Watercolour Art
Classes in Edinburgh

8-week adult art classes welcoming both beginner and intermediate levels. Come and create beautiful paintings and connect with likeminded creatives in Edinburgh.

Spring 2025 Watercolour Classes:
Enrolment Now Open


8-Week Watercolour Class (Wednesdays)
April 9th - June 4th 2025

8-Week Watercolour Class (Thursdays)
April 10th - June 5th 2025

8-Week Watercolour Spring Classes - Edinburgh
Class:
Register Here

About our Watercolour Painting Courses

This 8-week course is designed to help you discover more about yourself as an artist, develop new skills to build on your techniques and be a place for you to meet like-minded creatives within Edinburgh.

By the end of this course, you will have a solid understanding of watercolour as a medium, you’ll be part of a larger community of local artists.

…and the best part?

You’ll walk away with a portfolio of your own work! 

No experience is needed, as these classes are designed for beginners and intermediate painters who are looking to develop new skills and techniques, whilst building more confidence in painting with watercolour paints.

All Materials will also be provided for the whole course so all you need to bring is yourself and a bag to take home your beautiful projects.

The course is limited to 18 spaces, allowing you to make new friendships and have quality time with the tutor. All classes will start with some warm-up exercises, and each week we will progress through the different stages of building up to a final piece of work and a stunning sketchbook full of your ideas, compositions, and techniques that you can take home and continue building on.

Please get in touch if you have any questions.

We’re so excited to meet you!

Class Itinerary

  • This will be an introduction to the basics of watercolour painting, looking into types of paper and how to select the right kinds of paper and brushes for your watercolours.

  • We'll move on to techniques, such as wet-on-dry, wet-on-wet, and dry brushing. You'll learn the different effects that each technique can create, and how to use them in your watercolour paintings.

  • Dive into colour theory, whilst expanding on different brush techniques such as pushing and pulling your colours to create unique blending effects and learn how to mix your colours as well as how they can create different moods in your images.

  • We will be looking at complementary colours, focusing on how to utilise this for light and shade within your work, how they work together along with layering your colors for depth within the image.

  • You will be introduced to the principles of observation and scale and taught how to work with light to give your paintings a realistic and vibrant feel. You will also be taught how to create tonal values and work with different textures.

  • During this week, you will learn how to create larger pieces, from sketches and studies to different finishes, focusing on enhancing parts of the image, looking at how different compositions respond differently and how to varnish and look after the work once it’s complete.

  • You will be guided through the process of creating a final piece, looking at your previous compositions and learning techniques to create a stunning finished piece of work that you can take home!

Course Details

student learning art technique from teacher about painting flowers

Class Size:

Our 8 Week Watercolour course is limited to 18 participants, allowing you to have high-quality 1:1 time with your tutor,
and retaining an intimate setting for your collaborative work.

Spring Dates & Times:

Wednesday Class:

Every Wednesday evening starting

9th April - 4th June 2025

including a one-week break

Thursday Class:

Every Thursday evening starting

10th April - 5th June 2025

including a one-week break

Classes will run from 6:30pm until 8:15pm (Including a 15-minute break with light refreshments). There is also a cafe in the building where tea and coffee will be available during our breaks.

Location:

Classes are held at The French Institute Edinburgh, a beautiful cultural and creative building in the heart of the Royal Mile,
just a 7-minute walk from Edinburgh Waverly Station.

Address:

The French Institute
West Parliament Square
Edinburgh
EH1 1RF

Your Tutor:

Diana Kristin

Artist Diana Kristin smiling and in a yellow jacket

With a career in the creative industry spanning over 15 years, I am a passionate artist and freelancer based in Edinburgh. I started at Falmouth University where I was shortlisted for the MIDAS award during my Undergraduate Degree. The journey continued as I moved to Edinburgh to study at the Edinburgh College of Art and pursue my MFA in Contemporary Practice.

The invaluable experience gained through my freelance work in Glasgow as an Illustrator and Artist allowed me to complete my MA in Illustration & Design at the Glasgow School of Art where I was awarded the John Hamilton Scholarship, and an internship with Penguin Random House.

Today, I continue to express my creativity on a freelance basis, based in Edinburgh and working with many different clients across the UK & abroad.

Pricing & Registration

Your course fee includes:

High-Quality Materials Kit:

  • A Collection of Professional Watercolour Paints

  • A Set of Paint Brushes

  • 4 x 300gsm Art Paper

  • 1 x Hardback Sketchbook

  • 1x H3 Sketching Pencil

8-Week Watercolour Program:

  • 8 x Watercolour Workshops including personal 1:1 feedback on your art

  • 1 x Accompanying Watercolour Tutorial Handbook

Standard Admission: £375
Early Bird Rate: £295

Each class is limited to just 18 participants. This allows you to have high-quality 1:1 time with the tutor, and to retain an intimate setting for your collaborative work.

