Lea
Wednesdays, April 2 & 9, 12:00 - 3:30 pm - 2 Sessions
Learn foundational watercolor skills with a still life!
This Beginner's Watercolor Course is for the complete Beginner to Watercolors and also for those who want a review on the concepts below. Painting a Still Life or objects is a great way to learn how to see, draw and paint!!
First off, students will learn how Watercolor provides a magical Flow within gradients and color mixing!!
We will play with this flow which will lead to Your Confidence and Excitement in Watercolor.
We will Learn:
- How to create gradients within watercolors using the flow of watercolors.
- How to make a color wheel and mix various values/colors confidently.
- How to transfer the Still Life image of Fruit provided by Teacher to Watercolor paper.
- How to apply various watercolor techniques such as wet-into-wet, wet onto dry, dry brush, brush work, linear work, splatter, masking and other magical techniques to their drawn out Still Life to finish a wonderful painting!
The Teacher will demonstrate each step/lesson applied towards this Still Life Painting as well as walk around to give one-on-one instruction to each student at their own pace.
Students will walk away with various New Techniques of Watercolor Application, Color Mixing and their own Still Life Painting they are proud of to take home!!!!
LEVEL
Beginning
SUPPLIES TO BRING
Reference Image/Photo
Instructor will provide the image for The Still Life of a Banana, Apple and Orange
PAINTS:
Brands I recommend are Winsor & Newton, Daniel Smith, Van Gogh
Get in pan, tube, expensive, inexpensive.
I prefer tube paints for more pigment range, but pan paints work too.
Colors you will Need: (primary colors to mix all the others colors)
- Cobalt blue or Cerulean blue
- Cadmium yellow (Primary Yellow)- not too orange, not a neon yellow)
- Alizarin Crimson (dark red)
Useful extra colors if you have (No need to buy):
- Burnt sienna
- Raw sienna
- Yellow Ochre
- Ultramarine blue
- Viridian Green (dark green)
- Cadmium Red Orange
- Dioxazine Purple
PALETTE FOR MIXING:
White mixing Palette or pan or foam plate.
If there is a lid with existing watercolor kit-use that.
I use a porcelain enameled Richeson Butcher Tray Palette 7-1/2" x 11" for $11.94 and love it!
You can get on-line (Blick Art Supplies) or at Meiningers.
BRUSHES:
Watercolor Brushes
synthetic or golden taklon,
short handle Round - #2, #10, Flat - 1 Inch. Rigor or script brush –for fine lines
PAPER:
Watercolor Paper
9" x 12” 300 grams rough texture 140 lb.
This is a good weight paper that won't warp from moisture. We will be taping down to a board
EXTRAS NEEDED:
- Paper Towels
- Water containers (any sturdy cups) Plastic or I like medium size glass jars
- Masking tape
- 12” x 16" stiff board or cardboard to mount 9" x 12" paper onto with tape
- #2 Pencil or mechanical pencil (#2 lead) for light drawing with eraser
- Compass to make circle for color wheel or a paper plate
- 12" ruler
Misc. Supplies from home needed (If can’t find, I will have extras)
- Old toothbrush for splatter
- Blow-dryer (If you have one) - for drying layers in between
Local Art Stores: Meiningers, Guiry's & Michaels
Hooper_BegWatercolor_Apr2025_SupplyList.pdf
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Lara Hooper is a Colorado watercolor painter, oil painter, printmaker and educator.
Lara has a BFA and a Master’s in Education.
For the past 27 years, Lara has had a wonderful career teaching High School Drawing, Painting, Printmaking and Metal-smithing for the Jeffco Public Schools. She also taught metal-smithing and photography at Red Rocks Community College. In addition, she taught private watercolor painting lessons.
She has been exhibited in various Art exhibits including The Annual Juried Jeffco Art Teacher’s Exhibit at the Lakewood Cultural Center receiving awards for her jewelry and printmaking.
She is a member of the Colorado Watercolor Society and an avid Plein Air painter.
Learn more about Lara by visiting her website.
QUESTIONS
Please direct questions to Lara at larahoops@icloud.com.