Watercolor Academy Introduction

Watercolor Academy Introduction

Welcome to Watercolor Academy!

In this video, you will find out how you can fully benefit from Watercolor Academy courses.

There are two courses at Watercolor Academy:

• The Online Course
• The Correspondence Course

The Watercolor Academy Online Course is a self-learning course in which you can study at your own pace. You have a lifetime membership and can watch video lessons as many times as you want. In the video lessons, you will find the necessary information about art materials for watercolor painting, instructions on preparing support for paintings and transfers, color theory, and different methods and techniques of watercolor painting. You will learn how to paint in monochrome, with a limited number of colors, and with a wide array of colors. You will also see lessons from different art tutors who will share their knowledge and experience by demonstrating their creative processes.

The information you will discover at Watercolor Academy goes far beyond what any contemporary art college can provide. By watching Watercolor Academy video lessons, you will learn much more than you ever could by spending four years at a formal art institution.

In the video lesson about art materials, you will learn about watercolor paints, paper, brushes and other art materials you would need for practical exercises and an explanation of which qualities to look for when making your purchasing decisions.

In the video lessons on color theory, you will learn how to mix different colors and understand contrasts as they apply to watercolor painting.

The video lesson on composition will help you to plan and compose your own works of art.

In the video lesson on the golden ratio, you will discover golden proportions and how to apply them to your art.

You will also learn different methods of transferring drawings.

In the videos on watercolor painting methods, you will learn five different ways of applying paint to paper:

• Plain wash
• Gradated wash
• Variegated wash
• Granulated wash
• wiping off
• and Washing out

Each method is a unique procedure that comes with a set of rules. These methods are a foundational part of painting.

In the video lessons on watercolor painting techniques, you will learn nine different ways of creating watercolor artworks:

• Wet-on-dry glazing
• Wet-into-wet glazing
• Wet-on-dry alla prima
• Wet-into-wet alla prima
• Dry-brush-on-moist alla prima
• Dry-brush-on-dry
• Retouching
• Pen-and-wash
• and Wash-and-outline

In the lessons on watercolor painting techniques, you will learn how to use various methods to create different style artworks. Every technique will be explained in-depth.

The ability to depict tonal values is a very important skill. That is why we included lessons for creating monochrome artworks.

Good watercolor painting skills depend not on how many different paints you use, but on how skillfully you use colors. To help you to develop this skill, we created lessons on how to paint multi-colored watercolors by using only two pigments.

As you will learn from the color theory videos, all colors can be mixed from the three primary colors—yellow, red, and blue. If you master the mixing of these colors, you can take your skills to the next level.

Making geometric and organic pattern designs will not only help you handle the paintbrush with accuracy but also further develop good artistic taste.

Traditionally, landscape painting is an important watercolor genre. Watercolor is a fast-drying medium, which makes it convenient for panting outdoors. In the Watercolor Academy course, you will find numerous video lessons on how to paint the sky and water using different techniques. Even if you are not a landscape painter, you will find those videos very helpful for practicing painting from life.

To learn quick watercolor sketches, watch videos on the pen-and-wash and wash-and-outline panting techniques. You will be able to quickly create your own sketches from life by using those two techniques.

In the Watercolor Academy course, you will see very different styles of watercolor painting presented by four art tutors. Each tutor is an accomplished fine artist and will teach you something new by sharing original art techniques. These artists have over 100 years of combined experience. There is no doubt that you will benefit from having access to their guidance not available at any art college.

In this course, you will also learn how to make:

• Realistic still life paintings
• Botanical and animal paintings
• Seascapes
• Cityscapes
• Landscapes
• Portraits
• and Figurative compositions

By watching these video lessons, you will be able to raise your watercolor painting skills to the next level with the knowledge of professional panting methods and techniques.

Above all, you can rely on unlimited personal support from the academy tutors. This support comes at no extra charge and includes your watercolor artwork critiques. You can submit your paintings at any time to get our feedback and advice. You can ask tutors any art-related questions you may have. We will be happy to share our knowledge with you.

As a Watercolor Academy student, you are welcome to sign up for our members-only newsletter to read about updates and stay informed.

In addition to our support, you can also benefit from the exhibition of your works in the online Watercolor Academy Students' Gallery. This will put your work in front of our art community, fellow students, and website visitors.

After completing the Online Course, you will be entitled to a Watercolor Academy Diploma of Excellence in your name. After receiving the diploma, you will still have full access to the course materials and personal support from the tutors.

Watercolor Academy Correspondence Course

The Watercolor Academy Correspondence Course is the best way to master watercolor painting. In this Course, you will get personal tutoring from the academy teachers, who will guide you step-by-step and help you to achieve your goals.

This correspondence course is unique. The watercolor painting techniques we teach are not taught at contemporary art colleges. The secrets and know-how we can share with you are not known to the vast majority of contemporary painters. Vladimir London and Natalie Richy, the course tutors, will provide you with personal tutoring and teach you all you need to know to become a better artist.

