For Beginners

Welcome to my shop for Beginners of watercolour painting.

Materials for beginners, including a set of painting materials can be purchased from my Beginners Shop. I've done this to save you time running from shop to shop and not finding good materials or being sold wrong materials and then having a huge disappointment at the start of class and having to return items blah blah blah!! you know the story!! I think you are like me - I just want to paint!!​

IF YOU ARE NEW TO WATERCOLOUR, here's what I recommend​

To give yourself the best starting point, 3 most important things:

1.   if you can't get what is on my recommended list - don't worry, just use what you already have
      and replace them with good pigments as you use them up.
2.   when you go to the art supply store

• DO NOT buy "sets" of colour that seem cheap
• DO NOT buy children's paint sets
• ​DO NOT buy "student" paints

3.   ALWAYS bring spare watercolour paper and a sketch/notebook to class. 

ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES - SUBSTITUTES ARE NOT RECOMMENDED
 
Paint - TUBE paints only please
Artist Quality (14ml or 5ml) - ESSENTIAL
Recommended Brands: Winsor & Newton or Schmincke

• Winsor blue (red shade) OR Winsor blue (green shade) OR French Ultramarine
• New Gamboge OR Indian Yellow OR Transparent yellow
• Permanent Alizarin Crimson OR Permanent Rose
• Burnt Sienna OR light Red OR brown madder

Choose 1 of each primary plus Burnt sienna and you'll be set - you’ll be able to mix every colour and tone imaginable using these pigments.
 
Brushes
Please see my shop below for best brush options for my classes. Unfortunately, in NZ, watercolour brushes (if you can get them!) are limited to horrible, rubbish and expensive.

The best watercolour brushes are very soft natural bristle. You can paint all your work with just 4 brushes and they will last many years if properly cared for: 

1. Essential - the fattest round soft bristled brush with a good point OR flat 1" inch wash brush
2. Medium and small round with soft bristles
3. Rigger 
4. ​2 inch hake

  
Watercolour Paper - essential
Fabriano Artistico, 300gsm, CP, 100% cotton rag, full sheet 76x56cm – 1 sheet
Bockingford is acceptable.

​
SUBSTITUTES ARE NOT RECOMMENDED

BEGINNERS
Classes & Workshops 
​WHAT TO BRING FROM HOME
 

• white dinner plate (after workshop use cling wrap to cover and to stop dust and cats so you can keep using paint!!) OR plastic folding palette 
• Drawing Paper, A4 sketch book
• Foamboard A3 5mm or 10mm 
  
• Spray Bottle, small, clean, cheap, empty from home to fill with water (payless plastics 50ml $3)
• Artist's Masking Tape, 1” wide, to tape paper to board and divide paper up for exercises (from art supply store)
• Pencils 4b or 6B pencil, Craft Knife
• plastic eraser and ruler
• old tea towel and old hand towel, kitchen paper
• new, flat 1" kitchen sponge​  ​

​Free Resources
​For Beginners

​Class and Workshop Terms & Conditions
Enrolments are confirmed on receipt of payment in full. Students who are currently enrolled in a class will be given preferential booking to enroll in the following term.
Following the preferential booking deadline, enrolments will be opened to new students. Classes must be booked for the full term, no part term or single classes will be booked. 
Refunds, less a $50 administration fee, will be made to students who withdraw from a course up to 10 days before course commencement. No refunds will be made after this date. Transfers are not available. We reserve the right to provide a substitute tutor or reschedule a class if necessary. Refunds will be made for any classes cancelled by me. 
Filming of my demonstrations is not permitted but you are welcome to take a few photographs. Photographs taken by me may be used for marketing purposes. 
Amanda is a qualified Adult Educator; special needs and school-age student tuition is not available - please do not be offended if your application is declined. Depending on circumstances, high-need adults may be accepted with an attending helper/caregiver, please contact me to discuss.