«Exotic In Watercolor»
with Margarita Astashova
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Lifetime accessto the course
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What is the course about?
At the heart of this course is a universal artistic technique, which will help you create true watercolor masterpieces in the spirit of naturalism.
Together with me, you will go to distant hot countries and draw 15 illustrations on the theme of exoticism from the world of flora and fauna. In the process of creating watercolors, you will master the features of working with color, the principles of forming three-dimensional forms, taking into account proportions and anatomy, master the techniques and vehicles of multi-layered painting, and gain skills in fine detailing.
The course consists of several sections, each of them devoted to a particular topic. You will paint exotic flowers and tropical fruits, reptiles and amphibians, birds of paradise, animals and landscape motifs.
Who will benefit from the course?
The course will be useful for those who want not just to draw, but to thoughtfully work on illustration with an understanding of the sequence and logic of actions in multi-layered painting.
You will master in practice a variety of techniques of watercolor naturalism, learn how to mix complex shades, select them according to warmth and coldness and tone, master the wet-on-dry and wet-on-wet techniques, as well as ways of imitating natural textures and fine detailing.
Course program
Lesson 1
«Introduction»
Basic principles of choosing art materials.
Understand the main stages of creating a naturalistic illustration;
Features of a preparatory drawing with a plain pencil.
Lesson 2
«Features of Color Scheme in Illustration»
In this lesson, we will analyze with you the key issues related to color in painting. You will learn how to mix, select complex shades in terms of warmth and coldness and tone. You will also learn how tonality can be used to convey volume, understand the principles of linear and aerial perspective.
Lesson 3
«Watercolor Vehicles and Techniques»
In this lesson, you will learn in practice the basic watercolor techniques and vehicles that are used in multi-layered illustration.
You will learn to:
- perform basic translucent color washing;
- how to make inclusions in wet-on-wet technique?
- gradients with smooth transitions between spots of different shades;
- to blend the edge of the spot or, conversely, to achieve clear boundaries of the shape;
- imitate natural textures;
- convey shadow and light;
- use masking liquid and pure alcohol in watercolors.
Lesson 4
«Heliconia»
Duration: 1 h 30 min
From the 4th lesson, we move on from theory and exercises to drawing full-fledged bright works. In this lesson, we will begin our journey through the rainforest and draw the first botanical illustration of the course – heliconia.
You will learn to:
- form the shape of a flower;
- to convey the natural color of the plant.
Lesson 5
«Plumeria»
Duration ~ 2 h 30 min (lesson consists of 2 parts)
To create the following illustration, we are going with you to Thailand. The fifth lesson will consist of two parts, during which we will draw plumeria.
You will learn to:
- form the shape of a flower;
- work with watercolors in wet-on-dry and wet-on-wet techniques
- to convey the natural color of the plant.
- apply the masking fluid.
- correctly place accents in the illustration.
Lesson 6
«Pitaya»
Duration: 1 h 30 min
We admired the amazing plants of the rainforests, it was time to make a fruit snack. In this lesson, you will draw pitaya, better known as "dragon fruit".
You will learn to:
- form the shape of fruits;
- convey volume;
- select shades and work out chiaroscuro;
- convey the texture of the peel.
Lesson 7
«Durian»
Duration: 1 h 30 min
And our meal continues, and the seventh lesson of our course will be devoted to the popular tropical fruit - durian.
You will learn to:
- form the shape of fruits;
- make washes and select shades;
- detail the work;
- place accents in the image.
Lesson 8
«Avocado»
Duration: 2 h
The homeland of this fruit is the jungles of Central and South America, and it is better known as the "crocodile pear". In this lesson, let's draw a fruit that is no less popular than durian, namely an illustration with an avocado.
You will learn to:
- form the shape of fruits and leaves;
- mix and select the right shades;
- convey the texture of the peel;
- work with image detail.
Lesson 9
«Agama»
Duration: 2 h
And we will continue our journey and get familiar with the fauna of hot countries. In this lesson, we will go to India to draw an agama and convey the unusual color of the reptile.
You will learn to:
- form the shape of the reptile, taking into account the features of anatomy and proportions;
- draw scales;
- work with shades of blue, achieving the desired color tone;
- finely detail the skin.
Lesson 10
«Chameleon»
Duration ~ 2 h 30 min (lesson consists of 2 parts)
Who is hiding from us here? This is a chameleon - a master of disguise, masterfully changing its color. Let's draw a vivid illustration with this reptile.
You will learn to:
- form the shape of a chameleon, taking into account the features of anatomy and proportions;
- make color washes, achieving the desired effect;
- make inclusions in wet-on-wet technique;
- work with complex shades, chiaroscuro;
- convey the natural texture of the reptile's skin;
- detail the work.
