World of Watercolour: Capturing Colour, Light and Mood

Immerse yourself in the luminous world of watercolour and explore the fluidity and expressive potential of this beautiful medium, working across landscapes, still life, and the human figure.

Through a balance of structured lessons, demonstrations and exercises you’ll develop a deeper understanding of watercolour’s unique language. Learn to harness the interplay of pigment and water, from soft wet washes to delicate glazing and dry brush techniques. Discover how to mix colours intuitively, organise your palette effectively, and preserve the light and vibrancy in your work.

With demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and group discussions, this course encourages you to refine your technique while embracing spontaneity. Whether sketching quickly or creating more sustained pieces, you’ll be supported in finding your own rhythm and artistic style. Open to beginners and experienced artists alike, you’ll find an inspiring environment to experiment, refine, and bring your watercolours to life.

*NAS Short Courses are open to students of ages 16 years and over. The NAS Art Club is open to students from ages 15 years and over.

*Drawing and painting short courses may be held in upstairs studios. If access to stairs is not suitable, please contact NAS Short Courses Administration at short.courses@nas.edu.au

* What to bring? Please refer to the list of required materials in the Art Materials field below.

Tanya Baily is a multi-award-winning artist specialising in watercolour painting. She exhibits in Australia and internationally and takes commissions from her studio in Sydney. She is a member of the Australian Watercolour Institute and has won the Rex Irwin Prize (2011) and the National Watercolour Prize (2019). She is a frequent finalist in major national art prizes. Tanya was educated at Oxford University, London’s Chelsea School of Art and COFA at the University of NSW, where she completed a Masters in Painting. Tanya is an experienced art educator and teaches classes and workshops in watercolour painting at a number of institutions and art schools.

Students must supply their own art materials, please refer to the list below.

Enclosed footwear is essential in all studios on campus.

Basic materials

• Good quantity of high-quality watercolour paper, approx. A4 size or A3 size preferable – Arches 300gsm loose sheets divided up yourself is the ideal paper
• Watercolour pan palette(s)
• 2 clean jars or containers
• Soft pencil, eraser, ruler, masking tape
• Sketchbook or paper for drawing up composition plans
• Box of tissues

Watercolour paints

Buy quality paints such as Winsor & Newton, Art Spectrum, Daniel Smith, Schmincke or Old Holland. Below is a basic palette idea (with a cool and warm of each primary colour):

• Raw sienna
• Lemon yellow
• Windsor red (or cadmium)
• Alizarin crimson
• Prussian blue
• Ultramarine blue

Brushes

Soft-haired watercolour brushes, for example number 8, 10, 12 (e.g. Roymac revolution taklon round 10 or 8 / Artworks squirrel 2)

or

1 soft-haired watercolour brush 1 inch wash brush (flat) – for laying down washes (e.g. Francheville Ox Hair 5/8 Wash brush or Neef 3/4 camel hair wash/mop brush)

Note: These brands are example brushes however you can also bring any other watercolour brushes you have.

Optional extra materials (not for the first class)

• Masking fluid
• Inks and ink pen
• Watercolour sponge
• Loose sheets of thick cartridge paper for ink drawings
• Larger brushes

Optional: small hair dryer