Painting & Drawing

Watercolours: Making Marks

Start: 12 March 2010 at 6:00 p.m.
End: 14 March 2010 at 2:00 p.m.
With Roger Jones

Painting is a ‘language’, its ‘words’ the marks you make.
Each brush or pencil has a ‘vocabulary’ that becomes your ‘signature’ or style.
We explore it and how it extends into the drawing of lines if they exist at all, simple perspectives, and tricky subjects like boats and figures. The ‘guts’ of a painting is more about shapes and their jigsaw of dark and lighter areas.
We will deal with the problems, even anxieties of drawing and painting and make tonal sketches that lead to work in full colour.
Pencils and some paper will be provided along with demonstrations and back up notes to keep you on track.

NB A feature of my watercolour courses is that I will provide a brush that will meet most of your needs as it does mine for an entire painting

Suggested materials to bring to your Watercolour Course:

• Water Containers: - plastic bottles/pots. I will have a water supply, boards and slopes to support your work, and spare palettes.
• Paints: - I do recommend using tube paint, not pans, but bring what you use normally, and make sure that you can make enough paint on a palette that has lots of wide, deep wells. I use, and you might consider bringing, or better already use Winsor & Newton Artists quality in 14ml tubes: French Ultramarine, Cobalt Blue, Cerulean Blue, Winsor Lemon, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Light Red, Permanent Rose, Cobalt Violet, Viridian,  and Daler Rowney Cadmium Orange. HOWEVER you will have your own favourites and cheaper alternatives, eg the W&N Cotman range of colours. But you will see how more effective the Artist’s quality range of colours can be. It is a false economy to use cheaper materials. Less pricey 5ml tubes are available in the W&N Artist’s quality range. If in doubt contact me.
• Paper: - The lightest should be 140lb/300gsm and best in blocks, which limit warping/ ‘cockling’ when wet. Recommended papers include: Saunders Waterford 140lb or heavier rough and ‘not’( cold pressed), and the range of Bockingford papers, eg 200 or  250lb. (NB ‘not’ simply means that the paper was not hot pressed). I stretch ALL my papers whatever the weight. I will bring some papers to use.
• Do bring a sketch book- hard backed A4 or smaller.
• Brushes: IDEALLY three round, pointed Kolinsky sables* or similar, with a round ‘belly’ and very fine points, sizes 12, 8 & 4 and a ‘rigger’, ideally a Pro Arte series 203 no. 1 or 2. I can advise you on the best and most reasonable prices for such brushes. By the way, by ‘points’ I do mean that, as there is literally ‘no point’ in using some blunt affair, which will only offer you correspondingly blunt and blobby results. You’ll see how expressive just these few brushes can be when I show you how to handle them. Finally a cheap, soft and floppy hair paintbrush for preparing paints. Why damage an expensive brush by scrubbing away at paint?  Again you may have your own favourites.
• Spray bottle: available from Boots chemist travel counter or some garden centres.
• Pencils: - 2B & 4B. A pencil sharpener is essential. Always use a sharp pencil. Also a soluble graphite pencil eg a Derwent 8B Dark Wash.
• Palette: - large white plastic, with lots of wide, deep wells; I will bring examples of the type I use.
• Boards: to support your work; though these will be provided.
 Additional Equipment to consider, but NOT essential
• Easel, desktop, lightweight/folding, or a board of your own to work on.
• Large bag/satchel, wide mouthed, for all your kit.
• Viewfinder: - a 35mm slide holder with picture removed, or cardboard with a 3”x4”hole cut out.
• Extras: putty rubber, cotton buds, tissues, and any other paraphernalia you use.
• Personal Equipment: - anything else that makes for comfortable painting.
• PLEASE feel welcome to call me if you need advice PARTICULARLY if you feel you need to buy materials. *NB I will be providing one brush for you to use, a size 12 SP made specially for me by Rosemary&Co. I can provide her contact details.
• Roger Jones (01453) 763210, or e-mail info@roger-jones.co.uk, website and gallery:www.roger-jones.co.uk

In general try and use the best materials you can afford. We’ll be considering all these kind of things and see how they work in practice with real time demonstrations for all. I’ll be bringing static demos and finished paintings (bring yours too if you can), to critique. There may be slide shows on techniques, materials information, and my own painting notes will be available to encourage good habits and continuing success.
Further reading:  I recommend The Artist magazine, and have a look at books and videos produced by painters whose work appeals to you.
I look forward to working with you.
Roger Jones

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