AMANDA BRETT WATERCOLOUR ARTIST
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​Student's Page

Student's Page

Information about classes, please check regularly for updates.

Email is my primary form of communication for students. To avoid missing out on these messages, please add me as a contact or drag my emails into your "Primary" tab in Gmail.
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​Sorry not updated for while, you know why, thanks for understanding.

have a look around to see what we do in class!

then click the Lessons button at right

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term 1, 2025
​
  1. 11 Feb peaches on a plate
    light and dark
    neutral and saturate
    paint your own colour wheel
    saving whites - painting the light
    value sketch


  2. 18 Feb sunflowers
    process and planning
    sketch of values
    learn to see shapes of light and dark
    another colour wheel


  3. 25 feb hydrangeas
    shadows
    palette selection
    value and colour sketch
    another colour wheel


  4.  4 March free painting session



  5. 11 March Playground, Poronui st Mt Eden
    plein air skills
    subject selection
    sketching out

    value and/or colour study 



  6. 18 March Essex street Mt Eden
    sketch with values
    colour sketch and paint



  7. 25 March I-press Essex St
    sketch, values, paint out

    ​
  8. 1 April free painting session and shared afternoon tea






term 4, 15 october 2024
​
​some mixed media tools to add to your toolbox:
​

feather

skewer
eucalyptus branch
bubble wrap
gladwrap
palette knife
straw
corrugated cardboard
bottle tops
pva, good quality

​
new colours
think about transparency (easier to mix):
on good branded artist quality watercolour tubes there is a little transparency symbol, an empty box (a filled in box for opaque pigment)


more colour ideas below (may not be transparent)


​​if you dont have a shetchbook already, this is a good one - fabriano venezia 200gms:

colour recipes
magazine snippets
sketches and notes
doodles
writing
colour sketches with watercolour

​
i have to say that i've realised why i'm not that active in a sketchbook ... i'm painting!



TERM 1 2024

5 ways with Still-Life

This term is more about mixed water-media and playing
with marks and paints and other media!! 


New and creative ways to compose and design a painting, having fun with new materials and making discoveries through play!

We will have some "rules" to live by this term:
  1. each shape must blend into the shape next to it.
  2. shapes should not be finished
  3. no straight lines
  4. each shape to be created with ONE brush stroke 

Focus for each class:
  1. mark making​
  2. pass the parcel
  3. how dark?
  4. where should it go?
  5. free painting session
  6. playing with patterns
  7. pass another parcel
  8. free painting session


Instead of our usual "realism" palette I want us to broaden our thinking about colour with some new colour ideas!!

think value, transparency and temperature. For you to consider:


If you would like to create Red paintings: Permanent Alizarin crimson, permanent rose, cadmium red, transparent orange, perylene maroon

to create blue paintings: French Ultramarine, Cobalt Blue, Winsor blue, indanthrene blue, prussian blue

to create yellow paintings: indian yellow, lemon yellow, cadmium yellow, transparent yellow, winsor yellow

to create green paintings: Winsor Green, Aqua green, Green Gold, Cobalt Turquoise, oxide of chromium

If you like an Earth palette: Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, perylene green, brown madder, ultramarine violet

If you are into greys: I will teach you how to mix and use greys from your current palette of artist's quality paint.

Some other items for you to bring from home each week:
  1. a pattern you like eg, piece of fabric, wallpaper, gift bag, page from a magazine
  2. Dry stick from your garden
  3. old credit card
  4. old hair comb
  5. anything else you fancy for mark making
BOOK YOUR CLASS NOW!!


Materials list
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TERM 4 PROGRAM                                                                           updated 071022


ESSENTIALS SUPPLIES FOR EVERY SESSION:
  • Your own subject matter and reference material
  • spare watercolour paper for exercises etc and personal demonstrations
  • lots of drawing paper for designing your art
  • sketch / notebook

 
18 Oct      Intro and short demo, shutters and doors.
                  Arty-farty discussion: Play. Warm up exercises, loosey-goosey.


25 Oct       Demonstration, refrigerator
                   Arty-farty discussion: sketching and drafting for a painting.


1 Nov       Demonstration, "Leo's".
                 Arty-farty discussion: contrast


8 Nov       free painting session


15 Nov      Sketching out in Mt Eden Village - architecture
                   meet on steps at church opposite Circus Circus


22 Nov     Demonstration, architecture with underpainting.
                  Arty-farty discussion: colour


29 Nov     Demonstration, Table Top.

                    bring a small something from home - eclectic still-life
                  Arty-farty discussion: dominance


6 Dec       free painting session
                 bring a plate - shared supper
​
Just a wee reminder
​

I make my living from my art and teaching. I share links, resources and materials with you, paying students, they are yours to keep.

But PLEASE, do not share my teachings with others who have not paid for the pleasure.

I appreciate student's copying my work as a learning tool, but it is not appropriate for this work to be sold or exhibited. 

Thanks for your consideration.
​If you are new to watercolour, ​here's what I recommend​
To give yourself the best start, 3 most important things:

1.   if you can't get what is on my recommendation 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" paint
3.   ALWAYS bring spare watercolour paper and a sketch/notebook to class. 
Beginners Workshops and Classes 
​
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
  • 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/or kneadable (putty) eraser and ruler
  • old tea towel and old hand towel, kitchen paper​
  • small natural sea sponge from your cosmetic counter.

