Workshop: Watercolor Painting Techniques for Beginners

WORKSHOP
WATERCOLOR PAINTING TECHNIQUES FOR BEGINNERS
Saturday, October 25th | 1:00pm – 4:00pm

$45 | General Admission
$35 | Surel’s Place Sustaining Member Admission (register with Special Passcode)
Partial scholarships are available by request to info@surelsplace.org.

Watercolor is a vibrant, approachable medium that invites creativity—even if you’ve never picked up a brush before! In this workshop, artist Yidan Guo will guide you through the fundamentals of watercolor, making it easy to start exploring.

You’ll learn essential basics, including:

• Key materials (paints, brushes, paper) and how to use them
• Core techniques: wet-on-wet (blending colors on damp surface), wet-on-dry (applying color to dry surface), and dry-on-dry (layering crisp, dry brushstrokes)
• Brushwork styles and simple composition tips to make your art feel balanced

Yidan will demonstrate each technique step-by-step, and you’ll get plenty of hands-on time to practice. By the end of the workshop, you’ll walk away with new skills and a finished watercolor piece of your own to take home.

No prior experience needed—just bring curiosity and a willingness to play!
All experience levels are welcome. All materials supplied.

BIOGRAPHY

Yidan’s journey as a painter has spanned thousands of miles, from her birthplace in China to her present home in the US. This migratory experience has deeply influenced her choice of subject matter: women who are immigrants and refugees. As an Asian immigrant and a woman artist, there’s a shared bond, a collective experience of navigating new cultures, which forms the core of her creative exploration.

At the age of 15, Yidan began eight years of rigorous training at China Central Academy of Fine Arts – the most prestigious art school in China and earned her Bachelor of Art degree in Chinese Painting. In 2005 she earned a master’s degree in Philosophy from Renmin University of China and a MFA from Idaho State University in 2024.