Painting the Golden Hour, September (five sessions)
Adult Class | Available
The golden hour—also known as the magic hour— is the time just before sundown as light becomes soft and warm, enhancing the atmosphere of the world around us - offering a unique opportunity to study color, light, and mood. This class is a chance to explore watercolor painting in Philadelphia when the light is at its most captivating.
Techniques for working quickly, refining your observational abilities, and embracing a pleinair experience. Classes will begin with a focus on a particular technique or a demo, followed by a couple hours of personal painting time with intermittent individual coaching, and concluding with group feedback to support both technical growth, personal expression and confidence. Suggested for students with some prior experience in watercolor painting technique.
Participants will focus on building watercolor skills while observing and responding to shifting conditions.
What you will learn:
1. Strengthening core watercolor techniques including washes, layering, and brushwork
2. Observing and painting shifting light, color, and atmosphere outdoors
3. Developing speed and confidence in capturing the setting
4. Creating a series of small works or studies across varied Philadelphia locations
Bring these to first class:
Watercolor Paint: Tubes are preferable but also acceptable are pans. A basic set of 10 “artist quality” colors is good. Reputable brands include Windsor and Newton, Schmincke, Sennelier, Van Gogh, and Holbein.
Recommended Colors: Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Red, Cadmium Orange, Sap Green, Cerulean Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Dioxazine Violet, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Windsor Gray, Lamp Black, Chinese (Zinc) White.
Brushes: Small round soft (#4, 5, or 6), medium round soft (#10, 11, or 12), 1/2" and 1” flat, liner, and mop.
Paper: minimum 140 lb (aka ~300gsm) weight, cold press. Blocks are prefered. 9”x12” recommended. Arches Aquarelle is best commonly available brand.
Tray for Paints: Tray with 12 or more cells to hold different colors of pigments if using tube paint and 6 or so areas for color mixing. Mixing tray with six or so areas for color mixing if using paint in pans.
Other Essential Equipment: Rags or paper towels, water supply and two cup-size containers, sketch book, graphite pencils, eraser, sharpener or Xacto knife.
Other Optional Equipment: Masking fluid, sponge, spray bottle, color wheel, portable chair, something to carry it all in.
-
William Becker
Bill Becker is a retired architect. About 30 years ago he took up watercolor painting to find more direct means of artistic expression outside the constraints of his typically client-oriented design practice. Self-taught, at first, he came to realize that progress came more quickly through exposure to good classes and teachers. Over the years he has studied at Fleisher and PAFA and been exposed to numerous different instructors and methodologies.
Through his own struggles with learning watercolor painting he has become aware of the need for a watercolor course that helps build fundamental skills and confidence and has designed his “boot camp” class. Building on the principles of that course, he now offers classes for intermediate and more experienced watercolorists interested in improving their technique while painting landscape and Philadelphia specific subjects.