Bill Paarlberg: Watercolor #2, For The Beginning Intermediate
Saturday, April 19th from 9am-12pm
The Kittery Art Association Art Hub (Lower Level Studio Space)

Have you taken a beginning watercolor class, and want to learn more? Do you practice painting but find yourself unable to improve? Do your brilliant beginnings too often get worse as you go, becoming muddy, overworked, and unfocused? This class will teach you a handful of tips and techniques that will immediately give you more control and confidence, and result in better paintings. We’ll discuss paper, brushes, and the rest of your equipment. We’ll learn tips to better predict just what color ends up on the paper, and how to make all your colors work together. We’ll learn how to gain inspiration and continue improving by studying the work of others. Special emphasis on how to use value studies and tips for working en plein air.

Required Materials:
Note: If you need to purchase any of these items, don’t spend a lot of money. Get something inexpensive just so you can try it out and see if you like it.

Please bring to class your usual paint, palette, paper, brushes, and painting kit. 

Also, make sure you have (if you don’t already):

• Paint: Tubes or pans of one red, two different blues, and one yellow. Also burnt umber and burnt sienna. (I use Winsor & Newton, but there are many good brands of paint).

• Brushes: A medium-sized round (size 10 is good), and a 3/4” or 1” flat. If you have a biggish brush that holds a lot of water, like a 1” squirrel mop or similar, bring it along.

• Paper: A plain paper sketchbook, a smallish watercolor sketchbook or block (5 x 8” or so), and a larger cold press 140 lb watercolor paper block or pad, at least 8 x 10 inches.

• A small knife, like X-Acto, that you can use to sharpen pencils and scrape marks into paintings.

• A credit card, library card, or similar plastic card that you can use to scrape marks into paintings.

• A pencil.

• Some paper towels.

Bill Paarlberg grew up in Hampton, New Hampshire and now lives in Kittery Point, Maine. His earliest memories are of the excitement of making artwork. In the 1980s he drew many pen and ink scenes of Portsmouth scenes, which have morphed into the Famous Monsters of Portsmouth series. He likes to paint in watercolor, especially outdoors. He is on the board of the Kittery Art Association. You can see his work at the Kennedy Gallery in Portsmouth, NH, and online at www.paarlberg.com.

Pictured: Port Clyde Harbor, North, Watercolor by Bill Paarlberg.