Watercolor - Florence, Italy

Watercolor

After having studied the basic notions of color theory and the techniques of form and content, transparency and opacity through the "language" of figurative painting, the students will begin to paint on paper.

A large portion of the lessons, will take place outside of the classroom, in order to utilize to its fullest, the landscapes of the squares, streets, monuments and hillsides of Florence. Visits to museums and art exhibits considered useful to course may also be scheduled.

Watercolor, also known as aquarelle, is a painting technique where paintings made of pigments suspended or dissolved in water are used. Although the grounds used in watercolor painting vary, the most common is paper. Others include papyrus, bark papers, leather, fabric, wood, and canvas. All of these will be dealt with during the watercolor lessons.

The watercolor painting, usually referred to as brush painting in Asian art contexts, has a long history in many parts of the world. In Chinese and Japanese painting it has been the dominant means, often in monochrome black or brown, when it is usually called ink. India, Ethiopia and other countries also have long traditions in this art form. In Florence, there is a broad range of styles in watercolor painting most of them can be learned and practiced at a watercolor course in Florence.

Watercolor has also been used for manuscript illumination since at least Egyptian times, and was a major part of European manuscript painting on vellum (often mixed with tempera). Paper coming from the Islamic world, via the Islamic Spain, to Europe, where it was being manufactured in Germany and Italy before the year 1400. From the introduction of the old master print around 1400, most printings were colored after printing until at least the latter part of the century, although the practice continued in some cases, such as English satirical printings, until the nineteenth century. You can find many watercolor courses in Florence because Florence is the cradle of all the best art courses and art lessons in Italy,
From the seventeenth century to the present, the British school of watercolor, which especially features landscape subjects, has been perhaps the most continuous and widely followed tradition in Europe.

Watercolor painting was also used in cartoons and large paintings. In Germany, Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) painted watercolors, including the earliest pure landscape studies. An important school of watercolor painting in Germany was led by Hans Bol (1534-1593) as part of the Dürer Renaissance. We offer distinguished watercolor courses in Florence.

Watercolor painting was also used by other famous artists, including Van Dyck, Claude, Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, and many Dutch and Flemish artists, including many who worked in Britain, and founded the British school.

The early stages of the "California Style" of watercolor painting started in the 1920s and is described in California Watercolors 1850-1970. Milford Zornes is recognized as a leader in the California Style watercolor movement. His style was different from the traditional use of watercolor in which color was added to pencil drawings. His work is distinguished because he applied transparent washes of color to large sheets of paper, allowing the white to show through and define shapes. Come to Florence and have watercolor lessons in Italy.