Watercolor Seascapes: Preclass

For this level 4 class, you probably have most of the supplies you’ll need since you’ve got some experience under your belt before taking this course!  

How class works

Given that people learn in different ways, Each lesson will contain photos with closeups and discussion of different sections of the finished painting. I recommend reading those before watching the video, which will be later in the lesson, and hopefully having the end result in mind, you can watch for how that section was created. Note particular areas you want to see, and have pencil and paper handy to note the timestamps when each layer happened so you can go back to review it.

Know that YOUR painting need not be exactly like the demo painting. Each of us is unique, and we each have our own approach, color selection, brush strokes – and add in water and paper and you have a guarantee that we’ll all have paintings that work out differently!

PRACTICE TIP: Demonstrations are each done on quarter sheets – that’s a quarter of a 22″ x 30″ sheet, meaning 11″ x 15″. While you might want to practice on smaller paper, small paintings require very different techniques – and brushes – than do larger pieces. (My apologies to those for whom a 22″ x 30″ is a normal size!) If you want to practice techniques without using an 11″ x 15″ sheet, divide the sheet into thirds using tape (3 vertical skinny paintings), and try a sky in each one, then a portion of a tree in each at the scale they would each be painted on an actual quarter sheet.. That might allow for trying different brushes and colors at scale while preserving paper. I do that on the backs of failed paintings – a great way to learn from every square inch of a sheet of paper!

Before we start…a little housekeeping

I retain the copyright to the content you are learning in class. That means…

1. Do not sell or give away the concepts from my classes – you may not re-teach my instruction contained or created within these lessons.
2. Do not post a video tutorial or step by step photo tutorial of your own redraw of class content.
3. Do not repost any handouts you receive in class.

However…I love to see students making strides and taking this teaching and personalizing it with your own skills.

1. DO make your own designs and develop your own style! I love that!
2. DO gift your creations made with these techniques, of course!

At the bottom of each lesson you’ll see some ways to share your homework and ask questions, so that’ll be handy for you.

Watercolor Paper

Watercolor Paints

Daniel Smith Watercolors are used in this class, but you can certainly use other artist quality paints. Check the photo below and swatch your colors to see if you have something close.  

1. Cascade Green (Lesson 1 is entirely in this pigment only)
2. Sap Green
3. Ultramarine Turquoise (or Cobalt Turquoise)
4. Paynes Blue Gray – or Paynes Gray and if you need it bluer, just add blue
5. French Ultramarine
6. Verditer or whatever color you like for a simple sky
7. Transparent Red Oxide (TRO) – could also use Burnt Sienna
8. Yellow Ochre
9. Indian Yellow or Nickel Azo which “burst” into others; or any cool yellow can be used
10. Burnt Tigers Eye – used in one painting, but could be mixed as indicated in the video.

It’s always a good day to treat yourself to a new brush. The needle brush is used extensively in this course, I highly recommend it. 

1. Winsor & Newton Kolinsky Sable Series 7 Round 8 brush  AMZ
2. Da Vinci Series 17 Maestro Long Needle Red Sable, Size 8 or 9 Blick | AMZ
3. Da Vinci Mottler Flat Wash Blick | AMZ
4. Da Vinci Cosmotop Round 2 Blick | AMZ