Frequently Asked Questions

Watercolor Academy FAQ

• Questions about the Watercolor Academy Courses
• Questions about prices, payments, and refunds
• Questions about the Watercolor Academy membership
• Questions about the Watercolor Academy Diploma of Excellence
• Technical Questions

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Questions about the Watercolor Academy Courses

What is Watercolor Academy™?

Watercolor Academy is an educational resource for fine artists who want to learn how to paint in watercolor.

It consists of two courses:

• Watercolor Academy Online Course
• Watercolor Academy Correspondence Course

What does the Watercolor Academy Online Course offer?

In the Watercolor Academy Online Course, you will get:

• A lifetime membership—you can study at your own pace
• Unlimited access to 80 "How to paint in watercolor" video lessons (more than 30 hours of playing time)
• Course assignments
• Personal support from the Academy tutors, which includes artwork critiques and answers to your art questions
• A place in the Students Gallery
• Access to the members-only Watercolor Academy newsletter
• A Watercolor Academy Diploma of Excellence upon completion

What does the Watercolor Academy Correspondence Course offer?

In the Correspondence Course, you will get a dedicated art tutor for a lifetime, who will teach you watercolor painting skills in one-on-one lessons.

The Correspondence Course provides unlimited personal tutoring, which is custom-tailored to your art skills and needs. This course also includes the benefits of the Online Course.

In the Watercolor Academy Correspondence Course, you will get:

• All that is included in the Watercolor Academy Course
• Access to a dedicated team of art tutors
• Personal one-on-one art tutoring tailored to your skills and needs
• An assessment of your current level of art skills
• A detailed description of your art skills to improve upon
• A custom-crafted plan to improve your art skills
• An individual curriculum of 100 practical tasks
• Detailed instructions for every watercolor painting task
• An assessment report and critique for every task
• Updates to your personalized curriculum depending on your progress and development

Is Watercolor Academy suitable for complete beginners or advanced artists?

Watercolor Academy courses are suitable for both beginners and advanced artists.

If you are a complete beginner, you may find it easier to learn to paint under the guidance of Academy tutors. The Correspondence Course is an ideal solution because your art tutors will create a curriculum tailored to your skill level and guide you step-by-step until you master watercolor painting.

If you are an intermediate art student, Watercolor Academy is a great place to take your skills to the next level. You can take either the Online or Correspondence course. Depending on how you would like to study, you can learn on your own by watching video lessons and relying on personal support from the academy tutors or getting the full one-on-one tutoring from the academy tutors.

If you are an advanced artist, we suggest the Correspondence Course. In addition to video lessons, you will receive advanced tips and tutorials—ones you could only learn from the professional fine artists who will customize your learning experience based on your goals.

Who are the Watercolor Academy tutors?

The Watercolor Academy tutors are Vladimir London, Natalie Richy, Ilya Ibryaev, and Anna Ivanova, who are all professional fine artists and art teachers.

Are there any assignments for Watercolor Academy students?

The Online Course comes with special assignments you may do to learn practical watercolor painting skills. Alternatively, you are welcome to work on your own creative projects. Either way, as a course student, you are welcome to submit your artworks for critique and ask tutors questions at any time. There are no limits and no deadlines. You can study and work at your own pace.

What personal support will I get in the Online Course?

You will enjoy unlimited personal support from the course tutors, whom you will always be able to communicate with. It comes at no extra charge and includes:

• Answers to your art-related questions
• Artwork critiques and suggestions for improvement

All personal support is provided in writing via email, so you will be able to keep track of critiques and suggestions.

What personal tutoring will I get in the Correspondence Course?

As a Watercolor Academy Correspondence Course student, you will get all of the personal support offered in the Online Course. Beyond that, you will receive dedicated, one-on-one tutoring, which is unlimited and life-long.

This provides you with your very own art tutors for a lifetime, for a one-time payment. No other art college or university offers the same opportunity.

What art materials will I need for the Watercolor Academy lessons?

If you already have some artist-grade watercolor paints and paintbrushes, you are fully prepared to benefit from the Watercolor Academy video lessons.

If you are a complete beginner and have no materials for watercolor painting, watch this video to make informed purchases.

Do I have to paint what I see in the video lessons?

We want you to become a skillful and original fine artist. We want you to learn original painting skills, not copying.

