Watercolor Work: WET for Dramatic Results!
Adult Workshop | Registration opens 8/6/2025 8:00 PM EDT
Have you ever wondered how watercolorists are able to work extremely wet without creating a huge muddy mess or without having the entire thing disintegrate into a giant colorless puddle?
You CAN create beautiful wet in wet paintings with deeply saturated colors, lovely pastels and beautiful results. When we learn to work wet in wet our entire understanding of this medium expands and along with that, the fear of using it disappears. In this workshop there will be short demos and lots of painting and experiments. We’ll discuss color, how to allow the paint work for you, letting go and being ready for happy exciting surprises!
- Studio Watercolor Material list
- For Watercolor Working Wet for Dramatic Results
- Small Paper is fine as we will be doing lots of experiments and studies. You can
- choose to do a larger piece later in the class if you wish. The instructor will have
- lots of small pieces for practice so a 6 ½ x 8”, 9”x 12” should be fine. You can just
- bring what you have if you already have watercolor paper, no need to buy
- anything new. 140 lb paper or heavier would work best though since we are going
- to be working very wet.
- Watercolor General Materials List for Classes and
- Workshops
- Watercolor Paper pad
140 Pound cold press (smooth) a nice student weight paper and comes in pads. Please get a- pad that is least 9”x12”, and you can use bigger paper if you like to work big. I work on both
- 9”x12” and 12”x18” paper.
If you have watercolor paper just bring what you already have.
Strathmore or Canson pads are available at Michaels and fine for this class. Ck for sales they do- buy one get one half price all the time, and use the store coupons for 20% off.
Watercolor Brushes
You can buy inexpensive sets of watercolor brushes that are decent to start with. I suggest one- of the following #4 #6, #8 or #10 round brush and a ½” flat.
- I use a #8 flat for most of my painting and occasionally the ½” flat brush.
- I will have brushes in the studio and we will discuss this week one if you wish to wait.
- Michaels has reasonable prices set’s and you can also buy them on Amazon.
A set of Watercolor pan paints or Tubes, your preference.
Artist Loft brand (Michael’s store brand) watercolor pan sets that are fine for our class and very- reasonably priced.
- Better if you already paint and just a little more expensive…
Sonnet Watercolors – 24 color set – very nice reasonably priced Amazon
Caran D’ache – Gouche Studio – Very nice – also on Amazon
Windsor Newton Cotman or Windsor Newton Artist grade pan paints
Kuretake Gansai Tambi – set of 48 very nice set of creamy gouache paints, more opaque than
Ordinary watercolors but very nice for gouache effects. Amazon and Blick- If you already have paint, just bring what you have…we can work with what you already have!
- OPTIONAL THINGS FOR CLASS
A Work Surface and blue painters tape. Blue Paint tape and a piece of cardboard or a drawing- board, larger than your paper are very helpful. You may choose to tape your edges to a board
- to avoid buckling –blue painters tape is best, and a heavy piece of cardboard or drawing board
- is nice to work on. You can forgo the board and tape if you don’t have it.
A Spray bottle with Water
Nice to have to “wake up” your colors and for other painting effects.
A note to the class:
In class we will be discussing things like watercolor paints and brands, brushes and what makes- a better one, and other supplies. Also there will be lots of time for questions and answers. So
- feel like you can come to class with items you may already own to start with and go basic if you
- need to purchase. When you fall in love with Watercolor you can upgrade and collect more fun
- materials. There will be other class handouts with additional details sent during class.
Marcy LaBella
MARCY LABELLA studied art at SCSU and works in the mediums of mixed media painting, clay and metals. Her work in all three mediums has been included in regional and nationally juried shows. She is a key member of the Wesleyan Potters in Middletown, CT and a member of The Connecticut Women Artists. She is a teaching artist at the New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT, and on the faculty at Wesleyan Potters, Middletown, CT and at the Guilford Art Center. She is represented by the Wesleyan Potters Gallery Shop and the Shop at Guilford Art Center.