When working with watercolor, one should expect to be spontaneous, to face some "accidents" - turning them into happy ones. Perfectionism and overworking a painting are the main enemies of watercolor.  Due to the inherent characteristics of fluidity, immediacy and transparency, watercolor is the perfect medium to capture quick and fresh portraiture and skin tones. 

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In this 3-day workshop, participants will learn to see and draw head and facial features, and will experiment with watercolor techniques such as wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, and dry-on-dry using a range of colors that convey light and shadow.  In this workshop JJ will do daily step-by-step demonstrations, give clear, purposeful instruction, and provide individual guidance tailored to your level. He will model and explain his process of creating a sensitive portrait by creative uses of values, colors and edges. To wrap up each day, as time allows, JJ will have a question & answer session.

• Day 1:  Cover some basics when approaching portrait painting, using a photo reference provided by JJ with his step-by-step demo

• Day 2: After JJ's initial demo, participants choose to paint a portrait from their own reference photo or use JJ's

• Day 3:  Paint from live model following JJ's step-by-step demo, culminating in brief critique

*Lunch and snacks are provided as part of the workshop.

Clarity.  Confidence. Common sense.  These are what JJ Jiang brings to his instruction.  But you will quickly realize that his artistic passion and creativity underlie all that he says and does.  With sincerity and good humor, JJ will share his wisdom and insights stemming from his eastern cultural background and his deep knowledge of western art.  He approaches painting with a unique and refreshing perspective that he truly enjoys sharing with workshop participants!  His years of teaching experience in fine art enable him to pull you in and grow in depth and confidence as an artist.   JJ’s teaching is based on his belief that four fundamentals apply to all subject matter and even across mediums.  JJ’s daily demos and talks will include clear instruction on these fundamentals: drawing, value, color, and edges.  While JJ will also discuss and demonstrate various techniques in watercolor, he emphasizes the need for all artists to go beyond technique to explore their creative drive that has brought them to the easel.

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JJ Jiang is an award winning artist and a gifted instructor. He is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society and a North Carolina Watercolor Society Master Member.  Though accomplished in watercolor, he is a versatile artist - excelling in drawing, oils, Chinese brush painting, with a variety of subjects including landscape/urbanscapes, human figures and portraits, and still life.