This ONLINE class is suitable for students of all abilities  

In this class Nicky will teach you how to create a painting of a squirrel with the 'wet into wet'  watercolour method.  You will learn how to paint with minimal brush strokes to keep your painting feeling spontaneous and expressive.  You'll also be taught how to use a glazing technique (wet in dry) for the facial features and capture the lovely expression and shiny eyes.  

We'll start by simplifying the composition from the photographic reference image and drawing (or tracing) the image.  Nicky will show you which is the correct brush to use for each section and how to handle it best to get the most effective results.  We'll look at covering large areas working wet into wet, as well as colour mixing, and blending on the paper rather than the palette.  We'll also explore splattering, dry brushwork effects, and how and when to add detail to areas.  

The class will use a select limited colour palette and we'll work on recipes for effective colour mixing so you can achieve rich and warm vibrant hues that are fresh, rather than muddy or insipid.  You'll be shown how to make colours that are tonally dark so that your painting is vibrant, rather than flat, and your artwork  sings from the page.  You'll discover how to retain highlights in the initial stages and how to add them at later stages for impact.  

By the end of the class you will understand how to layer one colour into the next, using the correct paint consistency, to help make watercolour work better for you and achieve a more satisfying result with this painting and future artworks.