Watercolor Techniques

Immerse yourself in the world of watercolors with this 6-week art class, perfect for both absolute beginners and intermediate artists. Designed to demystify this often-challenging medium, the course provides a comprehensive introduction to watercolor basics while exploring advanced techniques to enhance your skills.

Through a combination of demonstrations, sketching, and hands-on painting, the class focuses on essential elements such as brush handling, layering, texture, timing, and composition. You’ll also study master watercolor paintings to gain insights into the techniques and processes that lead to successful artworks.

Students will learn to express their creativity using classic watercolor techniques, including wet-into-wet, wet-into-dry, washes, glazes, and mastering value and color. The course also encourages experimentation with design principles like unity, contrast, dominance, repetition, harmony, balance, and gradation.

The class explores a variety of subject matter, including still life, portraits, and landscapes. Each session features individual instruction and concludes with a group critique, where students assess and discuss their work and that of their peers.

By the end of the course, students will have the skills to conceptualize and complete watercolor artwork. They will be able to apply traditional techniques to achieve desired results, whether working from life or photographs, and create both representational and abstract images. Additionally, the course equips students with the knowledge to make informed decisions about watercolor materials and tools, while sharpening one’s ability to evaluate art critically.

Course Overview:

Class 1
The “mother” wash, materials review, glazes, silhouettes, negative painting

Class 2
Value scale, textures, surface variation, brushwork

Class 3
The color wheel, warm colors and cool colors, primary colors, secondary colors, tertiary colors, limited palette

Class 4
Wet into wet technique, dry on wet technique, lift off techniques, hard and soft edges

Class 5
Abstract underpainting, figure painting, brush sketching

Class 6
Master copy painting

Materials are not included, you’ll receive the materials list upon registration

Refund & Cancellation Policy: Attendees can request refunds up to 24 hours before their class start date. Classes must meet a minimum enrollment number to run.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Will McGaul has been a professional art instructor since 2011. Will has exhibited in California and Florida. He is a member of the Miami Watercolor Society and the Gold Coast Watercolor Society. Will loves to share his passion for drawing and painting in his classes and workshops, and at the same time, simplifying the process and making it fun.