Watercolour Landscape Workshop: Beginners

Start painting landscapes in watercolour with our painting short courses in Sydney!

Step into the world of watercolour with this relaxed, beginner-friendly landscape painting workshop at Sydney Community College. This one-session class introduces you to the unique qualities of watercolour and teaches essential techniques used to capture light, atmosphere and depth in the landscape.

Through demonstrations and guided practice, you will learn how to observe and simplify landscape forms, work with water and pigment, explore colour mixing, and practise key watercolour techniques such as wet on wet, wet on dry and dry brush. Students will complete a small landscape study that brings together the techniques introduced in the workshop.

This workshop is ideal for beginners who enjoy observing the natural world and want a supportive and enjoyable environment to explore watercolour painting. It also provides a taste of watercolour before continuing into a longer course at Sydney Community College. 

Learning outcomes

By the end of this workshop, you should be able to:

• Understand how watercolour paint behaves and how to adjust paint consistency with water.
• Identify different types of watercolour paper and how they affect your painting.
• Use a variety of brushes to create different marks and textures.
• Practise managing timing and water control with wet on wet and other techniques.
• Explore basic landscape elements, including skies, trees and ground with simple shapes and washes.
• Complete a small landscape painting that integrates the techniques introduced in class.

Course content

What will be covered in this watercolour landscape workshop?

• Introduction to watercolour materials and their behaviour.
• Techniques including wet on wet, wet on dry and dry brush.
• Basic colour mixing and layering washes.
• Brushwork for texture, light and depth.
• Observation, simplification and composition of the landscape.
• Step-by-step painting of a small landscape study.

Intended audience

Who is this painting workshop for?

This workshop is suitable for beginners and those new to watercolour painting. It is ideal for anyone who wants to explore landscape painting in a calm and supportive setting. No prior experience is required, just a willingness to explore, play and enjoy the process.

Course venue

Rozelle Campus

2A Gordon Street, Rozelle NSW 2039 (corner of Gordon Street and Victoria Road on the grounds of St. Joseph’s Church) 

Course materials

What to bring to class

Recommended materials

• Two round brushes – small and medium sizes (for example, size 6 or 8 and size 10)
• One medium-sized dagger brush
• Watercolour paper – 100% cotton, cold press, 200/300gsm (Fabriano, Arches or Baohong recommended)
• HB pencil and kneadable eraser
• Waterproof fineliner (Uni Pin or similar) – sizes 0.2 and 0.4

*If you already have your own watercolour materials, you are welcome to bring them along and use what you are comfortable with.

Additional information

• Closed-in shoes required
• Please wear old clothes and/or bring an apron
• Long hair must be tied back