This class is for students who are new to watercolor or have worked on their own and are looking to improve their watercolor skills with step-by-step instructions. The instructor will discuss various watercolor supplies and suggest appropriate starting materials. Students will learn to recognize various levels of paper wetness and how to use them to achieve the desired watercolor effects. Under the guidance of the instructor, students will also practice various techniques such as basic color mixing, brush strokes, various types of washes and more.

Wednesday, January 18 and 25
5 – 9 pm

Instructor: Iva Neveux
Ages: (15+) | All Levels

Supply list: Bring a confirmation receipt to Nevada Fine Arts for a 10% discount. 

• 100% Cotton watercolor paper, 140 lb, cold press (various brands are available: Fluid, Arches, Fabriano Artistico, Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress, Bee paper, etc.)
• Strathmore Watercolor Pad, 400 Series, 140 lb, cold press, 9”x12” (It has a brown cover. Do NOT get the pad with the yellow cover!)
• Various sizes of watercolor brushes
• Mechanical pencil
• Kneaded eraser
• Roll of paper towers
• 2 water containers 

Students will be introduced to portrait painting techniques in this weekend intensive. Instructor will cover such topics as using a two-color palette, value scales, keying a painting, as well as, using both line and mass to create a portrait. Students may use acrylic or oil paint.

Saturday and Sunday, February 18 and 19
9 am – 2 pm

Instructor: Daniel Helzer
Ages: 15 and up | All Levels

Supply list: Show email confirmation at Nevada Fine Arts for a 10% discount.

• Oil/Acrylic colors:
• White
• Black
• Ultramarine Blue
• Yellow (Hansa Yellow, Cadmium Yellow or something similar)
• Assortment of brushes.
• Red (Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson or something similar)
• Palette knife, paper towels and a few canvas boards, 8×10 or bigger.

For Oils: Gamsol, tourpintine or walnut oil for use as a brush medium or cleaner.

Working in oil paint, students will explore value divisions in landscapes and the basics of brush sketching and massing. With these skills students will learn how to relate color to value and will gain a better understanding of identifying spatial cues in a landscape. Using foundational skills students can then explore under-painting, glazing and dry-brushing techniques.

Saturday and Sunday, January 21 and 22
9 am – 2 pm

Instructor: Daniel Helzer
Ages: 15 and up | All Levels

• Supply list: Show email confirmation at Nevada Fine Arts for a 10% discount.

  • Canvas Board 16×12 or smaller
  • Palette Knife
  • Palette
  • Paper Towels
  • Selection of bristle brushes (small, med and large)
  • Assortment of brushes.
  • Palette knife, paper towels and a few canvas boards, 8×10 or bigger.

  Paint Colors:

  • Cobalt Blue
  • Ultramarine Blue
  • Thalo Blue
  • Dioxazine Purple
  • Cadmium Red Light
  • Cadmium Yellow or Hansa Yellow
  • Burnt Sienna
  • Titanium White

  For Oils: Gamsol, turpentine or walnut oil for use as a brush medium or cleaner.

Using color and shape, this class will focus on a different style of painting each day. Students will learn new techniques and create a different piece of art each day ranging from lifelike to abstract. Students will learn the foundations of drawing and color theory which can be applied to various practices and mediums in art. 

Monday, February 6 – 27 
5:30 – 7:30 pm

Instructor: Meredith Durand
Ages: 7-12 | All Levels

Join this class to create festive cards for the winter season. Under the guidance of the instructor, students will be using ‘wet on wet’ and ‘wet on dry’ watercolor techniques. There will be a variety of card designs to choose from or feel free to create your own using personal inspiration. 

Wednesday, December 7
5 – 9 pm

Instructor: Iva Neveux
Ages: Adult (15+) | All Levels

Supply List: Show confirmation receipt at Nevada Fine Arts for a 10% discount.

• Watercolor Pallet including your preferred reds, yellows, blues
• Variety of watercolor brushes including a 1” flat, #1 or 2, #4, # 8 round brushes and a rigger brush   
• Pad of Arches cold press 140 lb watercolor paper (9”x12” or larger), other 100% cotton brands will also work (Daler Rowney, Bee Paper, Winsor Newton)
• Graphite or mechanical pencil
• Spray bottle or mister
• Kneaded eraser
• Two plastic water containers
• Roll of paper towels
• (optional) Ruler
• (optional) Black watercolor paper (optional)   

Working in oil paint, students will explore value divisions in landscapes and the basics of brush sketching and massing. With these skills students will learn how to relate color to value and will gain a better understanding of identifying spatial cues in a landscape. Using foundational skills students can then explore under-painting, glazing and dry-brushing techniques.

