Have you ever wanted to paint a whimsical, naturalistic watercolor illustration but you’ve never tried because you thought you couldn’t paint or draw (or both)? If that’s the case, I’m here to help!

Hi I’m Katia, I’m an artist, surface pattern designer and online teacher.

I designed this class with the beginner in mind (although I think even intermediate artists might find some of the advice and tips I give interesting); and for that reason I will give you an overview of the entire process from finding inspiration to drawing to designing the final illustration to painting step by step.

I will start from the very beginning by going through all the materials you need, then I’ll talk about how to find inspiration from books, magazines and online.

I will explain how to draw simple leaves, flowers and insects like butterflies and ladybirds.

I will touch on color mixing (and I’ll tell you exactly what colors I use) and then explain my approach to designing the final composition

I will explain what is a darkening mix and how to use masking fluid

Then there will be some detailed lessons on the techniques I use (and I will explain more than one technique)

And finally I will show you how I paint the final composition from layer one to the final details

I have included a bonus lesson with extra advise and tips, and talking about tip, look out for the word TIP!  during the lessons because it will appear when I mention a useful tip!

I have included a PDF with the line drawing of the leaves, flowers and insects which I show how to draw during the lessons and also of the final composition if you’d like to use that one.

However I would advise you to try to draw your own illustration as this will give you a greater sense of achievement when you finish, and also you would be able to use it, if you want, in a commercial way,  while you wouldn’t be able to use  my illustration.

In the class downloads you will also find my mood board as an example, and an Adobe Illustrator file with 10 different mood boards layouts for you to use, I have also included a file with instructions on how to use the mood board templates (You can Get the Class Downloads Here)

By the end of the class you will have gained the knowledge to design and paint a watercolor illustration that you can hang in your home or use for cards, prints, t-shirts….

To take this class you will need brushes, watercolor paints, watercolor paper (I use Arches 300gsm hot pressed), pencils, sketch paper, tracing paper, color palettes and a circle template (optional)

This class is for anyone who loves nature and would like to learn the techniques to paint in watercolor or would like to deepen their knowledge of watercolor painting

If you'd like to know more on finding your personal color palette you can take my other class "Find Your Favourite Colour Palette - For Artists and Surface Pattern Designers "

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