ESPN-0240 - Watercolour Painting: Fabulous Fungi Online
Course Description
Exquisite mushrooms are all around us, and when closely observed, they reveal a world of extraordinary beauty, vibrant hues, intricate details, and complex shapes. Fungi have long served as a source of inspiration for artists, architects, designers, etc.. Using the magical medium of watercolour; this course will cover basic watercolour principles, which can be used together to paint a curated selection of fascinating fungi imagery. Various techniques will be applied: wet-on-dry, wet-on-wet, glazing, negative painting, layering, and more. Carefully detailed renderings, as well as more free and flowing compositions, will be explored, using both photo references and actual subjects. Students are expected to have some experience with watercolour painting.
In this course, students will:
- Build confidence with foundational watercolour skills through the close study of mushrooms and fungi.
- Practice key techniques such as wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, glazing, layering, and negative painting in a supportive learning environment.
- Explore colour, value, texture, and form to better understand how to bring fungal subjects to life on paper.
- Develop greater control and observation skills through both detailed studies and more expressive approaches.
- Combine learned techniques to create finished mushroom paintings that feel cohesive and personally meaningful.
This course is hosted online. Live classes will be presented on Zoom, and a link to the recurring meeting will be emailed to students before the first class and included on the course’s Brightspace home page. As such, students are required to have access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone with internet access during class time. Access to a web camera and microphone is strongly recommended. Additional materials are required.
Art by Lisa MacPherson
