The Mechanics of Watercolor Painting

Course Trailer and Images

I recommend watching the trailer as it gives you a good overview of what to expect.

About the Class

"I absolutely loved this course! She is a fantastic teacher, very easy to listen to and the information is taught in a methodical and easy to understand way. I feel very ready to move on to bigger things now." - Cherilyn B.

BEGINNERS: You may want to take this class AFTER going through the Foundations for Mastering Watercolor Painting class. These two were designed to be sequential.

EXPERIENCED PAINTERS: If you feel you may have holes in your learning or would like to explore my approach to watercolor painting, you will enjoy this class.

4 Hours of Video Lessons
Over 30 Student Resources (Downloadable)

The Mechanics of Watercolor Painting is a step-by-step course designed to guide you through all the necessary skills needed to paint with watercolor paints. Together, we will walk through a total of nearly four hours of lectures and over 30 student activities, covering topics like brush handling, color mixing, paint application, and much much more.

We begin by learn all about your workspace. It’s important to have all of your tools readily available when you work. Then we discuss the many aspects of brushes, from how to physically handle a brush to how to properly dilute your paints.

Next, the course focuses on how to mix your paints and how to get acquainted with your specific selection of colors.

And finally, once we have a solid knowledge base, we learn about the three different application methods - controlled, semi-controlled, and uncontrolled paint application. We close the course with a watercolor painting demonstration so you can understand how it can all be put into practice.

This course is one of the most comprehensive classes you will find online related to learning how to use watercolors. It’s primarily aimed at the beginning painter, but it can apply to anyone who feels they may be lacking something in their knowledge when they paint in this medium.

Setting Up Your Workspace
- Managing Your Workspace
Handling Your Brush
- Brushes by Medium
- Brush Shapes
- Diluting Your Paint
- Dilution Methods
- Sable vs Synthetic Bristles
- Loading Your Brush
- Handling Your Brush
- Brush Angle
- Brush Pressure
Mixing Your Paints
- Mixing Puddles
- Get to Know Your Paints
- Color Swatches
- All Color Chart
- Color Family Chart
- Color Wheel
- Tinting Strength
- Color Mixing Basics
- Color Matching
- Mixing Neutrals
- Working with Whites
Applying the Paint
- Introduction to Applications
- Controlled Application
- Controlled Activity I
- Controlled Timing
- Controlled Activity II
- Semi-Controlled Application
- Semi-Controlled Activities
- Semi-Controlled Water vs Paint
- Semi-Controlled Timing
- Semi-Controlled Timing Activity
- Uncontrolled Application
- Uncontrolled Multiple Colors
- Uncontrolled at a Slant
- Painting Demonstration
- The Next Step