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loving my Stillman & Birn alpha softcover!! I bought mine from Takapuna Art Supplies, buy online or call them. UPDATE: don't like softcover! haha!!
​TERM 1 PROGRAM                                                   updated 040222

ESSENTIALS SUPPLIES FOR EVERY SESSION:
  • Your own subject matter and reference material
  • spare watercolour paper for exercises etc and personal demonstrations
  • lots of drawing paper for designing your art
  • sketch / notebook

8 Feb
This first session is all about getting to know watercolour: materials, paints, brushes and paper. To get you painting quickly, we will start with some painting exercises and wet in wet washes. Sketching from observation and then painting. Demonstration: a small painting start to finish

15 Feb
Drawing on from our first session, we’ll practice the foundation techniques of watercolour, wet in wet washes, graded washes, flat washes and glazing. We’ll also start working on value and colour charts and warm up exercises. Demonstration: continue sunflower still life

22 Feb

Sketching demo in Mt Eden Village then students have a go (see FAQs for materials list).
 
6pm Meet at Mt Eden Village Centre, Cnr Mt Eden and Ngauruhoe Sts

8pm In Gallery: continue working on sketch from photos/memory prepare for painting.

1 March
Sketching demo in Mt Eden Village then students have a go (see FAQs for materials list).
 
6pm Meet at Mt Eden Village Centre, Cnr Mt Eden and Ngauruhoe Sts

8pm In Gallery: continue working on sketch from photos/memory prepare for painting.

8 March
White paper, value scales. Demo – warm ups and techniques to play with

15 March
Catching the bead. Demo

22 March
Palette selection. Demo

29 March
Discover the importance of negative painting in watercolour and the techniques required. Bring some flowers from your garden or a small object. Demonstration: still-Life set-up
March 1 2022

6pm let's meet on the steps of the church opposite Circus Circus for some sketching. 

scroll down for some sketch gear suggestions.

we'll head back to the Gallery 7.30 to continue our sketches with a monochrome version and a colour sketch version and prepare to draw lightly onto watercolour paper to paint next week.

see you there
Amanda​
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ARTISTS TO STUDY
Peter McIntyre
Shirley Trevena
David Lobenberg
Ted Sherwen
Frank Webb
Rex Brandt
George Post
Edward Wesson​
​Ben Nicholson
​Charles Rennie MacIntosh
Claude Monet
Picasso
Juan Gris
Georges Braque
​Kirsty Black
​Moira Huntly​
Ken Howard
Peter Brown
Edward Seago
Gretchen Albrecht
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MY SKETCHING-OUT TOOLS:
hat, sunblock, insect repellant, jacket.
light, easy folding stool & 
backpack.
favourite sketchbook or journal.
favourite pens and soft pencils (B's).
watercolour pan set.
1 good point brush.
bottle of water and small pot (drinking and painting).
eraser and sharpener.
camera set to hi-res with full charge.
view finder.
coffee/snack/cake/wine money.
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REMEMBER: keep it light and simple. It's not necessary to go out and buy everything.
Check your spam or promotions folder for an email confirmation from me. I'd hate for you to miss out on any of my emails. To avoid these messages being marked as spam, add me as a contact or drag my emails ​into your "Primary" tab in Gmail.
​PLEASE NOTE: Filming of my demonstrations is not permitted during classes and workshops but you are welcome to take a ​few photographs of my demonstration painting. Please ask permission to photograph other student's artwork.
Your classes are the highlight of my week Amanda Brett ! You are not only a brilliant artist, but also an amazing teacher! I love how you always encourage us to follow our own creativity and style and at the same time show us how to progress in our style! Thanks for sharing your tips generously with us! Love you and your classes Maryam


​"Totally agree with you Maryam. I always look forward to the class. Learning so much through Amandas magical painting demonstrations and generously sharing her practical knowledge." Love Lynette​
​"Just want to thank you so much for the class last night - your encouragement and grace is so wonderful. I still can't believe I actually painted! And I'm thrilled with my effort, please tell me that ​tomorrow is Wednesday!!!" :) Katherine


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Amanda Brett - Watercolour Artist

​
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​
Copyright © 2022 All images and text on Amanda's blog and website are the legal property of Amanda Brett and may not be reproduced without express permission from Amanda Brett or her authorised agent. Thank you for respecting her art and the livelihood of all artists.
Quality Guarantee: All my watercolours are painted with only modern professional grade watercolour paints on Museum exhibition grade watercolour papers, they are extremely lightfast and will become a family heirloom and passed down to subsequent generations. ALL art of ANY medium should be hung away from direct sunlight. If​properly cared for, watercolour paintings will last as long, if not longer, than oil paintings. I only paint on 100% cotton rag paper, mostly Arches and Fabriano, and frame to conservation standard with acid free materials.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

Watercolour Painting Holiday Workshop
Lucca Italy May 2024, read more and book online

Watercolour Magic with Amanda on Youtube

Video Lessons
​
Watercolour Weekly Classes
Auckland New Zealand

Beginners One Day Watercolour Workshops 
Auckland New Zealand
​
​​View all workshops and classes
  • Watercolour News
  • SHOP New Original Paintings
    • SHOP Heart Air Balloons
    • Shop Fine Art Prints
  • Tuition
    • Watercolour Magic on Youtube
    • FAQs
    • Video Lessons
    • PaintBox Tips featured posts
    • Feedback & Photos
    • For Beginners
    • Plein Air Supplies
    • NEW!! Weekly Watercolour Classes
  • Home
    • Contact
    • About Me >
      • More About Me & Watercolour
      • What I See
      • Studio
      • Italy 2023
  • Join My Insider's List