Watercolour Essentials: Developing Your Own Unique Style
Welcome to Watercolour Essentials: Developing Your Own Unique Style. In this course, we will go through how to create unique watercolour paintings from a series of related images. When planning your painting, it can be difficult finding a reference photo that matches your final vision. Often, it's necessary to design your own scene by forming a composite painting.
Finding your own style is something that comes naturally through time, and through deliberate, repeated choices that you make in your paintings. Believe it or not, you already have your own personal style! Style is linked to your own visual language. In painting, this relates to your brushstrokes, use of water, colours, composition, and choice of the subject matter.
This course will show you how to make your own decisions when composing your painting. It will help you to develop a heightened sense of awareness of your use of visual language, brushstrokes and technique. Together, this will allow you to develop your own unique style.
I'm excited to get started, so let's get painting!
Assignment:
Your course project is to compose and paint your own unique watercolour scene! This can be one of the two scenes featured in this course or based on a series of your own related photographs or scenes.
You can also refer to the attached scanned drawing/painting templates. I recommend drawing each scene free hand. Drawing is an important step in improving your painting skills. This provides you with an opportunity to compose and plan your painting. Once you've finished the drawing, use the watercolor steps and processes included in the course to complete your painting. Finally, upload your project.
Materials:
Use any normal or mechanical pencil/pen, watercolour paper, and brushes you have available. I recommend:
- Mechanical pencil (0.5mm)
- 100% cotton watercolour paper or sketchbook
- Watercolour Brushes - mop brush and a variety of round and flat brushes.
Getting Started:
Follow along with the process in the demonstration videos. You will learn how to draw from elements in multiple scenes to come up with a composition you are satisfied with.
As an additional challenge, research some free reference photo websites and find a reference photo you would like to paint. Using the steps and processes included in this course, create your own unique painting.
Sharing Your Work:
Once you've finished, share your final painting and progress shots with the course by uploading them to www.facebook.com/groups/watercolourmentor. I'll provide you with constructive feedback on your painting if you ask. If you have any questions or need more tips, please let me know. I'm happy to help.