August 4th, 2016
We’re tackling a landscape in this lesson, this time a simple coastal scene. You can expect to learn how to create a dramatic painting from a reference photo, and how to capture natural landscapes and landforms. You’ll also learn an atmospheric perspective technique which you can use to create the illusion of depth in a painting. PREVIEW How to apply the "atmospheric perspective" watercolor technique to suggest distance. How to paint an active sky right before sunset. How to dramatize a painting based on a reference photo. How to mix primary and complimentary colors. How to paint ocean surf. How to...
Categories: All Lessons , Beginner LessonsOctober 22nd, 2014
Watercolor Class Preview: Why 300 lb paper is sometimes a better option than 140 lb paper. How to paint close-up flowers. Why certain brushes are more suitable for certain jobs. Why tilting your canvas can create special effects. How to balance a loose look with a more refined look. How to paint a close-up rose from start to finish. What negative painting is and how to practice it. How to make adjustments by lifting paint. How to use the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to bring back a white area. How to scrape highlights onto leaves. How to avoid overworking your painting. Reference Photo ...
Categories: Technique Lessons , Beginner Lessons , All LessonsOctober 25th, 2014
Watercolor Class Preview: How to do a still-life painting How to prevent your wet paper from buckling when it dries How to paint a bouquet of tulip flowers Why painting petals on different flowers one at a time produces better results How to paint close-up glass containers How to plan a painting with lots of different elements How to paint highlights and shadows How to paint an egg How to paint a lemon What colors to use for painting metallic surfaces When to use painter’s tape and masking fluid How to paint leaves How to avoid mixing unnatural green colors...
Categories: All Lessons , Intermediate LessonsDecember 28th, 2017
Watercolor Techniques Class Preview: How to copy an oil painting using watercolor. How to paint Monets famous Sunset painting. How to paint a close-up of water and waves. How to sketch and color different sections of the whole art piece and how they are all combined. How to manipulate colors to give your painting more emotion. How to paint while understanding eye-level and perception of the viewer and the art piece. How to fix mistakes and remove watercolor when you mess up. How to create reflections of objects in the water. How to understand the difference between sea and sky...
Categories: Beginner Lessons , All LessonsOctober 7th, 2014
Watercolor Class Preview: How to paint an overcast sky. How to paint water. When to let paint dry before continuing. How to paint buildings. How to separate foreground from background. Why you want to keep backgrounds simple. How to paint mist. How to paint boats. Why you want to plan your steps before starting. How to paint reflections in the water. How to create depth and dimension painting details. Reference Photo Final Painting What does yours look like? Send it to us via a message on our Facebook page so we can...
Categories: Intermediate Lessons , All LessonsOctober 9th, 2014
Watercolor Class Preview: How to prepare color schemes for plein air paintings. Why you want to scribble an initial thumbnail sketch. How to pick the right size of watercolor paper for plein air. Why temperature and wind should influence your planning. How to paint fields. How to paint trees. How to paint shadows. How to paint clouds. How to paint blue skies. When to let paint dry before continuing. How to paint mountains. Reference Photo Initial Sketch Final Painting What does yours look like? Send it to us via a...
Categories: Beginner Lessons , All Lessons , Plain airJune 26th, 2015
Watercolor Class Preview: Learn some basic techniques and tricks you can use in your watercolor painting Learn about liquid frisket, how to prep your paintbrush to use frisket, and how apply frisket to your watercolor paper to preserve areas of white before you begin painting How to mix and apply a gradient wash to your watercolor paper Learn a wet on dry wash technique and a wet on wet wash technique and the different effects you can achieve Learn the advantages and disadvantages of using synthetic and natural hair brushes How to soften a hard edge of a section of...
Categories: Technique Lessons , Color Theory , Beginner Lessons , All LessonsOctober 10th, 2014
Watercolor Class Preview: How to tape down your watercolor paper without ripping paper later. How paint travels on wet paper versus dry paper and why that matters. How watercolor paper is different than regular paper. How to paint gradients and properly transition colors. How to paint layers the right way to influence colors. How to paint a leaf from A-to-Z, complete with sun and shadow. When to use a hair dryer. How to paint soft edges. How different levels of brush wetness affect your painting. How to "paint" whites properly.
Categories: Technique Lessons , Beginner Lessons , All Lessons