By now, you may have questions about this course: what you will get and how you will benefit. Let's take a look at some of our most frequently asked questions.

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.

What will I learn in this course?

You will learn a wide range of watercolor painting methods and techniques that will enable you to fully harness your creativity and make better, more professional artwork. A custom-tailored curriculum will be developed for you based on your current level of skill. This curriculum will include many different topics and 100 watercolor painting tasks that will help you to raise and refine your art skills.

What topics will this course cover?

The course aims to take you from fundamentals of art through refined painting techniques and may include such topics as:

• Choosing the right watercolor materials
• Fundamentals of color theory
• Rules of composition and golden proportions
• Transferring drawings
• Mixing pigments
• Quick sketches and long-studies in watercolor
• 5 different watercolor painting methods
• 9 different painting techniques
• Creating pieces using monochrome and limited color palettes
• Composing multicolored watercolor paintings
• Creating landscapes, seascapes, and cityscapes
• Bringing botanical and animalistic artworks to life
• Capturing still-life and pattern designs
• Painting realistic portraits as well as figurative artworks, and much more!

What if I want to learn something special?

We want you to achieve all of your art goals, so we will include additional topics into your curriculum to help you meet them.

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.

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.

Who are the tutors?

As a Watercolor Academy student, you will have a dedicated team of art tutors – Natalie Richy and Vladimir London have taught many art students and helped them to become professional artists.

Natalie Richy is a professional figurative fine artist. Her art education spans many years and includes earning an MFA Degree at the Latvian Academy of Arts, as well as extensive self-educational research and practice of the Old Masters painting methods. Natalie has a deep passion for the traditional art of the Renaissance and Baroque eras and dedicates her time and efforts to rediscovering the "secrets" of the Old Masters painting techniques.

Vladimir London is an art tutor and creator of several online art courses including Drawing Academy, Anatomy Master Class, and Life Drawing Academy. As a professional artist, Vladimir paints in watercolor and oil as well as doing figurative drawings.

Who will be my main art tutor?

Your main tutor will be Vladimir London. When he is away, Natalie Richy will step in so you always have someone on hand to help.

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.

Have the skills of your art students improved?

Natalie and Vladimir have taught many art students around the world how to draw and paint. You can check their students' progress in the online gallery of Watercolor Academy. After watching the Watercolor Academy video lessons and following our personal tutoring, our students really get what it takes to paint in watercolor the professional way. We're confident that your watercolor painting skills will improve too. You are also welcome to check students' reviews and feedback on the progress they have achieved.

Here's what our students say about their progress:

"In just one month, I 've learned more about painting with watercolors than in four years at an art college. I could only wish of enrolling in the Watercolor Academy earlier"
Sam P.

"Painting portraits has always been the most difficult thing for me. It's amazing how Watercolor Academy teachers made this topic so easy to follow."
Daniel

"I was painting for years with little progress before I took the Watercolor Correspondence Course. This was the best decision for improving my art skills!"
Pauline

"Thank you, Watercolor Academy teachers, I've learned so much from you! I now work as an illustrator, sell my artworks, and plan my first watercolor exhibition."
Lina

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, so there are no deadlines and no time pressure.

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.

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 does the Correspondence Course compare to an art college?

First, traditional watercolor painting techniques are the core of the Correspondence Course. Such techniques are simply not taught at contemporary art colleges at the same depth as you will learn them at Watercolor Academy.

Also, in a college, you will not get a custom-tailored curriculum developed just for you. In the Correspondence Course, all of your educational topics and tasks will be based on a personal curriculum so you can learn what you specifically need to improve your painting skills.

Furthermore, as a Watercolor Academy student, you will have lifetime access to 80 video lessons. These video lessons are as good as watching a tutor painting in watercolor right in front of your eyes. Teachers at contemporary art colleges don't show you by their own example how to create different masterpieces while giving a step-by-step explanation.

In addition, in order to study at an art college, you would have to relocate, follow a strict schedule, and meet tight deadlines. At Watercolor Academy, you can study in the comfort of your home and have the flexibility to fit lessons into your own schedule without having to worry about deadlines.

At a college, your tutoring would be limited. At Watercolor Academy, you will have a lifetime membership for a one-time fee which includes unlimited artwork critiques at no extra cost.

Finally, a contemporary art college would take up to 4 years of your time and may cost up to $100,000 including relocation, accommodation, tuition, and other fees. This comes with no guarantee that you will actually learn the necessary skills of the trade. Watercolor Academy offers you an education at a fraction of the cost that is specifically designed to help you grow as an artist.

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.

Can I get a refund?

Due to the high personalization of the course and the limited number of students we're able to take, we do not offer refunds. We heavily invest in designing a custom-tailored curriculum based on your skills to help you achieve your art goals. We offer support to help you get the most out of this course, but inevitably it is up to you to complete your tasks and move forward in the course.

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.

This is your chance to get a top-quality art education at an incredible value. Do not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Take the next steps in your journey of becoming a great artist!

To learn professional watercolor painting techniques, enroll now