Makings and Musings Community

In this class, I guide you through an artist study inspired by Erin Henson, an American painter known for her bold, colourful landscape paintings. I introduce you to Erin’s work and talk a little about her style, which she calls open expressionism, where the focus is on feeling, movement and expressive brushstrokes rather than realism.

https://www.erinhanson.com/portfolio

Watch here:

We work from one of her paintings, Ruby Beach, and I show you step by step how I build up my own version. I start with a simple sketch and then move into blocking in colours, layering paint, and adding texture using different brush strokes. I demonstrate how I use both watercolour and gouache, and I explain the difference between them, especially how gouache allows for more opacity and easier layering.

This session is very practical and hands-on. You can paint along with me in real time, or pause and rewind as needed. The aim is not to create a perfect copy, but to learn from Erin’s approach and to explore colour, texture and layering in your own way.

This class is suitable for all levels and works well whether you are using watercolours, gouache, or a mix of both.

Materials

Here is what I used in the session:

• Watercolour paints

• Gouache paints (optional, but recommended)

• Watercolour or mixed media paper

• Pencil and eraser

• A selection of brushes

• Water jar

• Cloth or kitchen roll

• Palette or plate for mixing paint

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Optional:

• Acrylic paints for an underpainting

• White paper if you are not using acrylic

If you share your work online, please credit Erin Henson as the original artist, as this is an artist study for learning purposes.