If you’re anything like me, the sky is perhaps one of the most fascinating things on this planet. It can be calm and serene, ferocious and powerful, beautiful and dynamic. Because of these qualities, I find myself drawn to paint the sky in all of these moods and my chosen medium for this is watercolor. I have been painting with watercolors for several years and am so excited to pass on some of what I've learned with all of you!*

In a series of classes, I will share my knowledge on how to paint dynamic watercolor skies, ranging from lightning out at sea to the Milky Way shining over mountains. You do not need to have used watercolors before - part 1 of this class can be completed by beginners. Anyone who is willing to learn and create is welcome.

We’ll start by going over necessary materials, discussing a few basic techniques, and then diving into the subject matter.

Materials needed:

100% Cotton Watercolor paper (Arches or BeePaper are my preferred brands)**
Any brand of watercolor paints you have!
Masking Fluid and/or a white gel pen, or white ink!
Round Brushes. I’ll be using size 2, 8, and 12 from multiple brands
Watercolor palette (or a porcelain plate!)
Masking tape or washi tape
Pencil (and eraser) and paper
Paper towel or old rag
Two containers of water

Basic Techniques:

Wet-on-wet
Wet-on-dry
Gradients
Lifting
Masking fluid

Practice Before we Begin:

Drawing lightning
Painting waves

* I highly suggest you watch this class on a laptop/computer or a tablet, aka something with a large screen! That way you will be able to see all the small details. :)

** You do not need to use 100% cotton watercolor paper, but I highly recommend it in order to achieve similar effects

Louise Stocker

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