Marathon of Urban Watercolors
with Olga Kabaeva

Material: watercolor

Number of paintings: 5

Duration: 11 hours

Access: lifetime

What You Will Paint in the Marathon

Day 1

View of the Bridge

We will learn to:

Simplify a complex reference without losing image quality
Select a delicate palette to create volume with strong shadows
Create an emphasis on architecture

Day 2

Sunset on Gorokhovaya Street

We will learn to:

Construct a simple perspective with a single vanishing point
Create windows without detailing each one
Paint a sunset sky wet-on-wet
Create paintings where the city is darker than the sky

Day 3

Square of 3 Stations

We will learn to:

Create night lighting
Work with silhouettes
Work with white and white paints
Position light sources to make the painting look appealing

Day 4

Summer Embankment

We will learn to:

Convey the atmosphere of a summer day by the water
Work with the sky dry, leaving hard edges on the clouds
Work with warm and cool tones
Build an airy perspective

Day 5

Walk in VDNH

We will learn to:

Convey the gloss of wet surfaces
Construct triumphal arches; we will analyze what is special about their construction
Develop people in the painting, adding umbrellas and color to their clothing

Take part in all five broadcasts to gain access to another bonus lesson «Sunny Neva»!

Summer Petersburg is especially beautiful! It captivates with its atmosphere and views. It’s impossible to take your eyes off the sparkling Neva in the sun combined with the architecture that holds our history! Let’s paint this magnificent landscape!

We will learn to:

Create contour lighting for the city, conveying the effect of glowing sunlight on the rooftops of buildings
Create striking waves and reflections on them
Shape the city into a unified facade line

The marathon is conducted by Olga Kabayeva

Watercolor artist
Teaching watercolor since 2016
Graduated from St. Petersburg State Academy of Art and Industry named after Schtiglitz and the Repin Academy of Fine Arts in architecture
Member of the Union of Artists
Working in my studio and conducting workshops

Watercolor Works by Olga

Artworks of the marathon participants

Which materials we will use during the marathon

Watercolor paints, standard palette of 24–36 colors (I use Nevskaya Palitra, but any professional set will work);
Large round squirrel brush with a fine tip (main brush);
Thin brush for details (kolinsky/squirrel/synthetic);
Large flat squirrel wash brush (optional);
Small flat synthetic brush;
Titanium white (gouache/tempera);
Masking fluid;
Cotton paper 70–100%;
Drawing board;
Paper tape;
Pencil H–B;
Eraser.