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2026 Workshops
Do you want to take your art up a notch this year or to express yourself through beautiful watercolours, but are not sure where to start. Or do you want to improve your skills and gain experience, but don’t have the time to experiment.
These workshops will help you get to where you want to be. They will bring my books to life and go into so much more detail than any YouTube film. Please come and share the processes, techniques and tips that have taken me 20 years to learn and perfect.
In the autumn of 2026 I am running a series of workshops in Knowl Hill, near Twyford, Berkshire, at a stunning venue – Micklems Farm. These are special days where you can concentrate on improving your skills and gain a huge amount of confidence in a concentrated time. Unlike most other workshops all materials are included in the price, unless otherwise stated. If you want to print a list of workshops, you can do so here: 2026 workshops programme.
If you need help with accommodation here is a list of some local options. Accommodation list.
- Thursday 27 August – Ink resist is irresistible £107 – ONLY 2 PLACES AVAILABLE
- Thursday 24 September – Characterful animals in watercolour £107 – ONLY 3 PLACES REMAINING
- Friday 25 September – Rainbow pet portraits £107 –
- Thursday 15 October – Loose lines, loose washes (pen and wash) FULL (CONTACT ME TO GO ON THE WAITING LIST)
- Friday 16 October – Dip pens (add impact in line and wash) £107
- Thursday 19 November – Magical watercolour hares £107 – 3 PLACES AVAILABLE
- Friday 20 November – Line and wash animal portraits £107 FULL – PLEASE CONTACT ME TO GO ON THE WAINTING LIST
In addition to these day courses held at Micklems, I am leading a Suminagashi taster workshop at The Base, Greenham Common on 17 October. You will need to book this directly via their website: https://thebasegreenham.co.uk/
Why come on a workshop?
- Have a fun and relaxed day with like minded people.
- Learn a lot in a concentrated period of time.
- All materials are supplied, so you just have to turn up.
- It’s a gorgeous location, in beautiful gardens.
- I am an award winning artist and published author, but I have been in your shoes – wanting to have a creative outlet and not being sure how to start.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need help choosing the perfect workshop for you. All workshops start at 10am and finish 4/4.30pm depending on how the group is getting on. Please read all terms and conditions before booking.
I can arrange a gift certificate if you wish to give a lovely creative gift to someone. This could be used for an in-person workshop or against any online course. Just contact me and I will help.
If you want to learn with me but are unable to attend a workshop, online courses are available 24/7 from https://www.lizchadertonstudio.co.uk
Characterful animals in watercolour
If you want to create convincing animal portraits, brimming with life and energy, this day is for you. We will spend time looking at eyes, form and texture, from pets to farm animals, from British wildlife to more exotic creatures. This one-day workshop aims to bring my best-selling book ‘Painting animals in watercolour’ to life and will take place on:
- Thursday 24 September 2026
Held in beautiful Knowl Hill, Berkshire, the venue is an inspiring and relaxed environment. All materials are provided, along with tea/coffee. Some experience of watercolour will be helpful and the day caters for those with a little to a lot of experience. If you already love painting in watercolours you will be provided with plenty of stimulation! Liz will let everyone go at their own pace to get the most out of the day. You may wish to bring reference material to work on your own composition in the afternoon.
The price per person is £107 which includes all materials and tea/coffee. You will only need to bring reference of your favourite animal.
You might also be interested in the workshop on Friday 25 September, which is Rainbox pet portraits – really pushing the colours of our animal portraits or line and wash animal portraits later in the year on Friday 20 November.
Animal portraits in line and wash
Line and wash is where painting and drawing meet, combining the strengths of each in one piece of art. It is perfect for executing lively and characterful portraits of animals. It can be quite rapid to execute and, due to the reassurance of the line, it is often easier to be free with the washes which will add great energy and expression compared to line alone. If you aspire to paint more loosely in watercolour then line and wash is a great stepping stone.
This one-day workshop is taking place on:
- Friday 20 November 2026
All materials will be provided. You may wish to bring a photo of an animal you wish to paint. This needs to be printed onto A4 paper. Otherwise, plenty of reference images will be available, each presenting different challenges. Held in Knowl Hill, Berkshire, the venue is beautiful and an inspiring setting. Now you can spend a day exploring this new way of working.
The price is £107 per person which includes materials and tea/coffee. I have paired this workshop with the painting hares in watercolour, so you might want to do two days in a row and really immerse yourself. Earlier in the autumn I am running a pure animal watercolour day and also a Rainbow pet portrait days, so these might also be of interest.
Loose lines, loose washes - line and wash
If you would like to learn how to use line and wash to create exciting paintings, this day will give you the skills and confidence you need. Pen and wash; line and wash; ink and watercolour. Whatever you call it, this is a lovely expressive way of working. It is excellent for quick sketches and more finished paintings. The key thing is to help both ink and watercolour play their part to the full and ensure that 2+2=5.
