No need to be shy with colour this festive season, tutor Nicky Hunter will teach you to use watercolours in a vibrant and joyous way to paint super shiny festive baubles with WOW factor.

This is a really fun subject matter to paint light and reflected colour in watercolour.

We aim to create some simple mini Christmas cards, as well as the main seasonal painting, which you may wish to turn into this year’s Christmas card to send to friends and family. Nicky will give you some tips and tricks on how to do that.

You will learn how to create an effective eye-catching composition with a combination of bold colour and soft diffused edges. Using various methods, you will be able to create perfect spheres and symmetrical shapes accurately, add simple patterns to your work and discover how to use masking fluid with sensitivity.

The skills you will learn in this workshop can be transferred to many spherical and symmetrical objects and those with shiny surfaces.

Nicky will provide quality source reference material such as photos and real objects. There will be plenty of demos to help you progress through the stages of creating your painting and lots of individual support.

Nicky aims to help you improve your understanding of watercolour painting technique and encourages you to loosen up your painting style and liven up your brushwork so you can get the most out of this exciting paint medium and bring your watercolours to life with radiant translucent colour and fluid confident painting.

The workshop is mixed ability, although perhaps not suitable for those with absolutely no experience. However, if you have no experience but a 'have a go attitude' and want to just get stuck in, you are welcome to try too.

What you need to bring

Materials – bring whatever watercolour kit you currently have and masking fluid, if you have some. There is no need to purchase extra items as the tutor will supply paper, boards, water pots and additional larger brushes and paint colours. She can guide you or additional items you may need to enhance your watercolour kit to carry on your watercolour journey.

Good reference material – some will be provided by the tutor.

Old clothes or something to cover up your clothes whilst working.

What is included

Some paint, paper, paint brushes, pots but please bring your own kit as a basis.

Cost

£49 per person.

Booking

Booking is via the tutor: please email nickyred@gmail.com or telephone 07899 942944. Places are limited to 10, so we recommend you book early to avoid disappointment.

About the tutor

Nicky is based in Buckinghamshire working and teaching from her studio at Westbury Art Centre. She is an encouraging tutor who enthusiastically inspires others to enjoy and progress their skills in the exciting medium of watercolour and other related painting and drawing mediums. She aims to help you improve your understanding of the watercolour painting technique and encourages you to loosen up your painting style, so you can get the most out of this exciting and often challenging painting medium - and bring your watercolours to life.

Paintings are radiant ‘realism with a touch of romance', inspired by nature and ignited by colour, capturing the essence of the subject in an impressionistic style. Her painting and illustration skill set is diverse, due to the influence of two decades of designing print patterns for textiles for interiors and fashion, with designs selling globally. Styles range from refined botanical floral studies and graphical illustrations to vibrant, and often large scale, watercolour artworks which she is most known for.

For more information about Nicky Hunter, check out her Facebook page (Nicky Hunter Watercolour Painting) or her website www.nickyhunterart.com.