This is a fun activity in Bank, London
Always wanted to try watercolour but found it hard to start on your own? This is a systematic foundation for anyone serious about learning authentic technique.
This 3.5-hour workshop is a proper deep dive, not a taster. It's led by an award-winning illustrator in a professional studio dedicated solely to watercolour, and you'll leave not just with a finished painting but with the skills to keep going on your own. Many of our students move straight from this workshop into our advanced classes to create original work.
What you'll learn
You'll explore professional watercolour techniques including wet-on-wet and dry-on-dry, and complete a full landscape painting in your first class. We guide you through recreating a painting step by step, from sketching to inking to laying down colour. Choose from four landscape samples, each focusing on a different set of techniques.
We'll also show you how to choose watercolour materials for yourself — selecting paper, mounting it, choosing pigments and matching them to brushes — so you can carry on at home without guesswork.
The materials we use
Using good tools is the fastest way to fall in love with watercolour, so we provide everything and you don't need to buy a thing.
- A mistake-proof palette: a personally curated selection of pigments from Daniel Smith, Winsor & Newton, Sennelier and Schmincke. They stay vibrant and resist going muddy, so mixing beautiful tones is far easier.
- Arches 300g paper: the gold standard. 100% cotton, absorbs water beautifully and stays flat, so your painting looks clean and high-end even on your first attempt.
- Professional squirrel hair brushes: soft and high-quality, holding far more paint than synthetics and giving smooth, fluid strokes.
Prepared before you arrive
We wet-mount your paper by hand before every class — a time-consuming professional technique where the paper is soaked and stretched onto a board. It means your paper stays flat as a drum however much water you use, so you can focus on painting instead of fighting buckling and puddles. It's a luxury usually reserved for professional studios.
Your tutor
Vencho Wang is an award-winning illustrator endorsed by Arts Council England, a recognition reserved for artists showing exceptional potential. Her studio focuses exclusively on watercolour, and her aim is to share the techniques and creative mindset of professional illustration with people bridging the gap between hobby and artistry.
Our studio is open every Saturday for both foundation workshops and advanced sessions. To see our students' work and progress, visit our Instagram gallery: @venchoartstudio.
