Watercolor Syllabus

Introduction & Materials

Overview of watercolor materials (papers, brushes, paints), water control, palettes. Importance of value vs color.

Suggested Materials:

https://www.dickblick.com/lists/blicku/H2CXPHG7BBWXP

Exercises:
– Swatch every pigment.
– Create a 5–step value scale with one pigment.

9 Minute Watercolor Tutorial for Absolute Beginners:

(a quick look at some materials, and some basic painting principles)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP8Z-n0ppBM

Working With The Value Scale – Monday Morning Watercolour Tips Ep.15

(using water to lighten colors, and layers. Later we should also consider adding white goauche) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YSKH_-nZSI

Charting a color study using limited watercolor colors – the how and why

(making a spreadsheet like chart by mixing your colors together. Very useful to get to know your paints)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yJioQF9Zyc

Brushwork & Edges

Wet-on-wet vs wet-on-dry, strokes, edges (hard, soft, lost).

Exercises:
– Practice straight lines, curves, dots, dry brush, graded washes.
– Edge chart: hard, soft, lifted, blended.

Assignment: Small study of simple geometric shapes with varied edges.

Video: 

5 Easy & Essential Watercolor Techniques

(5 ways of working wet into wet, wet into dry, etc)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOSaQ50xeAM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOQzI36oock

Color Mixing & Theory

Warm vs cool primaries, complementary contrast, optical mixing, limited palette.

Exercises:
– Create color wheel from primaries.
– Mix neutrals using complementary colors.

Assignment: Still life with 3–color limited palette.

Color mixing lesson for beginners – the Watercolor Color Wheel

(Goes through creating a color wheel and mixing colors from your palette. 

Does not talk about primary colors)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI2OYh9cn3Q

The only 3 tips you need for mastering color theory in watercolor

(Talks about both CMY and RYB primary colors. 

Also analogous and Complementary color mixing)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZO8SjUn2tA

Value & Light/Shadow

Light logic, highlights, cast shadows, reflected light.

Exercises:
– Paint sphere or cube using one color.

Assignment: Monochrome still life study.

Layering, Washes & Glazing

Flat wash, graded wash, variegated wash, glazing for depth.

Exercises:
– Paint 3 types of washes.
– Practice layering transparent colors.

Assignment: Landscape sky with layered foreground shapes.

Video: 6 Steps to Successful Watercolour Painting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOveNuqiz4w

Watercolor Glazing Lesson: What is it, how to use it, common mistakes and a fun glazing project

Gouache Example

how to paint vibrant fruit with three colors gouache

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U03jlTBfe7I

Still Life Painting

Lecture Notes: Observing form, light on objects, reflective surfaces.

Exercises: Paint a simple still life

Watercolor still life painting tutorial for beginners.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I67X1F3NZY

Still Life Painting 2

Lecture Notes: Painting transparent objects

Exercises:
– Transparency practice (glass, fruit, jars).

Assignment: Still life painting from direct observation.

Video: How to paint glass in Watercolor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCAeHz6AMjs

Landscape Painting

Aerial perspective, layering distance, skies & foreground.

Exercises:
– Paint a sky with cloud variations.
– Layer background, middleground, foreground.

Assignment: Full landscape study.

Video: Beginning Watercolor Landscape Tutorial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fakTpwr1Xw

The MOST VALUABLE Watercolour Lesson

(Values in landscape painting)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrUUDBWh8wI

The One Landscape Painting Tip You Really Need

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGc8RhP-OZc

8 Tips for More SPACE and Depth in You Paintings (Linear and Aerial Perspective)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nysd3Z1z8Vs

Composition & Design

Rule of thirds, balance, focal point, negative space.

Exercises:
– 3 thumbnail sketches from reference photo.

Assignment: Paint one thumbnail as a finished study.

Video:

Videos:

6 EASY Rules for Better Composition and Better Art

Watercolor Composition – Simple Tactic that Makes A HUGE Difference – Matthew White

How to Compose a Painting

More Color

Split Primary colors

Color Bias

Create Split primary color wheel

Identify colors in a painting

Videos:

Colour Mixing Basics with Gouache

(Cool and warm colors, color bias, split primary color mixing)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lohqXkLRW3E

Color Theory Ep. 2 | Split Primary Palette | What Is It? & How To Make One

(Color mixing. Compare CMY and RYB color palettes, than look at 

split primary color mixing)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjGvtp0lOtw

Underpainting

Creating an underpainting wash to tone our background

Why Use a Yellow Underpainting?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTqqgTxPJEs

What Does James Gurney’s Yellow Underpainting Actually Do?

Advancing with Watercolor: Technique – Graded Washes

Watercolor underpainting with complementary color

How to choose an underpainting color

Florals & Organic Forms

Lecture Notes: Petal structure, color transitions, negative painting.

Exercises:
– Petal and leaf studies.

Assignment: Floral composition.

Video:

Clouds

Pay attention to edges, values and colors. There are many colors in clouds, and there may not be any pure white.

Expressive Techniques

Video:

25 Tips on How To Paint Expressive and Exciting Watercolours | Learn the Loose Style for Landscapes

Master Study

Do a study of a master painting

Confer with me about the painting you want to study

Abstraction

Abstracting from a source

Frank O’Cain’s insightful demo, Color in Acrylic, May 12, 2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJNaaTjj93o