Lesson 11
«Black-backed dwarf kingfisher»
Duration: 2 h
The real highlight of the tropical fauna are these amazing and magnificent creatures. And today we will draw the first illustration with an exotic bird - a black-backed dwarf kingfisher.
You will learn to:
- form the shape of the bird, taking into account proportions and plasticity;
- select and mix shades, achieving the desired effect;
- detail the illustration;
- convey the texture of feathers.
Lesson 12
«The Sun King»
Duration: 2 h
Have you ever dreamed of meeting the king? Today we will make this dream come true and draw a luxurious crowned crane - the King of the Sun.
You will learn to:
- form the shape of the bird, taking into account anatomy, proportions and plasticity;
- make a wash in a multi-layered illustration.
- detail the picture.
Lesson 13
«Oriole with a chick in the nest. Pencil drawing and basic color wash»
Duration: 1 h 30 min
Do you hear the joyful singing of a bird? It is the oriole that has placed its nest here. The bird has a lot of worries, because a small chick is waiting for it at home. Let's capture this moment with you.
You will learn to:
- depict several objects within one composition;
- form the shape of birds taking into account their anatomical features;
- wash with color and mix complex shades;
- elaborate the small details of the bird's nest.
Lesson 14
«Oriole with a chick in the nest. Elaboration of details» The second lesson
Duration ~ 1 h
In this lesson, we will finish our illustration with an oriole.
You will learn to:
- work with chiaroscuro;
- place accents in the picture;
- detail the illustration;
- convey the texture of feathers.
Lesson 15
«Ring-Tailed Lemur»
Duration: 1 h 30 min
Our next stop is the island of Madagascar. See this cute and mischievous lemur? Let's draw it!
You will learn to:
- form the shape of the animal taking into account anatomy;
- convey natural color;
- use the wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry painting techniques;
- elaborate the details with a thin brush.
Lesson 16
«Jaguar»
Duration: 2 h
Did you know that there are no two identical jaguars in the world, because the color of the animal is unique? Today we are waiting for an illustration with this magnificent and very dangerous predator.
You will learn to:
- form the shape of the animal, taking into account anatomy and proportions;
- paint with watercolors in wet-on-dry and wet-on-wet techniques
- select shades according to warmth and coldness;
- convey the natural color and texture of the fur;
- detail the illustration.
Lesson 17
«Pond with water lilies.»
Duration ~ 3 h (the lesson consists of 2 parts)
What else can calm us down better than watching fish in the water? Let's paint a watercolor with water lilies and carp in a quiet pond.
You will learn to:
- form a preparatory drawing;
- perform basic washes;
- mix complex shades;
- convey reflection in water;
- work with pure alcohol to obtain an interesting texture;
- detail the work.
Lesson 18
«Banana Tree»
Duration ~ 2 h 30 min (lesson consists of 2 parts)
Come on, who's seen bananas growing? Let's convey this in an illustration, and draw a banana tree.
You will learn to:
- form a preparatory drawing;
- make washes and mix shades;
- work with pure alcohol to obtain an interesting effect;
- convey lighting.
- detail the illustration - inflorescences and leaves;
- imitate a floral texture.
Lesson 19
«Coconut palm. Pencil drawing and basic color wash» The first lesson
Duration: 2 h
Our journey is coming to an end, and this time we will stop in hot Indonesia, where we will draw the last work of the course - a coconut palm. In this lesson, we will form a drawing with a pencil and make a basic color wash.
You will learn to:
- form a preparatory drawing of the landscape;
- make a wash in a multi-layered illustration.
- elaborate the details.
Lesson 20
«Coconut palm. Color wash and detailing»The second lesson
Duration: 2 h
In this lesson, we will continue to work with you on the illustration with a coconut palm.
You will learn to:
- perform basic watercolor washes;
- convey the color scheme of the landscape;
- use the wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry painting techniques in a comprehensive manner;
- detail the picture.
Lesson 21
«Coconut palm. Detailing»The third lesson.
Duration: 2 h
The final lesson of this course. In this session, we will pay special attention to the detail of the illustration and complete our work on the coconut tree.
You will learn to:
- make selective elaboration of details;
- to generalize and strengthen contrasts at the final stage of painting.
Course teacher MargaritaAstashova
- Artist-painter
- Master of Fine Arts, teacher of special disciplines
- fine art expert
- PhD in Philosophy
- Member of the Union of Artists of Russia.
- Participant of republican, all-Russian and international exhibitions
Watercolor works
Course materials:
- Watercolour paper - A5 sheet (preferably 100% pulp, density 300 g/m2).
- A plain pencill (preferably a hard one; the teacher uses an automatic pencil with interchangeable rods of 0.5 mm).
- Eraser
- Watercolors (the teacher uses "White Nights", 36 colors).
- Brushes (preferably soft synthetics) No. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 with sharp tips.
