Join me to paint a pair of koi gliding through luminous water. This subject is a joy for colour lovers, with warm oranges and reds glowing against deep, cool greens and blues. I’ll guide you through a clear process so the fish feel buoyant and alive, and the water around them breathes with soft movement.

We’ll work with clean shapes, a simple value plan, and varied edges. Soft merges will suggest depth, selective accents will describe eyes and fins, and saved paper will give those crisp wet highlights. The water becomes a stage of drifting colour, gentle ripples, and textured passages.

In this class you will learn to:

Design strong silhouettes and a clear value plan that bring the koi forward
Balance warm vs cool colour to create contrast and mood
Use soft transitions, lifting, and reserved whites for light and clarity
Suggest scales with broken colour rather than tight detail
Shape forms with negative painting and a few decisive accents
Let granulation and textured washes create natural water effects and ripples

By the end, you’ll have a calm, atmospheric koi painting with lively colour, clear light, and just enough detail to feel convincing without losing freshness. Bring your brushes, keep the water loose and layered, and let the paint do the talking.

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

Liqin Zhu

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