Watercolour Christmas Robin | Saturday 12th December

Celebrate the festive season with a relaxed and creative 3 hour watercolour workshop, exploring the beauty of a traditional Christmas robin.

We will approach the painting gradually, building confidence and developing our techniques through a series of smaller studies before progressing to a larger finished painting.

Starting with the robin itself, we will explore its shape, proportions and beautiful colouring, learning how to use transparent washes and gentle layers to bring the bird to life.

We will then turn our attention to the traditional holly bush, learning how to draw its distinctive pointed leaves and clusters of berries. Through separate exercises on smaller pieces of watercolour paper, we will practise painting holly leaves, exploring different greens, shapes, textures and ways of arranging the foliage.

Once we have explored the individual elements, we will bring everything together in a small square Christmas composition. This can be developed into a beautiful handmade Christmas card, giving you the opportunity to create something personal to share with family and friends.

Finally, we will progress to a larger A4 painting, combining everything we have learnt to create a charming vintage-style Christmas robin with a soft, atmospheric background, holly and festive details.

Techniques we will explore include:

• Drawing the robin and understanding its shape and proportions.

• Drawing holly leaves, exploring their distinctive shapes and pointed edges.

• Blending warm colours to capture the robin's distinctive red-orange breast.

• Using wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry watercolour techniques.

• Layering transparent washes to build depth, shadows and feather detail.

• Creating a smooth, atmospheric blue background with gradual colour transitions.

• Painting delicate holly leaves using varied greens, layering and tonal contrast.

• Painting vibrant red berries with highlights and shadows.

• Adding snow, highlights and finishing details using white gouache.

The emphasis is on enjoying the process, exploring the qualities of watercolour and creating your own beautiful festive painting. No previous experience is necessary, and I will guide you through each stage so you can work at your own pace.

Materials: You are welcome to bring your own art supplies if you wish. I will also provide watercolour paper, along with my own paints, brushes and palettes for mixing and exploring colour.

Workshop details:

• Date: 12/12/206

• Duration: 3 hours

• Day and time: 12th December 1-4pm

• Cost: £45

• Suitable for: Beginners and those with some watercolour experience.

Come along, enjoy a little festive creativity and paint a beautiful vintage Christmas robin to take home!