All video lessons of the Watercolor Academy course can be divided into two groups:

1. Lessons on painting methods, techniques, and color theory
2. Lessons on making creative works of art

You are advised to do the same practical exercises and use the same diagrams as presented in the first group. However, when it comes to making creative artworks, we advise you to watch the process as demonstrated by the art tutor and listen to the explanation of techniques. Then, make your own creative works using the knowledge you've acquired.

Be aware that copying someone else's artwork can infringe on copyrights.

How long are the video lessons?

There are 80 video lessons, all of different lengths. To keep the videos dynamic and engaging, we kept every video under one hour in length. The total playback time of all lessons is about 30 hours.

In what languages are video lessons available?

The video lessons are available only in English. Every video comes with English text that you can read and translate if English is not your first language.

Can I download the video lessons to my computer?

The Watercolor Academy video lessons are only available for streaming online. You can watch them on any internet-connected device that supports standard HTML5 video playback (similar to YouTube).

You cannot download the videos to your computer. This policy protects our products' copyright. Any violation of this policy will be prosecuted in accordance with international laws.

For how long will I be able to access the course?

You will have lifetime access to all video lessons and educational materials. Lifetime refers to the life span of the Watercolor Academy website. All video lessons are available to watch online 24/7. There is no expiration or deadline.

Where can I see artwork by Watercolor Academy students and the tutors' feedback?

Please check the Students' Gallery to view students' artwork and the corresponding critique provided by the Watercolor Academy tutors.

You may also check what our students say here »

Can I check the Watercolor Academy free demo?

To get a good understanding of what the Watercolor Academy courses are like, you can subscribe to a free demo.

As a free subscriber, you will receive access to several selected video lessons from the Online Course.

In addition, as a free newsletter subscriber, you will receive valuable bonuses, news, and updates from Watercolor Academy, featured artwork critiques and advice on how to improve watercolor painting skills, and other offers you don't want to miss. You can unsubscribe with just one click at any time.

Questions about prices, payments, and refunds

How much does the Watercolor Academy membership cost?

You can enroll in the Watercolor Academy Online Course at a heavily discounted price of only $297. For this one-time fee, you will have a lifetime membership and unlimited support from the academy tutors.

The one-on-one personal tutoring included in the Watercolor Academy Correspondence Course is also available for a lifetime at a fraction of its actual value. This course is available for a one-time fee of only $997.

If you purchase the Online Course and would like to upgrade to the Correspondence Course, you can do it at any time by paying the remaining fee of $700.

Can I purchase a Watercolor Academy membership as a gift for my kids, spouse, or friends?

Absolutely! We are certain your loved ones will be grateful for such a wonderful gift.

Will there be any additional payments in the future?

The discounted price you pay today is the only fee for your lifetime membership and unlimited support from the academy tutors.

What is the refund policy?

Our service and online video lessons are an intangible product and as such cannot be returned by a user. Therefore, according to the Sales and Service Policy, you agree to when purchasing, there are no refunds once you've received access to the art course.

You are welcome to contact us and describe your circumstances if you think your case is exceptional.

Should you mistakenly purchase two or more memberships instead of one, your overpayment will be refunded.

Questions about the Watercolor Academy membership

How do I set up my Watercolor Academy account?

After payment, you will be automatically redirected to the account setup page. If you have any trouble with account setup, please contact us, and we will do it for you.

Is this course compatible with tablets and smartphones?

Yes. You can watch the video lessons on any Internet-connected device, including iPads and smartphones. Please make sure your device supports the HTML5 video format (similar to YouTube).

Can I cancel my membership?

Yes. You can cancel your Watercolor Academy membership at any time.

Keep in mind, we cannot issue refunds for canceled courses.

Can I re-join the Watercolor after cancellation?

Yes, you can. Please note, should you decide to re-join the academy later on, we cannot guarantee the current membership price, as it may go up in the future.

Questions about the Watercolor Academy Diploma of Excellence

What is the Diploma of Excellence?

The Watercolor Academy Diploma of Excellence is issued to commemorate your achievement of completing the course and putting your new knowledge into practice.

When will I receive the diploma?

You can apply for the Watercolor Academy Diploma of Excellence three months after your enrollment; there is no deadline.

Are there any exams?

Although there are no exams, a Watercolor Academy Diploma of Excellence is not awarded automatically.

To receive a Diploma, you need to provide your feedback about the course with at least two artworks—one from before you took the course or right when you started, and another from after you completed it. This feedback will be used to improve our service and the course.

Your story and artworks may be published on the Watercolor Academy website.

What if I have any technical questions?

We provide all necessary customer support.

I have a question that is not answered here.

Please contact us; we will be happy to help.