We will start with exploring the role of line – I will provide dip pens, numerous types of ink, fountain pens, fineliners and more for you to try out. We will then move on to letting the watercolour flow and bringing both elements together. We will try watercolour first and line first to develop our own personal preference and style. Expect to get ink under your finger nails – this is a very hands on day.
Whether you wish to use this technique for portraits, landscapes, urban sketching, animals, still life or flora, you will learn how to capture many different subjects. It will bring my best selling book ‘Painting in line and wash’ to life. You do not need to be an experienced watercolourist to enjoy this day, in fact line and wash can be a great introduction to watercolour. You may wish to bring reference to work on your own composition in the afternoon or I will provide several further demonstrations and more structured support
These one-day courses are held at a beautiful location in Knowl Hill, Berkshire and will take place on:
- Thursday 15 October
This course is always popular, so please book early. The price per person is £107 which includes all materials and tea/coffee. I have paired it with a dip pen day on Friday, so you might like to look at really immersing yourself in the world of ink and watercolour.
Rainbow pet portraits
This is a new workshop for 2026. Lots of artists want to bring exciting and unexpected colours into their animal portraits, but aren’t sure where to start. Our pets are usually a mix of white, brown and black, but what if you want them to be purple, blue and green? In this workshop we will concentrate on colour and value, to bring lots of expression and emotion to our portraits of cats and dogs in particular. Of course you will be able to use the techniques you learn with any animal.
This is a one-day course and will take place on:
- Friday 25 September 2026
Some experience in using watercolour is helpful! And a willingness to experiment (of course).
All materials are provided, along with tea/coffee. If you love painting in animals in watercolours you will be provided with plenty of stimulation!
The price per person is £107. The workshop is held at the beautiful Micklems Farm, and the setting provides a relaxing and welcoming venue for the day. You might also be interested in the workshop the day before, Characterful animals in watercolour. Or later in the year there is a Watercolour Hare day and also Line and Wash Animals (19 and 20 November).
Ink resist is irresistible! (Gouache Wash-off technique)
If you love the strength of ink against delicacy of watercolour washes, or just like learning unusual techniques, then ink resist (gouache wash off) is for you. It certainly exploits the very best of ink and watercolour. It is a painterly technique which produces an image similar to a wood or lino cut. Though the process is exacting and needs to be followed carefully, the end result is unpredictable and exciting. I don’t know of anyone else teaching this technique in the UK! We tend to do this in the summer months, as I set up the wash off area outside to allow for splashing!
We will start with a simple subject to understand the full process and then you will have an opportunity to work on a subject of your own. I have used this technique for landscapes, animal studies and even portraits. It is very dramatic. You do not need to any experience of watercolour to enjoy this day.
This is a one-day course and will take place on:
- Thursday 27 August 2026
All materials are provided, along with tea/coffee. The price per person is £107. The workshop is held at the beautiful Micklems Farm in Knowl Hill, Berkshire, and the setting provides a relaxing and welcoming venue for the day.
Magical hares in watercolour
Hares have a special place in our hearts. They feature in folklore and mythology and with their huge eyes, long black-tipped ears and sinuous bodies, it is no wonder they are a popular subject for the artist who loves painting animals.
In this workshop we will explore how to paint eyes full of life and vitality, how to capture the texture of fur, how to address whiskers and how to introduce unexpected colours. All these learnings, can of course be applied to many different animal subjects.
This is a one-day course and will take place on:
- Thursday 19 November 2026
The price per person is £107 which includes all materials and tea/coffee. The workshop is held at the beautiful Micklems Farm, and the setting provides a relaxing and welcoming venue for the day.
If you are considering this workshop you might also be interested in The Characterful Animals in Watercolour workshop on 24 September or the Rainbow Pet Portraits on 25 September. If you want to immerse yourself, on 20 November we are doing a Line and Wash animal portrait workshop, so you could do two days back to back.
Dip pens - add impact in line and wash
Line and wash is the wonderful joining together of drawing and painting. It combines the best of both to create a strength all of its own. However, we often reach for the convenience of a fine liner pen and ignore dip pens. Perhaps they are perceived as messy or old fashioned, however the small extra effort they require, pays you back dividends. A dip pen line intrinsically has more variation and character than a fine liner. It responds to pressure and the user in a way many modern pens do not. And of course they allow you to change ink at whim.
In this one day workshop, we will use a variety of nibs with a holder, glass dip pens and even make our own, then go on to explore expressive mark making and how to combine ink and washes to create impactful images. If you don’t like getting ink under your nails, then this day is not for you, but if you want to play with materials which reward you, you will certainly have fun. This is a one-day course and takes place on:
- Friday 16 October 2026
All materials are provided, along with tea/coffee. Whether you have done any line and wash before or not, you will enjoy this day. The price per person is £107. The workshop is held at the beautiful Micklems Farm, and the setting provides a relaxing and welcoming venue for the day.
You might also be interested in the Line and Wash workshop on 15 October or the Line and Wash animal portrait later in the year on 20 November.
