Have you always dreamed of learning how to express the beauty of the sky at different times of the day?
Do you want to not only admire the flowers, but also be able to easily depict them with fluid watercolor?
These are truly one of the most beautiful objects for inspiration!
And drawing them is such a pleasure...
Let's start!
Content
Lesson 1. Sunny peonies.
In this lesson you will learn how to more accurately convey the character and image of a flower so that it is recognizable. And also how to create volume and light in the image. In the a la prima technique (on one attempt) on a wet sheet, we will work “from the stain”. Let's write a quivering image and try to express the scent of peonies using the lightness and transparency of watercolor.
You will learn how to:
- start your work, previously analyzing the nature;
- pay attention to the preparatory stage;
- perform the drawing in a generalized way, without copying each petal;
- “see in spots” and abstract from the subject of the image;
- highlight the main thing and control the attention of the viewer.
Lesson 2. Lilac branch.
In this lesson we will look at the works of famous artists depicting lilacs and explore their techniques with nature, which at first glance seems quite complicated. Let's learn how to combine and write a holistic image, create a picture of lilac boldly and quickly.
Let's work with a contrasting dark background, emphasizing the lightness, airiness and brightness of delicate petals.
You will learn how to:
- not be afraid of nature, consisting of small details;
- do not copy the reference;
- generalize and identify the main thing;
- work with negative space;
- feel free to use a dark background and flow of watercolor on the sheet.
Lesson 3. White orchids.
Having studied nature, we will convey the character of the flower on a sheet of paper. Using a contrasting background we will let the orchids glow. We will talk about the coloristic intricacies of creating white flowers and write an elegant image using the a la prima technique.
You will learn how to:
- pay attention to the study of nature;
- work out the tone in preliminary sketches;
- mix subtle shades for white petals;
- leave mystery and
Lesson 4. Fragrance of roses.
Let's study the nature of the flower and the peculiarities of the petals arrangement in preliminary sketches. We will write this watercolor in the a la prima technique on a wet sheet without a pencil drawing!
You will learn how to:
- connect your imaginative thinking and fantasy while working;
- independently invent a composition and finalize the plot;
- feel the freedom of the watercolor process without a preliminary drawing;
- stop work in time, preserving innuendo and at the same time creating integrity and accuracy of tonal relationships.
Lesson 5. A transient mood.
Everyday we see the sky above us , but how can we depict it's moving state? How to not be afraid of such moody instrument as watercolor?
In this lesson you will paint a brief landscape right from your imagination — and watercolors will help you with that!
Features of the lesson:
In this tutorial, you will paint the sky without using a paintbrush! As you pour paint onto a wet sheet, you will see all the magic of watercolor in action. We'll discuss compositional patterns and focus on color matching so you can feel free and understand and listen to watercolor better.
Lesson 6. The evening sky of Crimea.
We will move to the westernmost point of the Crimean peninsula and write a romantic sunset, showing the magnificence of the sunlight in the evening sky and all the peacefulness.
Features of the lesson:
Here you will master the a la prima technique on the wet paper, write backlighting and air clouds at sunset. And to add romance to the work, we will create highlights and textures of the sea shore.
Lesson 7. Walking with clouds.
Clear sky and fluffy clouds create a light and nice mood. We will take a walk for delicious raspberries along the path leading to the spruce forest!
Features of the lesson:
While this "walking" you will get a skill of painting white clouds and step-by-step come to a full landscape, experimenting with various textures of the grass and trees. I will show you how to depict the spruce forest and graceful trunks of birches. Also we will try few effects of making depth and extra-space in your work. Then you complete the plot and come up with your own story!
Lesson 8. Under the sky of Paris.
Are you ready to take a risk and paint a panorama of one of the most beautiful cities in the world without a preliminary drawing? I'll show you how to do it boldly and freely. In this tutorial, we will create a stormy sky and a dramatic mood with the recognizable silhouette of Paris.
Features of the lesson:
In this lesson you will write a whole panorama of the city without preliminary drawing using the a la prima technique on a wet sheet! I'll show you how to create anxious mood at work and thunderclouds, and also you will understand how to highlight the main and generalize the secondary.
What VIP format with feedback from Eugeniya Kostikova includes?
🔸 Access to the online course for 1 year immediately after payment
🔸 Access immediately after payment
🔸 Tasks checking during one month
🔸 Full comments on your works from the teacher
🔸 Work on mistakes
🔸 Teacher recommendations
🔸 Possibility of individual consultation
ARTIST
Eugeniya Kostikova
Hello dear friends!
My name is Evgeniya Kostikova, I am a watercolor artist and teacher of fine arts.
I live and work in Russia, in Tula. Being an architect by education, I've been in love with watercolor since my studies. However, first time I discovered all the diversity of the world of watercolor was only when I got the opportunity to buy professional materials and learn from famous artists.
In my work I experiment with different watercolor techniques, allowing the paint to play freely on the sheet and make adjustments to my idea.
The main source of my inspiration is nature. Approaching the beauty of the world around us, capturing states, conveying on paper the wind, summer midday heat or frosty winter morning, presenting the viewer with my emotions from communicating with nature - this is how I see the main task for myself as for an artist.
Since 2018 I have been actively teaching, painting with children in my studio, conducting a full-time watercolor course for adults, plein-airs and workshops.
At the moment I am a member of the International Watercolor Society, a member of the Union of Professional Artists of Russia, as well as a participant and winner of international watercolor exhibitions and festivals. My works are in private collections in Russia and abroad.
Materials:
Paper:
Saunders Waterford 100% cotton, 300 g/m2, medium grain, size 28х38 cm (quarter of a sheet and less).
Brushes:
- Fleits from goat (I use Herend brushes)
- Sharped-tipped filling brush (squirrel mix, french mount). The width of pile's bunch about 6 mm. (I use Belka brush)
- Sharped-tipped synthetic brush № 6 and № 2 for subtle details (Roubloff Aqua blue, Escoda Perla)
- Flat brush from chipmunk (Herend), 8 mm, or you can use flat synthetic brush.
Paints:
Any paint manufacturer.
- light yellow neapolitan (PY 216)
- aureolin (or lemony)
- orange cadmium
- carmine
- opera (or neon pink, pink quinacridone, magenta)
- yellow ocher
- burnt sienna
- olive
- burnt umber
- ultramarine
- blue cobalt
- lavender
- blue indanthrene (or indigo)
- ceruleum
- neutral tint (or payne's grey)
- Chinese whitewash (or gouache - titanium white)
Additional materials:
A tablet made of plexiglass or plastic slightly larger than the sheet format, masking tape, a black lead pencil HB, a kneaded eraser, drawing charcoal, album sheets for sketches and paints, paper towels, a palette (you can use a white ceramic plate), two containers with water, a spray bottle, a hair dryer, hairspray, masking liquid (it is better to use Sennelier, without an applicator), a sharpened match for applying masking liquid, small containers made of glass or plastic.