 – 7:30 PM

January 8th, January 15th, January 22nd, and January 29th

Location:

The Philadelphia Sketch Club
235 S. Camac St. Philadelphia, PA 19107

Pricing:

  • PSC Members: All four weeks – $165
    • (Plus $20 materials fee to cover paint, paper, and brushes)
  • Non-Members: All four weeks – $200
    • (Plus $20 materials fee to cover paint, paper, and brushes)

Instructor Bio

Kate Kern Mundie is a fine artist working in painting and drawing media, known for paintings that reflect environmental change. Kate regularly exhibits her landscape paintings, teaches painting and drawing, and is a demonstrator for Winsor & Newton. She brings years of experience in plein air and observational work. Her teaching emphasizes clarity, strong foundations, and a practical, inclusive approach to materials and technique and a clear, approachable teaching style grounded in real-world practice.

 

Course Description:

This four-week course is designed for absolute beginners who want to learn the basics of watercolour painting in a relaxed, encouraging environment. Students will explore how watercolour behaves: how to mix colours, create washes, and control transparency through small, approachable exercises.

Each class builds on the skills of the previous week, so steady participation is encouraged. By the end of the course, students will not only understand essential watercolour techniques but will also know how to choose good brushes, paints, and papers when shopping for their own materials.

All supplies are provided by the instructor. A $20 materials fee covers the use of professional-quality paints, brushes, and paper for the four weeks.

Course Goals:

By the end of the course, students will:

  • Understand the purpose and handling of basic watercolour materials.
  • Learn how to set up a simple, efficient workspace.
  • Practice fundamental techniques: flat wash, graded wash, layering, and lifting.
  • Develop colour-mixing confidence using a limited palette.
  • Create small finished studies from observation.
  • Gain the knowledge to select quality materials on their own at an art supply store.

 

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Schedule & Syllabus:

Week 1 – Getting to Know Watercolour

  • Overview of materials and simple setup
  • Water-to-paint ratio and basic brush handling
  • Understanding paper weight and surface
  • Flat and graded washes
  • Small exercises exploring shapes, edges, and simple textures

Week 2 – Two-Colour Mixing & Layering

  • Working with warm and cool colours
  • Mixing using only two pigments
  • Layering and glazing for depth
  • Creating light and form using transparent layers

Week 3 – Primary Colours

  • Planning small studies
  • Mixing with primary colours to create a full palette
  • Practice creating harmonious colour relationships

Week 4 – Textures, Finishing a Painting & Materials Talk

  • Exploring texture with non-brush tools: sponges, credit cards, salt, tissue, scraping, lifting
  • Applying texture techniques in painting
  • Supportive group critique and discussion
  • How to shop for supplies: what matters, what doesn’t, and how to build a beginner kit without overspending