Eric Ravilious in Watercolour - Learn to paint Sussex Downs

Eric Ravilious in Watercolour is back!! 💫✨⭐️ This course is coming back for the 3rd time in the last two years as its such a popular one!

If you've ever been inspired by Eric Ravilious' paintings, or by the moody misty hills & cliffs of the Sussex Downs, this is a workshop for you. Hosted at the modern and airy space at Sealanes, spend a day with likeminded people, learning the basics of watercolour & landscape painting inspired by Ravilious's style.

`Painting above by Eric Ravilious 1903 - 1942. Ravilious is a famous artist who is known for his paintings & prints of the Sussex countryside.

What we'll be doing:

We’ll be going over basic watercolour skills such as paint consistency, brush strokes, colour mixing, layering and more. We'll learn specific skills that Ravilious uses in his paintings to create depth & mood. We will be working from books & reference images, as well as learning how to create our own compositions.

This workshop is 5 hours with a 30 min break. You are welcome to take other breaks in between when you feel like it! We're right next to the beach, so hopefully it'll be sunny and we can go and sit and look at the sea 🌊

Low pressure:

This class is a mixture of learning something new and more in depth as well as just having a lovely day. It’s a very low pressure and friendly class - while learning techniques - the most important thing is to just experiment and see what happens, and enjoy doing something arty surrounded by nature!

What you'll come away with:

• A sketchbook filled with mark making, experiments, drawings and paintings
• A few more finalised paintings inspired by Ravilious
• More techniques that can be used when painting in watercolour
• An understanding of painting landscapes

What's included:

• All materials
• 1 coffee per person

Who it's for:

Beginners and anyone keen on learning to paint in watercolour! Many people who come to my classes haven't painted since school - if you are one of those people you're very welcome.

If you have previous drawing experience it will help you to focus a little more on the watercolour technique, where as if you are totally new, just be prepared it may take a little longer to combine all of the techiques we are learning together! As long as you come with an open mind, and try not to pressure yourself to create a masterpiece but focus on experimenting and learning, thats the main thing :-)

How to get here:

The Clubhouse at Sealanes - if you go into the cafe, and then come out the back, you'll see this building! If not, just ask a staff member to point it out.

Just be aware that because the promenade (the big metal structure that goes all the way along Marine Parade) is under construction, the stairs next to Sealanes may be closed. So you may need to either walk / get a taxi down from Dukes Mound or along from the Palace Pier.

Public Transport / walking

• You can get any coaster bus (12, 12a, 14, 27 ) and get off at Bedford Street and then walk down the stairs
• Or you can walk/cycle from the Palace Pier along the seafront

Parking on Madeira Drive:

4 hours £15.70

11 hours £23.70

(Brighton parking is expensive sorry 😰)

YOUR TUTOR

Hi I'm Zara, your watercolour teacher! I am an artist based in Brighton and have been teaching watercolours for the last two years. Over that time, my classes have grown to 5 + classes per week. Most famously the classes at Waterstones, North Street on a weekday morning. In 2025 classes have expanded to include 'Plein Air' painting, which just means outdoor painting. These happen twice a week when the weather is good. I also teach pub painting / 'sip and paint' classes in the Autumn to Spring when its cold and longer weekend workshops around Sussex.

Over the next few years I'm looking forward to watercolour teaching becoming my main income as its the best job ever and I want to do it all of the time. I plan to do more outdoor courses, especially in summer 2026 and more longer evening courses that span over a few months.

My classes have always been orientated towards beginners (especially any who has never done watercolours before, or havent since school). I try to make all of my classes as accessible and low pressure for all skill levels. One of my biggest aims is to make art fun. Less about being 'an artist' and more about being a person with a brush, experimenting, making mistakes, having fun and meeting some lovely people along the way.

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