What is the Watercolor Academy Correspondence Course?
The Correspondence Course is a personal, one-on-one tutoring experience where you will learn watercolor painting skills under the guidance of dedicated art teachers. Studying by correspondence means that you will get all necessary instructions, explanations, tutoring, critiques, and guidance in writing in addition to your video lessons.
Is it possible for me to learn watercolor painting by correspondence?
Studying by correspondence will give you a great advantage over some face-to-face teaching. First of all, your schedule will be much more flexible, allowing you to study at your own pace. But above all, you will receive all feedback and tutoring in writing. This means it will be available for you to keep and reference at any time so you can reread instructions and explanations, recheck our critique, refresh yourself on rules, remember advice you were given, and refer to educational materials that were provided for previous tasks.
Is this course suitable for beginners?
If you are a complete beginner, this course will be tremendously helpful for you. We include basic, yet very helpful, topics for you to begin with and will help you to grow your skills to the advanced level.
If you are an advanced artist, your curriculum will start with a different set of tasks than a beginner's curriculum would and will include topics you are interested in. For example, this could include how to depict emotions in portrait, how to portray the personality of a sitter, how to do genre paintings, and so on.
How will my skills and progress be evaluated?
Before we create your custom-tailored curriculum, your art tutors will evaluate your current skills and provide you with a full, comprehensive critique to advise you on what needs to be improved. Your skills also will be assessed after you complete each task. You will know precisely what to work on at every step of your curriculum.
Do I need special art materials?
If you already paint in watercolor, you probably already have all the materials required. The list of necessary materials will be provided at the beginning of your course. We will teach you how to make masterpieces with art supplies that are readily available at any art shop.
What art tasks will I get?
This depends on your personal curriculum based on your current level of skill. Tasks may include color theory exercises, how to mix and apply pigment, how to paint in alla prima and layer-by-layer, how to make realistic portraits and figures, and so on.
What instructions will I get?
For every task, you will get fully explained, illustrated, and step-by-step instructions. Each task will be described point-by-point so you always know what to do and how to do it.
Are there any deadlines?
This is a self-paced course; there are no deadlines.
How long will it take for me to complete the course?
This depends on you and what pace you're comfortable working at. If you complete one task every week, it would take you about two years to complete this course.
Will I become a professional artist by completing this course?
It depends on your goals. If you would like to dedicate your professional life to making fine art, this course will be very helpful in achieving your dream. The information and skills you will learn in the Watercolor Academy Correspondence Course are not taught at contemporary art colleges. The know-how you will receive in this course will give you the edge you need to become a better artist.
Who are the tutors?
You will have a dedicated team of art tutors – Natalie Richy and Vladimir London who taught many art students and helped them to become professional artists.
Your main tutor will be Vladimir London. Vladimir is an art tutor and creator of several online art courses including Drawing Academy, Anatomy Master Class and Life Drawing Academy.
How will I communicate with tutors?
All communication will be via email. Verbal instructions and critique can easily be forgotten the next day, but written guidance will be available for as long as you choose to keep it.
Can I talk over a phone or Skype with tutors?
For the reason explained above, we don't utilize video calls. We have found that our students benefit most from having written instructions that they can keep for future reference. Believe us, there will be a lot of information to take in and we want you to be able to keep that information for years to come.
When will my tutoring be completed?
Your course is concluded once you have completed all 100 of the art tasks to the quality required.
What will happen after the course?
When you complete the Correspondence Course, you will receive a Watercolor Academy Diploma of Excellence in your name and will have full academy membership for life. You can send us your artworks for critique at any time. This support is unlimited and comes at no extra cost.
Can you guarantee my results?
For legal reasons, we cannot guarantee any results because they do not depend on us: they depend on you. We can only say that if you follow the curriculum task by task, there is no way to fail. You will get certain skills and know-how from every single task. If you follow our instructions, your new skills will reflect in the quality of the art that you produce.
How much does this course cost?
After considering our 100 painting tasks and 80 video lessons, this course is valued at $18,000 USD. However, we have a limited number of student memberships where you can enroll at the heavily-discounted price of only $997. Because these spots are limited, when the capacity is filled, we will suspend enrollment or put the price to reflect its true value.
Will this course work for me?
The question should actually be the other way around – will you work to achieve your art goals? This course will work for you, if you work for it. There is simply no way to fail because your skills cannot stay the same as long as you practice the watercolor painting techniques we will teach you. If you move through the tasks one-by-one and follow our guidance and suggestions for improvement, this course will work for you and your watercolor painting skills will advance to a higher level.