- Palette (the teacher uses coated cardboard, plastic or ceramic).
- Water tank.
- A piece of cloth for drying brushes.
- Masking fluid
- Individual brushes for the masking fluid (soft synthetics, No 0, 2)
- Pure alcohol.
- Container for pure alcohol with sprayer
- Painter's tape
- Compasses.
Only while the marathon is going on, when you buy a course, you get mega bonuses!
Bonus 1 Records of all broadcasts of the marathon «Watercolor Jungle with Margarita Astashova»
And these are 5 bright pictures of the nature of hot countries: a colorful toucan, a beautiful canna, a slender gazelle, a bright tangara, juicy physalis.
Bonus 2 PDF guide «5 Secrets of Creating Naturalistic Illustrations»
In this guide, I'll cover the important things you need to pay attention to in order to make your illustrations look more naturalistic!
Bonus 3 Video lesson «Koala»
You will learn to:
- form the shape of the animal, taking into account anatomy and proportions
- mix complex shades, vary them in warmth and coldness;
- painting techniques that allow you to convey the soft texture of wool;
- imitate tree bark;
- do selective refinement and concretization of details, as well as their generalization at the final stage of painting.
Bonus 4 Video lesson «Frog on a Lotus»
You will learn to:
- harmoniously convey two objects in the picture;
- make a wash in a multi-layered illustration.
- draw small details;
- convey the natural texture of the skin.
Bonus 5 Video lesson «Sloth»
You will learn to:
- form the shape of the animal, taking into account anatomy and proportions;
- make basic washes and select shades according to warmth and coldness;
- convey the natural color and texture of the sloth's fur;
- perform detailing.
Choose your plan:
- 15 watercolor paintings in the style of naturalism
- 21 lessons: theory + exercises + practice
- NEW! Machine translated subtitles: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Polish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Chinese, Indonesian
- Unfreezing the course
- Ability to view comments on students' drawings
- Lifetime access to the course
- Bonus 1. Records of all broadcasts of the marathon «Watercolor Jungle with Margarita Astashova»
- Bonus 2. PDF guide «5 Secrets of Creating Naturalistic Illustrations»
- Bonus 3. Video lesson «Koala»
- Bonus 4. Video lesson «Frog on a Lotus»
- Bonus 5. Video lesson «Sloth»
- Sorting out your drawings for 60 days
- In-person one-hour online consultation with a course expert
- 15 watercolor paintings in the style of naturalism
- 21 lessons: theory + exercises + practice
- NEW! Machine translated subtitles: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Polish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Chinese, Indonesian
- Unfreezing the course
- Ability to view comments on students' drawings
- Lifetime access to the course
- Bonus 1. Records of all broadcasts of the marathon «Watercolor Jungle with Margarita Astashova»
- Bonus 2. PDF guide «5 Secrets of Creating Naturalistic Illustrations»
- Bonus 3. Video lesson «Koala»
- Bonus 4. Video lesson «Frog on a Lotus»
- Bonus 5. Video lesson «Sloth»
- Sorting out your drawings for 60 days
- In-person one-hour online consultation with a course expert
- 15 watercolor paintings in the style of naturalism
- 21 lessons: theory + exercises + practice
- NEW! Machine translated subtitles: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Polish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Chinese, Indonesian
- Unfreezing the course
- Ability to view comments on students' drawings
- Lifetime access to the course
- Bonus 1. Records of all broadcasts of the marathon «Watercolor Jungle with Margarita Astashova»
- Bonus 2. PDF guide «5 Secrets of Creating Naturalistic Illustrations»
- Bonus 3. Video lesson «Koala»
- Bonus 4. Video lesson «Frog on a Lotus»
- Bonus 5. Video lesson «Sloth»
- Sorting out your drawings for 60 days
- In-person one-hour online consultation with a course expert
Frequently Asked Questions
- I've never tried to draw. Can I take the course? Will I be able to master it?
-
Of course, you can come to the course! The course is built from simple to complex so that it can be taken by anyone, even those with no experience at all.
For experienced artists, the course will also be useful. Margarita explains in detail the necessary theory in drawing, uses many techniques during practical classes to get a cool result.
- How does the feedback work?
-
At the end of the lesson, you'll post a photo of your work. The teacher will have an opportunity to leave textual, graphic (notes on the drawing), as well as audio comments to your work.
At the bottom of each lesson, there will be a comment section, where you can ask any questions about learning.
- How long will it take?
-
If you have a no-feedback plan, it will all depend on your personal pace at which you take the lessons.
On feedback tariffs, we are actively engaged in lessons during two months from the moment you "unfreeze" the course.
- I'm over 60 now. Will I be able to learn how to draw like this?
-
It's never too late to learn how to draw. In our school, 30% of students are over 50 years old. And they enjoy painting with us!
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