Beginners' Watercolours: Late Summer Foliage

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Capture the lush colours and expressive shapes of late summer in this relaxed, beginner-friendly watercolour workshop in central London.
Late summer is one of the most beautiful times to paint foliage: deep greens sit alongside sun-bleached grasses, delicate seed heads, fading flowers and the first touches of warm autumn colour.
In this two-hour workshop, you’ll learn the essential techniques of watercolour while creating your own loose and expressive study of late-summer foliage.
Perfect for complete beginners, the class will introduce you to watercolour step by step. We’ll explore how to control the balance of water and pigment, mix natural and varied greens, create soft wet-in-wet colour transitions and use different brush marks to suggest leaves, grasses, stems and seed heads.
Rather than painstakingly painting every leaf, you’ll learn how to simplify what you see and use loose, confident marks to create the impression of abundant foliage.
We’ll begin with a series of short demonstrations and exercises before bringing the techniques together in a finished late-summer botanical painting of your own.
What you’ll learn

• How to control water and pigment
• Essential wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques
• How to mix beautiful, natural-looking greens
• Simple brush techniques for leaves, stems and grasses
• How to create delicate seed heads and botanical details
• How to combine soft and sharp edges
• How to simplify complicated foliage
• How to arrange different plants into a balanced composition

No previous drawing or painting experience is needed. The class is designed to be approachable for complete beginners, with plenty of demonstrations and individual guidance.
All materials are provided, so you can simply arrive and paint.
You’ll leave with your own late-summer watercolour painting, practice studies and techniques that you can continue using at home.
About Your Tutor
The workshop is taught by Ann Mackowski, a London-based artist and experienced art teacher specialising in drawing, watercolour and oil painting.
Ann has been teaching art in central London for over ten years, working with everyone from complete beginners picking up a brush for the first time to more experienced artists looking to develop their technique.
Ann is an award winning artist with extensive experience, having exhibited with the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours, the New English Art Club, Society of Women Artists, and she was a featured contestant on Sky Landscape Artist of the Year.
Ann runs Soho Life Drawing and Private Art Events London, teaching regular classes, private tuition and creative events in the heart of London.
Come along for a relaxed afternoon of painting and discover just how expressive watercolour can be.