Spring Watercolor Workshop

May 11-14, 2026

Pen and Ink With Watercolor — Elevated

Instructor: Anji Grainger

Go beyond the basics to explore how the addition of ink can enhance your paintings, adding new layers of texture, detail, and visual interest. You'll experiment with new techniques that bring depth and a professional touch to your artwork.

Over three days of immersive instruction, demonstrations, and critiques, you will learn to:

• Master advanced pen strokes and create striking wet-into-wet watercolor backgrounds.
• Integrate pen-and-ink with watercolor in new and proven ways, including penning and printing with a leaf.
• Experiment with creating textured and stenciled backgrounds for more complex compositions.
• Explore the characteristics of different inks, including waterproof and non-waterproof India ink, to achieve unique bleed and shading effects.
• Bring your skills together to create a finished painting that combines the different techniques you've learned.

This workshop is ideal for artists looking to push their creative boundaries. Whether you are a beginner or have some experience, you will discover new ways to make your artwork more dynamic and captivating. Bring your own reference images or work with provided examples.

 

 

See more of Anji's art on her website and social media

Anji’s website: www.bluepansycottage.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/anjigrainger/

2026 Spring Watercolor schedule

 

Monday
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Check-in at Wright Hall
3:15 PM – Welcome & Orientation, Introductions, Get Started Session
6:00 PM – Dinner
7:00 PM – Intro session

Tuesday and Wednesday
8:00 AM – Breakfast
9:00 AM – Studio Session
12:00 Noon – Lunch
1:00 PM – Studio Sessions
4:00 PM – Studio Session end
Free time/painting time
6:00 PM – Dinner
7:00 PM – Free time to paint, rest, etc.
10:00 PM – Quiet time

Thursday
8:00 AM – Breakfast
9:00 AM – Studio Session
11:00 AM – Departure

Pen and Ink With Watercolor - Elevated

Whether you use just a little or a lot of pen, it can enhance your watercolors and take them to another level. In this workshop, we will explore new and tried and true ways to create interesting and dynamic watercolors with the addition of pen and ink.

Below is a Synopsis of each day.

Day one:

• Review pen strokes
• Prepare a wet into wet watercolor background
• Pen in an image in ink
  • Learn various methods on how to Pen in an image and add Watercolor
• Penning and Printing a Leaf

Images provided or student can bring their own

End day with critique

 

Day two:

• Make a textured background
• Try a background using a stencil
• India Ink Introduction exercise

End day with critique

 

Day three:

• Continue with alternate liquid ink techniques
• India Ink - Waterproof
• Non waterproof – bleed and shade
• Try a painting with a combination of workshop techniques.

End day with critique

Supply List

Pen and Ink with Watercolor – Elevated:
Supply List

• Archival black ink pens – waterproof (very important)
  Archival Ink pens come in various sizes: .005, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0 for example. You can purchase a set for a great price at Dick Blick and other fine art stores
  Here are some suggested brand names:
  Sakura Pigma Micron
  Staedtler
  Prismacolor
  Faber Castell
• One small bottle of waterproof India ink
• One white gel pen
• Arches 140 pound hot press or cold press paper. Hot press is smoother and will give more even lines however, I use cold press and it also works.
• Your regular watercolor supplies – brushes, paints and palette, pencil, eraser, paper towels, etc.

I will provide images to work from but you are welcome to bring some images of your own as well.

Some extra options if you like, not required:

• Colored archival ink pens
• Sepia Pens – give a nice vintage look