Watercolor Painting 101

In this course you will learn the basics of one of the most enduring art forms in our culture: watercolor painting. It is the easiest way of expressing yourself through art and has a long history of teaching great painters their first lessons in subjects ranging from proper technique to design principals. Most books and courses out there demand a large amount of self-study and miss the point of learning to paint--to have fun! Included in the course are tips from professional painters, examples of some of the great watercolor work ever created, and instructions that can take you from never having picked up a brush to completing your first full painting in no time. It is also sure to make sure you learn the right things at the right time, and that you have time to let the knowledge soak in before rushing off to the next concept.

We'll make sure you aren't intimidated by the long aisles of the art supply store stacked with thousands of different types of paint, brushes, and other tools. You'll be able to talk the talk as well as walk the walk as we share the meaning behind things like the "belly-width" of your brush or the "value" of your paint. You'll be able to share your gift with others in no time, and become a part of an international community of artists going back hundreds of years. Whether you are just looking for something new to do in your spare time or perhaps starting a new career, this course is developed for you.

Watercolor is the first form of art that many new artists come across. Watercolor kits are much cheaper than gathering the expensive vials of paint and easier than learning how to mix the perfect set of hues into the color you need when it comes to oil painting. In fact, most elementary school art programs will see each child pick up a brush at least once, soaking it in water, brushing it along little tablets of color, and dabbing the brushes against a thick piece of construction or cold press textured paper. Here young children produce their first tree, their first bird, their first portrait of a friend, before terms like "subject" or "still life" enter the fray. 

Watercolor is something that anyone can do, and that can be done pretty much anywhere. And yet, if this form of art becomes ingrained upon the soul as it has done with millions of other people, there are professional tools and techniques that can take your hobby to the next level. Knowing more about watercolor can bring you closer to art in general, allowing you to better understand the paintings you visit at art galleries or museums. 

Yes, watercolor is for more than just grade-schoolers learning to reproduce the world around them. In fact, watercolor may be the world's oldest form of painting. Alongside charcoal cave drawings and stone carvings, ancient people would combine water with different forms of pigmentation, blending together a color that could be used to paint upon the walls of caves and upon stone or wooden icons. As civilization developed, so too did this form of art. The Egyptians used watercolor to paint upon papyrus and parchment. 

So you see, watercolor is more than a basic form of transforming your thoughts into art. It is not just a stepping stone to more complex artistic mediums. Watercolor in and of itself is one of the most important methods of creating art. By engaging in watercolor painting you are connecting yourself to your ancient ancestors, to the most artistic brilliant minds who ever lived, and to a culture of contemporaries that carry on this great form of art into the future.