Cat Illustration: A Watercolour Workshop

Great news - we're running this again! Our studio is lovingly shared with three resident cats who add to the creative atmosphere. 🐱🐱🐱 (Ajushi is our model in the cover photo you see here.) They might curl up nearby or come to investigate your work, and you're more than welcome to enjoy their company once we've finished painting.

Who this workshop is for

• Absolute beginners with no prior experience needed
• Artists who want to loosen up, refresh their line work, or experiment with a more expressive approach
• Anyone who loves cats

What you’ll learn & do

• Loosen up with guided warm-up exercises using brush pressure, strokes, and simple cat silhouettes
• Learn how to create lively lines, suggest fur texture, and capture feline gestures
• Explore how ink’s natural flow can add energy and character to your drawings
• Develop your own approach (whether bold and graphic or soft and subtle)
• Progress toward finished cat illustrations you can take home

Why we start with calligraphy ink

• Builds confidence with brush handling and mark-making
• Keeps the focus on form, line quality, and contrast (without the distraction of colour)
• Embraces ink’s natural unpredictability to create more expressive, lively results

What you’ll take home

• A collection of lively cat studies
• At least one finished piece
• New confidence using brush and ink

Materials
All materials are provided for in-class use, including:

• Calligraphy ink
• Watercolour paints
• Watercolour paper
• Brushes, drawing materials, palettes, and water containers
• Cat illustration references and notes

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Meet your instructor!
Rachel (@studio_ruiimake) is an artist, art teacher and works as an art advisor at a Japanese art gallery. With over 16 years of experience in watercolour painting and five years of teaching experience working with children and adults, she enjoys sharing her passion for art with others and believes in self-expression through art. Rachel graduated with a Bachelor of Visual Arts in New Zealand, won a City College art award in painting (2015) and was shortlisted for art awards in New Zealand multiple times.

She had her first solo exhibition in 2016 and has been part of over 30 exhibitions since then. She is currently a member of the Botanical Art Society Singapore, where her illustrations were recently displayed at Gardens by the Bay and Woodlands Botanical Garden.