Saturday and Sunday, October 29 and 30
9 am – 2 pm

Instructor: Daniel Helzer
Ages: 15 and up | All Levels

• Supply list: Show email confirmation at Nevada Fine Arts for a 10% discount.

  • Canvas Board 16×12 or smaller
  • Palette Knife
  • Palette
  • Paper Towels
  • Selection of bristle brushes (small, med and large)
  • Assortment of brushes.
  • Palette knife, paper towels and a few canvas boards, 8×10 or bigger.

  Paint Colors:

  • Cobalt Blue
  • Ultramarine Blue
  • Thalo Blue
  • Dioxazine Purple
  • Cadmium Red Light
  • Cadmium Yellow or Hansa Yellow
  • Burnt Sienna
  • Titanium White

  For Oils: Gamsol, turpentine or walnut oil for use as a brush medium or cleaner.

Open up new possibilities with your watercolors by painting on Ampersand’s Aqua Board panels. Once complete, these paintings can then be sealed for protection, using either a cold wax or spray varnish, and framed without glass. In this class, students will understand how to prep the boards before painting, learn how easy it is to fix problem areas, how to keep washes smooth, and adding layers and values. A working knowledge of watercolors is preferred.

Sunday, October 16
10 am – 3 pm

Instructor: Ronnie Rector
Ages: Adult (15+) | Some watercolor experience preferred

Supplies List: Show email confirmation receipt at Nevada Fine Arts to receive a 10% discount.

• Ampersand Aquabord panel, 8×10 – either flat or cradled
• 2” to 3” Hake brush
• Your usual watercolor supplies:
• Professional-grade paints like Daniel Smith or M Graham preferred.
• Palette for mixing colors, like a plate with edges or a 6×9 metal cookie sheet.
• Watercolor Brushes: rounds and/or flats.
• Try to bring good-sized brushes, like a size 10 round and/or a ½” flat.
• Wide-mouthed container for water
• Paper towels
• Mr. Clean Magic Eraser – original version, not with detergent
• Pieces of scrap watercolor paper

Questions? Email me – ronnierector@yahoo.com

In this workshop, I will share with you some really great tips, tricks and techniques I have learned along the way, either through my own experimentation or from some pretty amazing artists including Carl Purcell, Karen Frey, the late, great, Charles Reid, and John Salminen. You don’t need to be an expert for this class; I’ll show you how a lot of special effects are accomplished, and how to get those really great darks that make your paintings exceptional! No middle-value blah paintings here!

*This class will be held in the Redfield Learning Center on the 3rd floor of the Museum. 

Sunday, November 6
10 am – 3 pm

Instructor: Ronnie Rector
Ages: Adult (15+) | Working knowledge of watercolor painting is recommended.

Supply list: Bring your confirmation receipt

1 or 2 artist-quality watercolors and brushes, size 8 and 6 rounds are great; a 2” or 3” Hake brush and an inexpensive rigger for masking.

Watercolor paper – 1 full 22×30” sheet of good quality watercolor paper (Arches or Fabriano), cold press

• 1 piece 16×20” foam core or other stiff board to mount paper to
• Masking tape
• Masking fluid
• Small container of salt
• Small bar of soap (hotel sized type)
• Paper towels
• Generously sized container for water
• 1 sheet graphite transfer paper
• Ball-point pen for tracing image (suggest blue or red to see where you’ve traced)
• Spray bottle for water (small Windex bottle works great)
• Blow dryer
• 1 clean baby food jar or similar small container with secure lid

Interested in learning how to paint animals? In this class, students will work with the instructor to learn techniques to create whimsical animal portraits in watercolor and ink. Using a simple approach, this style is great for journaling and greeting cards.  

Thursday, October 13
10 am – 2 pm

Instructor: Carroll Charlet
Ages: Adult (15+) |  All Levels

Supply List: Show an email confirmation at Nevada Fine Arts for a 10% discount. 

• Supply list:
• Basic Watercolor kit
• A med sized WC brush and a small, pointed WC brush, # 4 or smaller
• Fine tipped (.005) water resistant black ink pen. Recommend Micron.
• White guache
• 2 sheets of #140 lb. Water color paper (Strathmore 400series or Arches)
•  Paper can be purchased from Instructor for $2 a sheet

Inspired by her Czechoslovakian heritage, instructor Iva Neveux will introduce student to basic painting techniques to create beautiful holiday ornaments. Each student will create two hand-painted ornaments using combinations of dots, lines, dashes and curves.  All materials included with registration.

Wednesday, November 30
5 – 8 pm

Instructor: Iva Neveux
Ages: Adults (15+) | All levels