New Online Classes Start Soon!

Starting February 14th, I will be teaching Watercolor for the Absolute Beginner at Artist's Network University. This is a 4-week painting course that is taught entirely online, so students anywhere in the world can now sign up to study with me!

Learn how to capture the beauty and radiance of watercolor—even if you’ve never painted before! Professional watercolorist Annie Strack will take you through the essential techniques and concepts of watercolor painting. You’ll learn how to use your watercolor materials to create washes, work wet-into-wet, suggest value changes, establish color and light, execute stunning compositions and much more.
Course includes downloads of course textbook and video!
COURSE BEGINS: February 14, 2012
COURSE LENGTH: 4 weeks
COURSE MATERIALS (included with tuition):

• Watercolor for the Absolute Beginner, by Mark and Mary Willenbrink (PDF eBook)
• Watercolor for the Absolute Beginner with Mark Willenbrink (video download)

TUITION: $149.99* ($135.00 for VIP)
INSTRUCTOR: Annie Strack (Bio)
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Using essential watercolor materials with confidence
• Executing basic watercolor techniques including a variety of washes, working wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry, and positive and negative painting
• Suggesting depth and light with color and value
• Completing a watercolor painting from beginning sketch to finished piece

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE:

• Students who have completed Drawing for the Absolute Beginner, Level 1 or Drawing for Beginners, Level 2
• Aspiring artists new to watercolor painting
• Experienced artists who want to learn proven techniques
• Watercolorists who want to freshen up their skills

SUGGESTED ART MATERIALS:
Pigments
Alizarin Crimson
Burnt Sienna or Sepia
Cadmium Orange
Cadmium Red
Cadmium Yellow
Cerulean Blue
Prussian Blue
Yellow Ochre
Surface140–lb (300gsm) cold-press watercolor
140-lb (300 gsm) hot-press watercolor paper
Brushes
3-inch (76mm) hake
No. 2 round
No. 6 round
No. 10 round
Tools
2B pencil
Facial tissue
Kneaded eraser
Masking tape
Mounting board (Masonite, plywood or watercolor board)
Palette or plastic plates
Table salt
Water container(s)
COURSE SYLLABUS
Lesson 1: Essential Watercolor Techniques

• Basic watercolor materials
• Mixing paint and handling brushes
• Working wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry and drywashes

Homework:
Complete the following exercises to practice key watercolor techniques. You may use the pigments recommended in your textbook or you may select your own pigments:

• Applying a Flat Wash, page 49.
• Applying a Gradated Wash, page 50
• Applying a Variegated Wash, page 51
• Adding Salt, page 57
• Lifting Paint, page 58

Session 2: Drawing, Value and Color Basics

• Structural drawing techniques
• Understanding value and color
• Using color intensity to suggest atmospheric perspective
• Composition basics

Homework:
Complete the following exercises to improve your understanding of how color and value work.

• Making a Value Scale, page 27
• Once you’ve made a value scale, practice creating value changes and suggesting shadow and light by painting the shapes on the bottom of page 26.
• Create your own color while, following the exercise, Making a Color Wheel, on page 33.
• Practice suggesting atmospheric perspective by re-creating the three groupings of trees you see on page 29.

Session 3: Positive and Negative Painting

• Suggesting texture
• Understanding positive and negative space
• Color temperature

Homework:
Practice working with positive and negative shapes by completing the following demonstrations:

• Positive Painting, pages 80–83
• Negative Painting, pages 84–89

Session 4: Basic Painting Approach

• Composition planning
• Mixing and layering paint
• Light effects

Homework:
Complete the Structural Drawing demonstration, pages 68–71, then use that sketch as a basis for completing the Painting with Three Colors demonstration on pages 76–79.

Cool New Paints!

I'm finishing up a few more watercolors in the studio, and when those are done I'm going to start playing with these new acrylic paints from Chroma. These Atelier Interactive Professional Artists Acrylics from Chroma have unique properties that allow artists to retard the drying process, and even re-work the paint after it has dried. It's totally different from the way we use traditional acrylics, so it might take a while to get used to it! Hmm. I'm not sure what I want to paint with these. I might do some tropical scenes, maybe some palm trees. Or maybe some still-lifes. Or maybe some landscapes. I'll let you know soon!