Watercolour for beginners

10am-12 on the following dates:
12, 19, 26 January, and 2, 9 February 2026 (5 sessions)

Venue: Upstairs in the Kennington Village centre, Kennington Rd, Kennington, Oxford OX1 5PG

Cost: £25 per class if you bring your own materials, paid termly in advance (£125).

If you don’t have your own materials, I can provide these at an additional cost of £10 per class. This is useful if you’re not sure if you want to invest in your own materials. The cost would then be £175, paid termly in advance.

Booking is now open for this five-week course. Aimed at total beginners, these sessions are a gentle and fun introduction to watercolour painting. We will cover the basics of paint-to-water ratio, brush technique, and how the paint works (blending, transparency and layering). We will then move onto wet-in-wet and wet-on-dry techniques. Subjects are mostly florals, animals and still life. Maximum class size: 16

Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided.

The beautiful thing about watercolour is that it’s a very technical medium, and therefore very teachable. Anyone can learn it and you don’t need drawing skills! If you have any questions, send me an email using the booking button below.

Please scroll down to see FAQs and Cancellation policy.

Check back here for a materials list (coming soon).

FAQs:

I can’t make all the sessions, can I book individual sessions?

No, sorry. Booking is per term, payable in advance. But you're very welcome to send a friend in your place — just let me know their name in advance. Please note, it's up to you to arrange this.

I can’t make all the sessions, can I carry missed sessions over to another course?

No, sorry. It is simply too much administration for me to offer this. But you're very welcome to send a friend in your place — just let me know their name in advance. Please note, it's up to you to arrange this.

I’m a total beginner. Will this class be suitable for me?

Yes! And you don’t even need any drawing skills!

Can I pay in instalments?

Yes, you can pay in two instalments.

Cancellation Policy for Term Bookings

When you sign up for a term of watercolour classes, your place is reserved for the whole term. This helps keep class sizes consistent, and ensures I can plan materials and sessions in advance.

Cancelling Before the Term Starts

• If you cancel more than 7 days before the start of term, you'll receive a full refund.

• If you cancel within 7 days of the start of term, I’ll refund 50% of your fee, unless your place can be filled.

Missing a Class During Term Time

• If you can’t attend a class, you're very welcome to send a friend in your place — just let me know their name in advance. Please note, it's up to you to arrange this.

• If you can’t find someone to take your place, I’m not able to offer refunds or carry the session over to a future term.

• Where possible, I’ll offer a short email summary, or notes from the class, or suggestions for independent practice at home.

Cancelling Mid-Term

• If you need to withdraw from the course part-way through the term, refunds will not be possible, unless your place can be filled.

• In exceptional circumstances (eg. illness or emergency), please get in touch — I’ll do my best to help.

Thank you for understanding — this policy helps keep the classes sustainable for everyone involved.

If I need to cancel:

If for any reason I need to cancel a class (illness, emergency, etc.), I’ll be in touch as soon as possible. The class will be rescheduled to a backup date. If you can’t attend the backup date, you’ll have the option of a refund for that lesson, or a credit for a future class that suits you.

Meet Your Tutor

Catherine Jennifer is an artist, art educator and top teacher on Skillshare. Her online classes have won Skillshare awards and two classes have received “Staff Picks”.

Catherine studied Fine Art (Painting) at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, before relocating to the UK.

She teaches cover lessons at the Sunningwell School of Art, and runs an Art Club in Kennington. She believes that anyone can enjoy art, and is particularly interested in helping people overcome resistance to discover and develop their creative confidence.

Catherine is a mother of four boys, aged 16, 14, and 8-year-old twins.

Photos from 2024 Watercolour Taster Course below, Lots of laughter and fun with paint!