In this class, you’ll paint a fabulous moonlit white heron using a watercolor palette of cool blues, neutrals, and soft earth tones. It's a great painting for complete Beginners, and All Levels, as I simplify everything from start to finish. The focus is on creating atmosphere, light, and contrast through watercolor techniques rather than tight detail.

You’ll learn how to build a luminous night sky, preserve and define white shapes, and create a sense of calm and stillness through controlled tonal values. The class balances loose, expressive washes with carefully placed details to bring the heron and its surroundings to life.

By the end of the class, you’ll have a finished painting that explores mood, light, and negative space—skills you can apply to many other subjects.

Key Techniques:

Paint atmospheric skies using wet-on-wet watercolor techniques
Use negative and positive painting to preserve light areas
Create depth and form with tonal values
Suggest water, reflections, and texture with minimal brushwork
Add fine details using white media and lifting techniques

By the end of this class, you will have the skills needed to create this fabulous Great White Heron nesting in the moonlight. The course is packed with exciting ideas and techniques. I will show you exactly how to paint this stunning scene from start to finish - you’ll get a real glimpse of what goes into my painting as you work alongside of me up-close and personal. I will remove the mystery of watercolor and show you how to discover new ways to unleash your creativity as you join me on this inspirational journey of start-to-finish demonstrations and techniques. As the video unfolds, you will see how colors work together, how to step into impressionism and push color to capture the mood and essence of your subject. This class will inspire you to use watercolour in a range of different ways. Best of all, you’ll gain a real sense of accomplishment by creating your own beautiful, evocative Heron painting.

Is this class for me? Absolutely, 100% yes! Watercolor basics are very simple to learn - like everything else it just takes practice to master, whilst also allowing the watercolor to ‘do its own thing’ and not trying to overly-control those ‘happy accidents’. All are welcome. If you are a complete beginner, you will learn the simple methods needed to paint with confidence. There are also techniques and ideas for those who already have some experience but want to loosen up a bit, become more expressive, and enhance their watercolor skills. You don't need to know how to draw, as I provide a template of the drawing for you to download and trace - so you can just concentrate on the fun of painting.

This course is packed with:

* Step-by-step guidance and best practice for a range of creative watercolor techniques - I'll be guiding you gently through the whole thing (eg, paint white shapes using negative painting, simplify a subject, add shadows, wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, blending and softening, adding depth and contrast with tonal values, using masking fluid to preserve white paper, to name but a few!)

* Some of my favorite studio tips and tricks for successful working practices and saving time (eg, use a damp brush or magic sponge to lift color, layer color, avoid washed out paintings, use white acrylic paint to enhance a watercolor painting)

Alright, let's do it! Come join me for a fun, creative class! Let's get going. Just follow the video boldly along, and you’ll soon have the knowledge and confidence to produce your very own gorgeous Heron painting that zings with color and energy.

I can't wait to see what you create!

My Artwork: I’ve been teaching people how to paint with watercolour for many years - you can see more examples of my artwork on my website: http://www.carriemckenzieart.co.uk

Mirka Rueda

Painting makes me happy

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