What the participants said:

Thanks Helen & Magda, the course was very well structured and we learned some good tips. Good timing too, with year-end vacation coming up, there will be some time to practice more, and hopefully the watercolour tubes, brushes and paper will be under the Christmas tree.

Project 1 - still life with pumpkin

• Draw simplified pumpkin shape in square format
• Put a wash of vandyke brown mixed with blue violet all over the paper
• Dab out the pumpkin shape with kitchen paper while still wet - then leave to dry
• Add the pumpkin patterns with azo yellow and vermillion working from pale to darker colours
• Don't forget to leave some pale areas

Project 2 – floral, wet in wet with salt and plastic food wrap

• draw 3 large flower shapes of different sizes 2/3 of the way up the paper (should touch the edges of the painting)
• use ultramarine and viridian in different amounts on the bottom (larger) section place food wrap on one section (don't use over the whole area)
• turn painting upsidedown and paint utramarine blue and alizerin (or madder) sprinkle on salt in definate areas (don't sprinkle all over - it's not pizza!)
• put aside & allow to dry naturally ( you can't use the hairdryer as the salt flies off!)

Project 3 - Landscape trees from a photo with masking fluid (frisket)

• Draw tree shapes and bushes
• Paint a light wash of ultramarine blue behind the trees for the sky, add some blue tones to the foreground
• Add splattering with masking fluid and sloid lines for the fence - leave to dry
• Mix raw sienna/viridian and burnt sienna/viridian for the bushes (beware  viridian is very strong don't use unmixed unless you are sure of the result
• paint the patterns on the bark of the trees