Watercolor Painting Lessons for Beginners

LEARN HOW TO CREATE EXPRESSIVE, REALISTIC WATERCOLORS

You’ve dabbled with painting. And maybe bought a few books or watched a few YouTube tutorials. But this course is going to change your technique and help you create paintings like never before.

I’m Ron Mulvey and I’m happy you have a desire to paint. In my 30 years of painting, I’ve discovered that 90% of professional watercolor painters use three simple techniques: The No Drips, No Slips; The California Style, and The Ink and Wash.

This course teaches you these three techniques, plus spills a lot more secrets and tips along the way. From painting rocks and skies to selecting the right materials, you’ll discover a complete set of techniques to guide you in the studio and field.

COURSE DETAILS:

20+ HOURS—with over 25 video lessons, bonus tutorials, and material guides.

PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUES—real techniques used by professional artists in the field and studio.

LIFETIME ACCESS—the course costs only $19 for lifetime access with enough instruction to keep you busy for years at less cost than a single art lesson. You can download and save each video if you like or watch them online, tracking your progress.

Start the course now ($20 for lifetime access)

What you’ll learn in the course

Here are a few paintings of mine below. I’ll explain step-by-step how to create works like these. In the video lessons, I demonstrate the exact techniques I used and teach you timeless principles that you can easily apply to your own painting.

MY ART STORY

I’ve taught thousands of students in hundreds of classrooms. I’m the author and creator of the Artabet: The First Steps in Drawing and a top-rated Skillshare teacher with a 100% positive teacher rating from over a thousand students.

Many years ago, I left my parent’s house, hitchhiked from Ottawa to the coast of British Columbia, and began my journey as a professional artist. I painted rocks. I studied light in the rain. I read the books of the ancient masters, took art classes, discovered modern mentors, and painted, painted, painted.

In this course, I’m going to share what I’ve learned from a life of painting. Lessons from painting in the field. In the studio. Painting in my spare moments, with four young children tugging at my sleeve.

Below, is a photo of my property. We live on fifty acres. The river below runs through our property and I’ll take you down there to paint in this course. This is my backyard and greatest inspiration.

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?

This course is for people with a desire to create and get better at their art. If you’ve never picked up a brush, that’s okay. I’ll start from the beginning. If you’re looking to master painting, there are lots of advanced studio techniques along the way.

This course starts right at the beginning. You don’t need any prior experience.

You have a desire to paint and want to know the real professional techniques.

You want a teacher, not a pretentious philosopher.

You want step-by-step visual instructions.

If you’re a master painter, this course might be a bit slow for you. We go step-by-step, learning each technique and building on knowledge with each new lesson.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

Learning how to paint watercolors is a lot of work. But we’re going to build everything step-by-step. I’ve taught in hundreds of classrooms. You’ll see. It won’t be hard to follow me.

I’m going to show you how to make water appear shimmering and wet.

I’m going to show you why your skies look lifeless and how to make them shine.

You’ll learn new techniques and instantly apply them in the class, making them a part of your permanent toolbox.

By the end, you’ll be able to add emotion and movement into your watercolor paintings. I’ll explain the art history of these techniques along the way.

Finally, you’ll have a lot of fun. We’ll hear some classical music, learn some new things, and create, create, create.

LESSON PLAN:

01 | INTRODUCTION

We begin in my home studio. You’ll meet me and I’ll give an overview of what we’ll cover.

02 | THE CALIFORNIA STYLE

We begin with the fantastically simple California Style, an amazing technique used by professional watercolor artists to bring depth, expression, and nuance to your watercolor paintings. Whether you’ve had artistic training or not, you’ll start relaxing and watching your paintings come to life with this time-tested technique.

03 | THE WATERCOLOR PROCESS

Watch over my shoulder in the studio. You’ve never had a professional painter slow things down like this before. You’ll learn the secret of watercolor painting: control the water and find the perfect balance of color and movement.

04 | INTO PRACTICE

It’s not about theory. We want to create! You’ll apply the California Style with me guiding you. The rest of this section shows you the exact elements to create your first watercolor.

05 | HOW TO PAINT REFLECTIONS

Water and sky, the twin inspirations of landscape painters. I’ll show you what I’ve mastered from 30 years of studying light and water. These are the same techniques used by the old masters and modern geniuses of the form.

06 | THE COLOR SECRETS OF PICASSO

The mysterious master could move you to disgust or tears with a few strokes of colors. You’ll see the underlying rules governing his work. Once you see the laws Picasso uncovered, you’ll forever know how to use contrast to give depth and emotion to your work.

07 | THE WASH TECHNIQUE

This simple technique is essential for any painter. I’ll demonstrate the technique. And then we’ll create together with a project from start-to-finish.

08 | FINISH AND MASTER

Those who finish, master. The last chapter of this course is all projects. We’ll apply what we’ve learned and paint together. Put on a cup of tea, shut off the phone, and join me in the studio.

09 | OFFICE HOURS

Once per week, I’m here to answer questions and will give you a personal critique of your work.