For any missed classes please get in touch with your tutor about catching up. All course material is covered in your course handbook given to you at the start of the course.

8-Week Watercolour Spring Classes - Edinburgh
Class:
Register Here

Any questions? Feel free to email diana@edinburghartworkshop.com

  • "As someone who has always been intimidated by painting, I was hesitant to take a class. However, Diana was kind, supportive, and knowledgeable, and she made the learning process feel accessible and enjoyable. I can't recommend her enough!"

    S Elanzen

  • "Diana's watercolour lessons have been a game-changer for me! Her teaching style is approachable and easy to follow, and I've seen a tremendous improvement in my skills since starting her classes."

    L Yates

  • "The lessons are not just informative, but also fun and engaging. She has a unique way of keeping students motivated and inspired to create beautiful artwork."

    C Ward

  • "I really enjoyed starting with basics, really helped build up confidence and skill. I also really enjoyed working on our final pieces in the last few weeks, found the individual support really valuable! I would highly recommend this course to anyone wishing to gain confidence with watercolour painting, and also those wishing to carve out an evening each week to be creative and have fun in a really welcoming space!"

    L.C

  • "The relaxed atmosphere. The materials provided. The tea and biscuits! I like the background music. Enjoyed the colour wheel"

    A.C

  • "Instruction about basic techniques was very useful as was the 'quick draw' exercise. I really enjoyed your videos at the end. Seeing how a painting comes alive was excellent, especially the cactus! For me, watching is even more valuable than hearing about how to tackle a subject. The whole course was inspiring, very well thought out and very enjoyable. Now comes the difficult part of putting it all into practice!"

    C.Wilson

 FAQ’s

  • A: The duration of the course is 8 weeks, with classes taking place once a week for 2 hours each session. Classes will be held at The French Institute in Edinburgh. All materials will be provided along with a 5-10 min break in each class for coffee, tea and discussion.

  • A: The maximum number of students per class is 18, to ensure each student gets the attention and support they need to develop their skills. This also allows for more meaningful and interactive discussions during the course.

  • A: Our 8-week watercolour course covers topics such as understanding colour, materials and techniques, fundamental painting skills, composition and design, and more. We will also discuss the history and fundamentals of watercolour painting, as well as the importance of creativity and personal expression. By the end of the course, you will have the skills and confidence to create beautiful watercolour paintings.

  • A: On completion of this course you will have a sketchbook with all of your techniques from the class, plus a beautiful final piece of your own to take home.

  • A: No, the fees for this course are all-inclusive. No additional fees or hidden charges will be incurred. Light refreshments are provided by the tutor, but there is also a cafe on site if you wish to purchase additional coffees/cakes etc.

  • A: All your supplies are included in the class, and will be provided to you during your first session.

  • Autumn 2024 Wednesday Classes:

    Week 1 - 2nd Oct

    Week 2 - 9th Oct

    Week 3 - 16th Oct

    [Mid-Term Break]

    Week 4 - 30th Oct

    Week 5 - 6th Nov

    Week 6 - 13th Nov

    Week 7 - 20th Nov

    Week 8 - 27th Nov


    Autumn 2024 Thursday Classes:

    Week 1 - 3rd Oct

    Week 2 - 10th Oct

    Week 3 - 17th Oct

    [Mid-Term Break]

    Week 4 - 31st Oct

    Week 5 - 7th Nov

    Week 6 - 14th Nov

    Week 7 - 21st Nov

    Week 8 - 28th Nov


    Spring 2025 Tuesday Classes:

    Week 1 - 8th April

    Week 2 - 15th April

    Week 3 - 22nd April

    Week 4 - 29th April

    [Mid-Term Break]

    Week 5 - 13th May

    Week 6 - 20th May

    Week 7 - 27th May

    Week 8 - 3rd June


    Spring 2025 Wednesday Classes:

    Week 1 - 9th April

    Week 2 - 16th April

    Week 3 - 23rd April

    Week 4 - 30th April

    [Mid-Term Break]

    Week 5 - 14th May

    Week 6 - 21st May

    Week 7 - 28th May

    Week 8 - 4th June


    Spring 2025 Thursday Classes:

    Week 1 - 10th April

    Week 2 - 17th April

    Week 3 - 24th April

    Week 4 - 1st May

    [Mid-Term Break]

    Week 5 - 15th May

    Week 6 - 22nd May

    Week 7 - 29th May

    Week 8 - 5th June

  • We will always re-cap from the last session. There is also a booklet given out in week one for you to follow along and keep track of your weeks.
    Please get in touch with the course leader if you aren’t able to make some of the dates so that we can work something out for you.