isacarand

Watercolour Workout

One day workshop with Kevin Scully

Saturday 3 October 2026- 10am to 4pm – £75 (plus bring some materials – list below)

This workshop is suitable for adults.

Water, in its various forms will be the subject of this workshop. We will be depicting moving water, crashing waves, still water, reflections in water, and splashing water! The subject matter may include seascapes, rain, waterfalls, and reflections in rivers or puddles. The workshop is for all levels of experience and all reference material will be provided..

All reference material will be provided.

See the list of materials to bring for the workshop below.

A watercolor painting depicting ocean waves in varying shades of blue and green, with white foam along the crest.
A serene watercolor painting depicting moored gondolas in a calm body of water, with a distant city skyline and soft pastel colors in the background.

buy ticket

A watercolor painting depicting a serene landscape of tall trees beside a still waterbody, with soft reflections and hints of grassy areas in the background.
A watercolor painting depicting a tranquil ocean scene with waves crashing onto a sandy shore under a clear blue sky.
Watercolor painting of several fishing boats docked at a pier, surrounded by calm water and distant trees, with a muted color palette featuring blues and grays.

Materials to bring

Here is a list of basic equipment for painting in watercolour. You don’t necessarily need everything listed here, but these are the materials I use most of the time. Please adjust or amend it as necessary and include any of your favourite materials.
Note: There will be some materials available for you to use free of charge if you don’t have everything.

Paper:
Watercolour Block, loose paper, or pad approx. 9″ x 12″, or 12″ x 16″
300 g/m2 (140 lb) NOT surface (Cold pressed). Arches, Fabriano, or Saunders Waterford are all excellent makes. More economical brands are Bockingford or Langton.

Paints
‘Artists Quality’ watercolours in small tubes are the best, as these allow you to mix large amounts of colour for washes. Or if you prefer, pans of colour in a folding palette. Winsor & Newton (preferably not Cotman), Jackson’s, Schmincke, Sennelier, or Daniel Smith are among the best quality watercolours.

Suggested colours: This is a fairly comprehensive list, and you don’t necessarily need everything listed here, but these are the ones I use most of the time. Please adjust or amend it if you wish to include any of your favourites.

  • Cadmium Yellow Light
  • Cerulean Blue
  • Cobalt Blue
  • French Ultramarine
  • Viridian Green or Phthalo Green
  • Hooker’s Green or Sap Green
  • Raw Sienna or Yellow Ochre
  • Burnt Sienna
  • Raw Umber
  • Burnt Umber
  • Cadmium Red
  • Alizarin Crimson
  • Permanent Rose or Magenta
  • Winsor Violet or Dioxazine Purple
  • Payne’s Grey
  • Neutral Tint

Brushes
Round, watercolour brushes in sizes 3, 8, and 10 or 12.  It’s important that these brushes are of good quality and that they form a point when wet. Sables are expensive, so synthetic ones are a good substitute. I use Jackson’s ‘Studio Synthetic’, or ‘Pro Arte’ brushes.
A square ½”, or 1” brush, and a larger one for covering large areas

Other Materials:

  • HB pencil and sharpener
  • A drawing board for taping your paper to – approximately A3 size
  • Masking tape
  • Tissues/Kitchen towel
  • Large palette with several mixing wells
  • Putty rubber
  • Ruler
  • A couple of jars for holding water
  • A small atomiser spray bottle to hold water, for re-wetting your painting

Cancellation policy.

Please note that a ticketing fee of £5 is included in the price of this workshop and this is not refundable in any circumstance.

If you are unable to attend the workshop and you cancel your attendance more than two weeks prior to the workshop, the ticketing fee above will be retained.  If you cancel less than two weeks before the workshop no fees are refundable.

In the event of City Arts having to cancel the workshop due to participants’ numbers falling below the minimum requirement or government advice changes, we will refund the whole workshop amount.