Beginner Drawing and Watercolor I

Next session: Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | 10:00am-1:00pm

Details:

This eight-week, beginner-friendly series starts with basic drawing exercises before moving into step-by-step instruction in watercolor techniques, such as color mixing, washes, and layering. Experienced instructor Vivian Jones-Schmidt teaches from curriculum designed by Linda Abbey. No experience necessary.

Class fee: $240. Materials fee: $42, payable to instructor at first class. 

Required materials:

• 9” x 12” sketchbook, 50 sheets, at least 70 lb. wt.
• Several sheets of cheaper watercolor paper [e.g., Canson or Strathmore] for practice
• 2B, 4B, HB and any others you have
• 3-4 micron pens of various widths
• Compressed charcoal, vine charcoal, charcoal pencils [your choice]
• Erasers [kneaded and firm: Faber-Castell, Staedtler, etc.]
• White artist’s tape
• Tubes of Watercolor Paints: Cerulean blue, Ultramarine blue, Cadmium yellow light, Yellow ochre, Cadmium red light, Alizarin crimson, Burnt sienna, Burnt umber, Hooker’s green light Paints [Cotman, Grumbacher, Daniel Smith, Blick, van Gogh, American Journey–shop the sales!]
• Large covered mixing palette with at least 12 largish wells and large mixing areas, #2 or #3 rigger
• Brushes: **Blick Studio Sableine round brush, size #16 or the equivalent, #10 and #6 round brushes, ¾” flat brush
• 1-2 natural sponges and one 3”X5” kitchen sponge [Please rinse well to remove sizing.]
• Spray bottle and a sponge
• Compass [geometric, inexpensive] and a 15” ruler [cork-backed metal rulers are the easiest to work with]
• Flashlight [Your phone flashlight will work well.]
• Paper towels
• Painting boards—I’ll have large painting boards for you to borrow, but if you have your own, please feel free to bring them.

**Choose the brand of paint you prefer. [Please do not buy the cheapest paint, for example, Artist’s Loft. Paints are cheap because they don’t contain the amount of pigment you’ll need for your work. Your work is worthy of the respect implied by quality materials!]

The Art Box [in Crozet and in the Ivy Square Shopping Center] carries most of these supplies and offers a 20% discount if you tell them you’re a student.

The $42 materials fee will cover 8 pieces of Arches watercolor paper, 3 mats for the end-of-course exhibit, and the Strathmore 500 illustration light vellum board for the “snow” painting. If you already have Arches paper, please just pay me $23. 

Instructor Bio:

Vivian Jones-Schmidt has over 25 years of experience teaching art to students in grades K–8 and currently teaches middle school art online, as well as art classes at The Center. 

Members only.

Location:
The Center

Cancelation Policy: Please notify us at least 5 business days in advance of the program’s start date. Cancellations made less than 5 days in advance will not be eligible for a refund or credit.
Note: Many art, music, and language programs are structured as a series, with a specific number of sessions scheduled over a defined period of time. Missed sessions within a series are not eligible for refunds.