Watercolor Academy review by M. Chad Randall

Story and artworks from M. Chad Randall, Watercolor Academy Correspondence Course student

My name is M. Chad Randall. I am a middle school art teacher (ages 11–14), illustrator, and lifelong student of art living in Texas, United States. Although I spent much of my professional life working in the corporate world in sales and marketing leadership, art has always remained an important part of who I am.

Several years ago, I returned to art more seriously after accepting a position teaching middle school art, and that experience reignited a deeper passion for drawing, painting, and storytelling through illustration. Today, art is no longer simply a hobby for me. It has become both a personal pursuit and the direction I hope to continue professionally through children's book illustration and traditional watercolor painting.

I am especially inspired by the work of Charles Santore, Jerry Pinkney, Robert Ingpen, and P. J. Lynch. Their ability to combine technical mastery with emotional storytelling deeply influences the type of artwork I hope to create.

Art also plays a major role in how I teach my students. I encourage them to understand that creativity and expression grow stronger when built upon solid technical foundations and craftsmanship.

Although I have experience in drawing and painting, I realized there were still significant gaps in my formal watercolor training and technical understanding. Much of modern art education emphasizes expression and experimentation, but often does not focus deeply on mastering traditional watercolor techniques and classical foundations.

As I continue pursuing illustration professionally, I wanted more structured and disciplined training in areas such as:

• watercolor control
• layering and glazing
• color harmony
• atmospheric perspective
• composition
• edge control
• and classical painting methods

I enrolled in Watercolor Academy because I was looking for a serious program that approaches watercolor as a craft that can truly be mastered. I was especially drawn to the Academy's individualized master/apprentice-style approach and its emphasis on building strong technical foundations rather than simply teaching quick effects or shortcuts.

I believe that before an artist can confidently bend or break artistic "rules," they first need to understand and master them.

Although I am only at the beginning of the program and have only just started the coursework, I already feel encouraged by the structure and philosophy of the Academy.

One of the reasons I chose this program is because it appears to address many of the exact questions and challenges I have been seeking answers to for some time — especially regarding disciplined watercolor technique, technical consistency, and classical artistic foundations.

The evaluation process and individualized curriculum approach have already given me confidence that the training will be tailored toward helping me strengthen the specific areas where I want to grow as an artist and illustrator.

My goal in taking this course is to strengthen both my technical skills and my confidence as a watercolor artist and illustrator. I hope the Academy will help me:

• gain greater control over watercolor
• improve my understanding of light, color, and atmosphere
• strengthen composition and storytelling
• improve efficiency and consistency in execution
• and deepen my understanding of classical painting principles

I also believe the training will help elevate the emotional and professional quality of my illustration work by giving me a stronger technical foundation beneath the artistic instincts and storytelling abilities I already possess.

Ultimately, I hope this course helps bridge the gap between where I currently am and the level of mastery I aspire to achieve as a professional illustrator.

Based on everything I have experienced so far, I would recommend Watercolor Academy to artists who are serious about developing stronger technical watercolor skills and who are looking for structured, disciplined training.

What attracted me to the program is that it appears to treat watercolor not simply as a loose or unpredictable medium, but as one that can be studied, understood, and mastered through proper instruction and practice.

I believe artists who value classical foundations, individualized guidance, and long-term artistic growth would likely benefit greatly from this type of training.

Castles at Coney Island
Traditional watercolor illustration By the Hand of the Hudson
Traditional watercolor illustration Come
Traditional watercolor illustration Noah the King
Graphite illustration

---

To learn how to paint in watercolor, enroll now: