Northern Landscapes in Watercolorwith Anna Mikhailova

In this lesson we will get acquainted with the materials we need for the course.

Duration – 1 hour 20 minutes

When I painted the original sketch, a local resident came up to me, and we started talking. I said to him, «how beautiful it is here», and he replied – «yes! I have lived here for 20 years and every day I feel happy because of this beauty». It is not often that people know how to appreciate what they see every day, that is why artists are needed – we will try in our sketch to convey the special atmosphere of this place.

In the lesson we will learn to:

• create effects of warm light and cool shadows;
• depict simple-shaped buildings;
• convey the texture of wooden walls.

Duration – 2 hours

I painted the original sketch on the shore of the White Sea in the village of Lopshenga. You could say there is no real road to this village – you can drive by car in some places only along the sandy shore at low tide. Then you still need to cross the bay by boat and drive a few more hours to Arkhangelsk. So boats in Lopshenga are an important part of life.

In the lesson we will learn to:

• draw boats;
• paint the texture of old painted wood;
• paint a sandy shore, create the texture of sand using watercolor.

In this lesson I will show and tell you about the main mistakes in watercolor.

Duration – 1 hour 10 minutes

The northern lights are interesting because it is precisely with watercolor that we can come closest to conveying its ethereal, intangible nature. This sketch with the lights will help us advance in understanding the watercolor technique more than any other subject – because here success completely depends on your ability to assess the degree of paper moisture. And this, in my opinion, is the most important skill for working with watercolor.

In the lesson we will learn to:

• paint the northern lights;
• achieve color and tone intensity in one pass;
• determine the degree of paper drying by its appearance.

Duration – 1 hour 30 minutes

Bluish ice of the polar sea, turquoise puddles on it, dark blue water filled with air bubbles, and finally, indigo where the water is calmer. And on top of that – white lace of foam. And here’s the question – the ever-hungry skua circling behind the stern, watching for fish – how does it perceive this endless blue-and-white kaleidoscope?

In the lesson we will learn to:

• make large color washes;
• practice soft and hard edges (boundaries between color spots, washes, or brushstrokes).

Duration – 1 hour 50 minutes

Penguins are almost as charming as house cats. You can watch them endlessly. In this subject we will pay tribute to their determination to walk on two legs like humans, although they can slide on their bellies across the ice much faster, like on sleds. But they diligently waddle on their short legs, sticking out their wings, and become like enchanted, yet even more endearing, people.

In the lesson we will learn to:

• build a multi-figure composition;
• draw penguins and icebergs;
• practice soft and hard edges (boundaries between color spots, washes, or brushstrokes).