Instructor: Karen Charbonneau Zukas
Ages: 15 up
Format: Four ~ 2 1/2 hour classes.
Dates: Wednesdays - Ongoing ~ Begin the Wednesday of your registration week.
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:30
Course Fee: $145. 4 sessions. Materials are included for the first couple of sessions as needed, after that, you will bring your own : Beautiful Quality Watercolor Paper, Paints, brushes, palettes, tools and equipment, instruction, images...see full materials list below
Watercolor Painting - Beginner to Intermediate
" I really learned how to paint in this class. I can't believe I can finally produce work that I'm proud of and can sell !! " ~ Another satisfied student.
You won't believe how quickly you'll take to watercolor painting with some practice, techniques and allowing yourself to make a few mistakes, that's how we learn the best. With a little faith, time and trust in the brush and your abilities, you'll be painting like you've always dreamed of. You'll recreate the beauty of nature and become hooked on the results. It's so much fun learning the process while producing a beautiful image. You'll practice firsthand, watercolor techniques and approaches to get differing effects layering with wet on wet, wet on damp and bleeding techniques wet on dry and sometimes using the masking fluid to preserve the white. You'll review basic color mixing and viscosity, brush strokes, and application, you'll even see how common table salt, plastic wrap and a magic eraser can enhance your paintings. You'll also become adept at identifying which are the best brushes for the job along with color studies and composition, perspective etc. This is the class for you. We'll work from photos, real life, whatever will get us painting. Any time is a great time to paint. We may even go and paint outdoors if the consensus allows.
Karen Charbonneau Zukas is a graduate of Tufts university and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston with a master’s degree in education from Western New England University and was a pupil of Barnet Rubenstein (pupil of Oscar Kokoshka). She is a recognized portrait painter and potter and former columnist for the Bulletin in Boston. She has been teaching various subjects, primarily advanced ESL, fine art history, painting, drawing, clay and print making as well as writing, test prep, debate and humanities; at universities, preparatory, public, private and international schools and community ed in Boston for over 35 years and now locally. She and her family moved back to the south coast in 2013. She is the proprietor of Peasantware Pottery in New Bedford and the founder of The New Bedford Art and Cultural Emporium at Kilburn !
We'll supply the materials for the first couple of sessions if necessary, but we ask that you get materials to work with in class and at home. Use whatever watercolor materials you have. If you need to get them, I recommend Ocean State Job Lot, you can get them on Amazon or at Michaels or Jerrys Art o Rama, please purchase:
Paper, a medium sized pad will do of Watercolor paper, Canson or Arches 9 x 12 is good, or larger if you'd like. DO NOT buy cheap watercolor paper. It is worthless and you will be very disappointed.
PAINT: I highly reccommend just getting el cheapo paint from ocean state job lot. It's $4.99 for a nice starter pack and a good variety of colors. It is vibrant and allegedly archival. So, get that, but you can also get nicer paints for a bigger price at the other stores mentioned above . Buy a set of watercolor paints in tubes. Windsor and Newton are fine....but $50 a set. Go with the cheap ones while you're in training
Brushes : Get a variety of sizes of synthetic and natural brushes in rounds and flats. A mop is a good brush to have as well...it looks like a big makeup brush.
Clear plastic kitchen flexible cutting boards (usually sold in pack of 3) to be used as a "board" to secure your paper.
Paper towel (you don't have to bring a roll, you can grab 5 or 6 per week.
plastic Pallette (one with a cover is a good idea).
2 rolls of masking tape, one inch and one half inch
Cheap Cat Dish or 2 cups for water
Some kind of liquid RESIST…sold on line. Can use Rubber Cement
The following are not necessary, but suggested:
Kosher Salt - a baggie of small tubby of kosher, sea or pink salt
Rubbing alcohol if you want
A little Spritz Bottle
A TROLL: a roll of toilet paper wrapped in paper towel.
a box cutter
a Pencil
watercolor pencils (water soluable colored pencils...cool to use)
Plastic wrap - just a piece
Magic Eraser-Mr. Clean or other brandsmall
various sized small Sea Sponges
old hard Toothbrush or other small hard brush
drinking Straw
other textural items (that could make a cool stamp...onion bag, checker, lace)
Plastic Bendable Clear Cutting Board
kneaded eraser
pencil sharpener
Soap/ bar or liquid for brush cleaning
Have your GPS take you to 101 West Rodney French Blvd. in New Bedford. (Kilburn Mill is 101 through 127 W. Rodney French) Once you get there, please park right away on the street at the end of the building that is AWAY from the main entrance. If you get to the main entrance, you're at the wrong end of the building, if you enter there, you main wander the building for all eternity without finding us !! If you follow these directions, you will find us easily. You'll see our sign above the ORANGE door please enter there and go up the stairs. At the top of the stairs...follow small yellow signs for NBACE. We're right around the corner behind the mural !!