Learn the fundamentals of playing and exploring with watercolors from acclaimed artist Yao Cheng. Yao shares her process of selecting the proper paints and brushes to get started and teaches how to blend colors to create a unique palette. The essential information provided in this class will help you learn how to apply watercolor to different surfaces and create basic shapes using fun, easy techniques.

Learn how to paint gorgeous, gestural florals that reflect the vitality and energy of a freshly picked flower. This class is not about capturing the detail in every petal and leaf – what’s more important is focusing on the composition and the movement of the arrangement. Once you’ve learned how to create leaves and single stem flowers, you’ll learn how to combine these elements to paint a stunning bouquet.

Explore the versatility of masking fluid with watercolor artist Yao Cheng. Yao demonstrates a number of ways you can use resist techniques with watercolor, including abstract and representational patterns using brushes and a pen nib. Then she shows you how to let the watercolors flow over the masking fluid, creating gorgeous backdrops for your resist patterns.
 

In this first class, Pam Garrison shares simple exercises for releasing creative inhibitions in your sketchbook. You will use both your dominant and non-dominant hands to create blind contour drawings that look like mere scribbles on paper, then use a colorful paint palette to transform those scribbles into thoughtfully painted shapes. This exercise results in aesthetically pleasing sketchbook pages that are created through the process of intuitive creative exploration.

Begin this round of Sketchbook Explorations with a simple and therapeutic technique that is sure to get your hands warmed up and your creative juices flowing. Lisa shows you how to create a colorful background using brush-pen strokes, which will become the base for your doodles and drawings. Get tips on how to select your color palette and how to create a well-balanced composition as you fill your sketchbook spread. Lisa shares her trademark style of drawing flowers, but provides encouragement for developing your own style along the way.

 

This project appeals to a range of personalities, since you can be loose with creating the watercolor effect and then add structure with a crisp silhouette. Christine shows you different watercolor techniques to build texture and dimension, from layered washes to dry brushing and splattering. The result is a fresh update on the classically Victorian way to capture the likeness of someone you adore.

Learn how to make simple watercolor cards that you’ll enjoy making just as much as your friends and family will enjoy receiving. Courtney Cerruti demonstrates how to create elegant motifs using watercolor and simple brushstrokes or how to use a stencil to apply watercolor if you feel intimidated by the medium. Learn how to personalize your cards with a family photo and make photocopies to create an entire set of handmade cards. Finally, add that same personal touch to your envelopes by making an envelope liner using the same photocopied watercolor technique.
 

Getting started in a new sketchbook can be the biggest hurdle in the creative process. In this introductory class, Lisa shares tips for selecting a sketchbook that is just right for you. She also shares techniques for working with watercolor paints, then shows how to draw over the paint with Micron pens. This class is all about embracing multiple mediums and adding layers of detail – open the sketchbook and let’s get started.