Paint a realistic-looking horse in watercolor using a wet-on-wet technique and lift the colors to add more highlights. This class is great for students at all levels and is packed with lots of tips, all recorded in real-time.

It’s important to watch each lesson, including how to wet the paper, as the more time you put into practice: ‘wet on wet and lifting, the better you will get at it. It’s all about feeling it in your hand, how much water to use on your brush, and how much water to use with paint. There are no shortcuts in watercolor.

Check out the Project Resource below, where you can find a comprehensive guide accompanying this class.

A suggested list of Art Materials for this class.

In this class, you’ll need a few colors and high-quality watercolor paper.

Watercolor paper.

I recommend using 100% cotton watercolor paper in a larger size, like 14X19 inches. It’s important to paint on high-quality 100% cotton watercolor paper so you don’t lift the colors while you continue adding more colors to the same layer or to avoid lifting colors when you try to re-wet the paper for the next layer.

A larger sheet allows enough space for colors to blend and flow, giving you the freedom to make broader brush strokes.

A good choice for the paper is:

Arches, Saunders Waterford, Canson Heritage (Cold Pressed 140lb) or Magnani – rough 140lb (Magnani’s rough doesn’t seem to have that much texture), Hahnemuhle the Collection rough or Hahnemuhle's Leonardo. Baohong is a good alternative, too, but the paper feels very stiff.

From the papers mentioned above, only Magnani and Hahnemuhle are vegan, while all others are made with animal products like gelatine - for sizing.

Watercolor brushes.

You will need a few brushes, such as a larger flat brush, to wet the paper, and then apply the first colors—a rigger brush for the thinnest and longest strokes to create whiskers and add hair detail.

You will use a smaller brush for the eyes and then medium-sized brushes. I suggest choosing either a soft round brush or a quill.

Examples below (these are suggestions and brushes I will be using. You can use some of the brushes you already have)

Round 8 “Golden 1” by Maria Raczynska
Round 8 “Golden 2” by Maria
Long quill 2,4 “Songbird” by Maria
RIgger 2 “Songbird” by Maria
Round 2,3 “Songbird” by Maria
Flat 40 “Casaneo” da Vinci
Flat 24 “Songbird” by Maria
A brush for splattering paint (Mini mop 1/8) Princeton

Watercolor pigments.

The color palette for this class will include raw sienna, raw umber, burnt sienna, and vandyke brown. However, keep in mind that you don’t need to match my palette perfectly, as light and shadows are more significant.

Cobalt blue
Phthalo blue red shade
Indigo
Raw sienna
Raw umber
Quinacridone red
Burnt sienna
Vandyke brown

Sketch (always available for download)

When you’re ready, you will start working on your sketch. You can either print the sketch I provide in this class or create one from scratch. I recommend tracing the outlines; once you capture the horse’s overall proportions, you can begin adding details.

Other materials:

A small bath towel, to wipe your brush on (essential)
A paper towel for additional lifting, if necessary
Three small jars with clean water for the easiness of dipping a brush or cleaning your brush
A plastic palette, or if you don’t have one, a dinner plate
A good light with a daylight bulb. Preferably two lamps on your desk, plus a headlight.

If you are very new to wet-on-wet or lifting colors, please start with this course first: Watercolor Mastery - Apples

Ann Mongeau

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