Monochrome Watercolor Portraits: A 7-Day Challenge for Artists is a project-based class designed to help you loosen up, simplify your painting process, and build confidence in creating expressive watercolor portraits—one color at a time.

This class is ideal for intermediate artists, especially those already familiar with watercolor basics or who’ve taken my previous class: Introduction to Watercolor Portraits. Here, we take the next step together—with a structured, momentum-driven format that helps you grow fast through daily practice.

Over the course of 7 days, you’ll complete 7 watercolor portraits, each painted with a different single pigment. By limiting the palette, we remove the stress of color mixing and focus fully on the most essential elements of portraiture: tonal values, brush control, water flow, and stylistic expression.

Each day includes:

A thumbnail sketching warm-up, where we break down the reference using three tonal values: light, midtones, and darks
A real-time portrait demonstration, filmed to accompany you as you draw and paint along
Optional sketch templates for tracing if you prefer to skip the drawing phase

I’ll guide you through a variety of stylistic approaches and encourage you to explore your own. Not every painting will go perfectly—and that’s okay. Watercolor is unpredictable, and this challenge is about progress, not perfection.

By the end of this class, you’ll not only have created a beautiful monochrome portrait series—you’ll also have developed better control, stronger instincts, and the confidence to keep painting portraits regularly.

Stela Toncheva

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