Experimental Watercolour Landscapes

This event will be bookable on Monday 3 August 2026.

Contemporary landscapes embracing the versatility of watercolour paint and other graphic media.

Join us for this new one-day workshop and learn about the versatility of watercolour paint and ways to combine it with other graphic media to create expressive landscape paintings.

Tutor Peter Clayton will demonstrate using the medium freely or with control to express various moods and atmospheres. Aimed at adventurous newcomers to watercolour painting or those with some experience who wish to discover new approaches and techniques, this one-day workshop will be split into two parts:

During the first part of the day you will be shown how to use the medium freely and paint in a relaxed way. We will explore how to work from light to dark tones, use wet-in-wet techniques to create softness and wet-on-dry techniques to create sharper marks. We will also begin to explore the use of colour and see how strong colour and tonal contrast can create a feeling of energy, movement and change in a landscape painting.

Later in the day will focus on how to use the medium with more control and suggest a more structured approach to your compositions. By adding the use o fwhite gouache students will learn the expressive effect of creating muted colours and how these elements contribute to creating a sense of calm in a landscape.

Throughout the day we’ll also be using additional graphic media (pencils, pens, coloured pencils etc) to enhance the expressive qualities of watercolour paint.

The tutor will provide visual reference material in the form of photographs of various landscape environments but you are encouraged to bring your own images and memories to make your work more personal.

A few artists who use watercolour in various ways who you may wish to explore for inspiration include: Eric Ravilious, Paul Klee, John Singer Sargent, Ann Blockley, Miranda Brookes, Sesshu Toyo, J.M.W Turner and John Piper.

About the tutor:

Tutor Peter Clayton holds a Fine Art degree and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. Over 40+ year career he has shown in over 160 solo and group exhibitions in commercial and public galleries.

He has collaborated widely with artists of various disciplines, undertaken residences, painted murals and worked with local authorities, museums, interior designers and publishers. His personal work has encompassed a wide variety of painting and printmaking media. Subject matter has been inspired by the landscape (particularly woodland), architecture and family history. Pete is a member of Leicester Society of Artists and Leicester Print Workshop and has taught courses in Adult and Further Education at numerous venues, including Attenborough Arts, for many years.

Further information:

All materials will be provided.

This one-day workshop will start at 10:30am and end at 4:40pm, with a short break for lunch. Our café will be open or you are welcome to bring your own refreshments.

Participants must be aged 18+.

If the course/workshop you’d like to book is sold out, we do operate a waiting list – simply contact our box office team on 0116 252 2455 / arts-centre@le.ac.uk and ask to be added to the waiting list. We’ll then contact you if a place becomes available, with absolutely no obligation to accept it if you’ve made other plans!

Please ensure that you read and agree to our updated Terms & Conditions before booking as courses/workshops are non-refundable if cancelled within 21 days of the start date for any reason.

We aim to make all our sessions as accessible as possible and carers/PAs are very welcome – just remember to book their free place when you book your session. If you’d like to talk to us in advance of booking or attending your sessions to discuss your access needs, our Box Office team is here to help! Email arts-centre@le.ac.uk, pop in or call 0116 252 2455, open 7 days a week.

We have four blue badge parking spaces outside Attenborough Arts Centre, plus double yellow line roadside parking very close to the building for blue badge holders for up to three hours if our parking spaces are occupied.

Free parking for all customers is available after 5pm on weekdays and all day at weekends in the University of Leicester car park next door to Attenborough Arts Centre on Lancaster Road. The closest public car park for parking at all other times is Victoria Park, 5-10 minutes walk from us (near De Montfort Hall).