Watercolour, Laughter and Learning in Cornwall

Sometimes the most enjoyable art lessons are the ones where we experiment, discover something new and have plenty of laughs along the way!

This lovely session with a local lady in Cornwall was all about understanding how to give watercolour paintings more depth, stronger focal points and a greater sense of space.

Rather than copying a particular painting, we explored the principles behind what we see. Why does one part of a painting appear to come forward while another seems to disappear into the distance? Where does your eye look first? And how can changes in colour, tone, detail and contrast gently lead the viewer through an artwork?

Understanding Why a Painting Works

Once you begin to understand these fundamentals of art, you can apply them to almost any subject.

During our couple of hours together we experimented with completely different watercolour subjects… flowers, landscapes, birds and a rather fabulous hare!

Each little painting provided another opportunity to explore focal points, depth, colour and mark-making. There was no pressure to produce one particular finished picture. The important part was understanding what was happening and then experimenting with that knowledge.

Learning to See Differently

This is one of the things I particularly enjoy about teaching art in Cornwall and at Mawgan Porth. Learning to draw and paint is not simply about learning how to copy. It is about becoming more visually aware… noticing relationships, understanding what creates depth and discovering how seemingly small decisions can completely change an artwork.

And when that learning involves plenty of giggles and a beautiful collection of watercolours at the end of the session, even better! 🎨

Photograph shared with permission.