In this class I will guide you through painting an expressive puffin in watercolour, combining bold tonal shapes with a soft, atmospheric background. This subject is a real joy to paint, with strong contrasts in the plumage, colourful beak, and plenty of negative space that helps the bird feel luminous and calm against the air. Our aim is to capture character over detail, presence over perfection, and to give the puffin plenty of breathing room within the composition.

We will balance decisive accents around the eye and beak edges with drifting colour, misty merges and a loose, poetic backdrop. You will learn how to design a clear value structure, then use subtle warm and cool shifts to suggest depth without overworking the surface. The background will stay soft and atmospheric, with blooms, spatter and gentle lifting suggesting sea mist, distance and shoreline textures.

By the end of the class you will have a puffin painting that feels solid and believable, yet surrounded by an airy, expressive setting that celebrates tone, texture and the elegance of leaving things unsaid.

In this class you will learn:

How to build a clear value design so the puffin reads strongly from a distance
How to use negative space to carve out the bird’s silhouette and add interest around it
How to balance sharp accents (eye, beak, key edges) with soft, atmospheric washes
How warm and cool colour shifts can create depth in white and dark plumage
How to create an ethereal background using soft blooms, spatter and lifting for sea mist and distance
How to suggest grasses and shoreline textures where marks naturally gather, rather than forcing every detail

This is a relaxed, expressive project that suits both confident beginners and more experienced painters who want to explore tone, atmosphere and character in a simple yet powerful way.

I also encourage you to explore puffin classes from wonderful teachers such as Jane Davies, Nadine Dudek and Krzysztof Kowalski, so you can gather a range of approaches and develop your own personal way of painting this subject.

Thank you so much for your interest in this class!

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Try this class to explore your creativity...

I’ve been painting for many years now, taken part in many exhibitions around the world and won awards from well respected organisations. As well as having my work feature in art magazines. After having success selling my originals and 1000s of prints around the world, I decided to start traveling with my brushes and paintings. My style is modern and attempts to grasp the essence of what I’m painting whilst allowing freedom and expression to come through. I simplify complicated subjects into easier shapes that encourages playfulness.

You'll Learn:

What materials and equipment to need to painting along
Basic technique to complete your first painting
How to avoid common mistakes
Choosing the right colours for your painting
How to blend colours and create textures for different effects
Making corrections and improvements
Finishing touches that make a big difference

When enrolled, I’ll include my complete ‘Watercolour Mixing Charts’. These are a huge aid for beginners and experts alike. They show what every colour on the palette looks like when mixed with each other. Indispensable when it comes to choosing which colour to mix.

Don’t forget to follow me on Skillshare. Click the “follow” button and you’ll be the first to know as soon as I launch a new course or have a big announcement to share with my students.

Additional Resources:

Here are the art supplies I recommend
Follow me on Instagram
Check out my website

Music by Audionautix.com

John Arnold

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