San Diego Watercolor Society

Plein Air - From Sketchbook to Studio - How to keep spontaneity alive.

Instructor:  Iain Stewart

Together we will cover all aspects of how I work to keep my paintings lively and gestural. It’s quite easy to get bogged down in detail and for me the perfect tool is the sketchbook. We will work both in our books and on traditional watercolor paper covering a range of subject matter and scenes. I believe that a workshop without the worry of success typically leads just there. Learn how to let go of the fear of ruining a painting and work with new found freedom. Iain will share the secrets of drawing with confidence, painting quickly, and breaking a painting down into understandable steps that you can repeat on you own. There are no gimmicks, no tricks, just dive in and let the water go where it may. 

Sketchbook to Studio - a roadmap for finding you in your work. 

Recommended experience level:  all levels

Find out more…

Non Members Fee: $540.00 Members Fee: $500.00

This workshop takes place on:

Figurative impressionist

Instructor:  Ted Nuttall

Learn about drawing, the value and essentials of a good drawing, with the focus being on painting. His goal is to create, in an atmosphere that’s both creative and supportive providing specific and memorable information you can take home and use in your work. 

Recommended experience level:  all levels

Find out more…

Non Members Fee: $640.00 Members Fee: $600.00

This workshop takes place on:

Landscapes/ Light

Instructor:  Don Andrews

Learning to paint with watercolor should be fun! Don’s Landscape Workshop is geared specifically for artists eager to paint and study in a no-stress studio environment.

Each day, Don will address a major visual concern; light, color, granulation, organizing nature and utilizing negative space are just a few subjects to be covered.

Don’s class isn’t geared to any specific level of achievement; rather artists at all levels will benefit from a more personal understanding of the painting possibilities available in the exciting world of landscape painting.  This workshop will be packed with demonstrations, discussions, individual help and personal and group critiques.

Recommended experience level:  all levels

Find out more…

Non Members Fee: $490.00 Members Fee: $450.00

This workshop takes place on:

Beyond Technique: Finding Individual Expression

Instructor:  Frank Eber

The workshop will:

• Continue in the tradition of the 20th Century California Barbizon movement (“intimate works, painted with a limited palette; softly expressive, suggestive rather than detailed”)
• Focus on emotional responses to nature
• Encourage the individual artist’s expression while balancing the forces at play in creation of a painting.
• Topics will include design and composition, color and lighting, positives and negatives, simplification of shape, and atmospheric effects. The techniques you will learn in Frank’s workshop transcend the watercolor medium. 

 Small class settings only. Please sign up early!

All Levels Welcome

Find out more…

Non Members Fee: $490.00 Members Fee: $450.00

This workshop takes place on:

Experimental/Aggressive Textures/Unusual Mediums

Instructor:  Jan Sitts  

By combining aggressive textures and unusual mediums with various “Raw” materials the end result in mixed media abstraction painting is the creative accomplishment.  This method presents the magnetism that is abstraction in mixed media painting.  Many techniques, materials, compositions and above all, emotions play off of each other when creating the piece.  The adventure is not knowing where you are going with it until you get there!  You will become enlightened as you journey through this process.

The workshop is loaded with information that can be useful applied to any painting.

Recommended experience level:  all levels

Find out more…

Non Members Fee: $490.00 Members Fee: $450.00

This workshop takes place on:

Impressions of Built, Natural, & Imagined Worlds

Instructor:  Michael Reardon

In this 4-day workshop we will emphasize fundamental techniques in order to strengthen your skills in watercolor landscape painting. Fundamentals covered will include: creating a strong composition, evoking a sense of light through the use of values, and manipulating color for its full expressive effect. While Michael will demonstrate his painting style and the use of colors in his palette, he will encourage people to develop their personal style and approach to watercolor. 

A demonstration will start each day, followed by individual painting with careful guidance. A review of the day’s work concludes each day. We will also explore ways to work with photo references so that they help, not dictate, your final painting.

Recommended experience level:  all levels with watercolor recommended

Find out more…

Non Members Fee: $490.00 Members Fee: $450.00

This workshop takes place on:

Portriature/ Figurative & Still Life

Instructor:  Matthew Bird

With a focus on strong light and deep value to create intense and dramatic paintings, this four-day workshop will include daily watercolor demonstrations illustrating Matthew's technique and giving insight into his methods and philosophies. Students will follow along with daily demonstrations on the same subject moving toward a complete or near-complete painting. Painters with more experience can work from their own photographs with individual guidance, or work from the material provided. 

Whether you are a beginning student looking for an introduction to figure work,or a more advanced painter looking to refine your understanding of light, colorand value, this class will be a great opportunity to take your understanding to a higher level.

Topics include:

• The importance of design, value and composition
• Painting the translucency of skin
• Properties of color and the physics of light
• Handling complex textures such as hair and fabric
• Special attention will be given to the unique properties of light and shadow, edges and color
• Plus tips on working with your model, avoiding mistakes and marketing your work 

Recommended experience level:  all levels

Find out more…

Non Members Fee: $490.00 Members Fee: $450.00

This workshop takes place on:

Landscapes/Flowers/ Foliage

Instructor:  Carol Carpenter

Class will include daily exercises and demonstrations on initial drawing, composition and placement, as well as examples of related techniques. 

 Demonstrations of edges, layering, and methods to retain the white of the paper will be given. And a display of steps to arrive at a finish will be provided to follow.

 We will also focus on how to pick which details to include or exclude, how to add that bit of mystery into your work. There will be individual instruction for each student throughout the class. Please bring the materials you have and if you need suggestions about additional materials please refer to the supply list posted online. Carol will provide a watercolor paper workbook.Be sure to bring any references or photos you may want to use.

Recommended experience level:  all levels

Find out more…

Non Members Fee: $390.00 Members Fee: $300.00

This workshop takes place on: