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Heidi Willis

This is a foundation watercolour course from a highly experienced, competent artist and tutor. This tutorial is jam packed with wonderful hints, tips, and insights on everything from studio environments, to materials, to important work practices. The course finishes with 2 levels of exercises, specifically designed to familiarise you with the most common water-colour techniques needed for realistic watercolors and botanicals. This comprehensive guide will definitely get you off on the right foot... and to keep you going and growing. With well over 3 hours of knowledge rich content on how to get started in this medium, this is a wonderful opportunity to gain quality insights into the beautiful world of water-colour painting, and launch you onto your own painting path successfully.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Know how to get started on the right foot!
  • Understand sound studio, materials and technique basics needed to create realistic watercolour and botanical paintings
  • Learn about materials so you understand what to purchase... don't waste money on the wrong things!
  • Learn how to improve your environment, approaches and results of your own work
  • Build practical strategy towards successful outcomes
  • Feel confidence in yourself by getting the right information
  • Prepare yourself for my subsequent 'hands on, step by step' tutorials

Syllabus

Introduction

Australian born, Heidi Willis is an entirely self-taught Natural History watercolour artist. Her work intricately illustrates our native and exotic plants, flowers, fruits and seed capsules, whilst her powerful & distinctive portraits of our spectacular bird life offers viewers an insight into the world as she experiences it. Heidi quickly established herself as one of Australia’s emerging artistic talents, and her reputation as a leading natural history, wildlife and botanical artist is now well established. Her meticulous and intricate studies of botany and birds can be found in significant public and private collections around the world.

Heidi’s work has featured in prominent national and international exhibitions, collections and publications over her career, and she is also a freelance illustrator for Australian Geographic Magazine. Other highlights include The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize six times to date (South Australian Natural History Museum) Focus On Nature (New York State Museum) Botanica and The Margaret Flockton Award (Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney) Her work is held in the permanent collections such as the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation (PA, USA) and the highly regarded The Shirley Sherwood Collection. Her work has also been featured in several publications, most significantly Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, Craft Arts Magazine, Colophon, SA Life, International Artist Magazine, Artist's Palette Magazine and Australian Geographic Magazine multiple times over, with her work featured on the front cover of Artist’s Palette Issue 123. 

With her work now in such demand and her watercolour masterclasses booked out over a year in advance, she has turned her focus to online teaching in order to answer the many painting questions she is asked daily, and to reach and help more people pursue and achieve their own watercolour goals. As requested, the first tutorial to be released is 'Paint Realistic Watercolor and Botanicals - Studio Basics' This tutorial endeavours to address many of your watercolour questions, and it is the starting point for further painting and learning with Heidi. 

For up to date information, Id love to have you visit me in these places too

My website/blogs http://heidiwillis.com.au

My Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/HeidiWillis.EarthenArtist/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/heidiwillisart/

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Love realistic watercolor painting, but you’re in need of some sound, experienced advice on how to achieve this for yourself? Do you look at botanical art and think ‘I wish I could create this too!’ or perhaps ‘I could never do that!’ Well it IS possible, especially if you are put on the right track to begin with. To learn you simply need a desire. Finding the right tutor can be critical in helping you get on the right track, right from the start. I know sometimes thats not so easy to find, but if you are seeking some genuinely knowledgeable instruction from a renowned tutor with a proven track record in painting and teaching to improve your watercolor painting skills, perhaps this is just the chance for you!

The focus of this tutorial is to help you understand the grass roots basics of realistic watercolour painting, and to prepare you for my subsequent painting tutorials. This course will help you get started with the right materials, workspace, headspace, advice, techniques and information to start building from. We address some of the more common studio challenges and questions students tend to struggle with, and I share many practical approaches and strategies that will help you understand, improve or establish successful outcomes for your own painting,... It is a total start to end watercolour painting process overview. 

No matter what stage you are at I believe this knowledge will benefit your development greatly. With very little commitment or risk on your part, this predominantly informative tutorial offers you a rare and fantastic introductory overview into this new world of painting and how it can apply to you... all at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home.

‘How do I even start’ you ask? Well you’ve already found the answer... THIS is where we begin! all you have to do is LET ME SHOW YOU HOW!

In this section we cover the basics of the materials I use and the reasons why, as well as considering our broader studio environment more closely.

Brushes are a common point of failure for many people starting out, and most don't even realise this is part of their struggle! What to use? What not to use! What to buy? How to get the best out of the brushes you have... Take a few moments to learn about my brushes and hear my recommendations on what to use for realistic watercolour painting. It will make a BIG difference to your work and enjoyment.

Paper is something Im asked about so often... It really can be a never ending discussion, and an overwhelming prospect for many starting out to consider. In this lecture I discuss my own preferences quite simply, and although its a bit like choosing a best friend for another, I point out many things youll need/want to consider when choosing paper for yourself. 

The Humble Water Jar...? Perhaps! But it is actually quite important, so lets take a quick look at this topic and make sure yours is going to serve you well. Its the little things, remember?

Tissues...? So essential, but so easily overlooked... lets change that shall we!  

This lecture takes a look at the important role of masking fluid in the water-colour painting process. Although it doesn't feature highly in my own work, it is important to understand its purpose, potential and use. Used correctly, it is a wonderful material, so we need take a better look at this medium here 

One of the biggest struggles students battle with - is their workspace or work environment. It seems such a simple thing to consider, but so often it is an unwittingly, scrambling mess that unnecessarily bamboozles and clutters students from the start. The good thing is it is very avoidable! This is an critical aspect of having a healthy workflow and an enjoyable painting experience.  In this topic we explore our workspace a little deeper. 

Our selection of palette is critical. Beyond the palette itself, understanding the physical layout and establishing an intimate knowledge of our palette becomes as important to our workflow and process, as perhaps our fingers themselves. Using our palette is a certain kind of art form in itself so its extremely important to know what to look for. 

What could be more important than our paint?! In this lecture we take a closer look at paint, paint quality, characteristics, troubleshooting, colour families, paint selection... and what to buy and why. We experience a lot of problems, frustration and wasted money when we don't get our paint selection right. Getting it right is essential, so this lecture aims to help you make a better informed selection

Here we look at our basic work practices for successful studio time, and start to understand my own foundations and approaches to this work better.

My approach to colour and how I use it is a theory free combination of logic, simplicity and instinct. Logic I can teach. Instinct I can help you develop. Simplicity... well we can just celebrate that! When instinct or an abstract knowledge can be conveyed in simple logic, we can begin to understand new perspectives and see new possibilities as a result. Dont let colour theory confuse you, just let yourself fall into the feel of the medium, fall in love with it, learn its language and it will be the most rewarding language you will speak. 

This lesson is 'instinct articulated' for you as a first step. The palette and pigment layout is a critical relationship that must be intimately understood and considered. This lecture helps us to understand the basic principles of my work processes and helps you to prepare your palette as practically and effectively as possible. Here, I seek to explain my approach to colour use, the relationships between different 'colour families' as I see it, and demonstrate how this relates to your palette lay out and use for the greatest comfort and success. 


The reference collection process is half the fun! Where do we start? What are we looking for? What do we need to create a painting for ourselves? There are plenty of things to be mindful of in this process. It is not painting in itself, but it is everything to do with painting. It is the soul, the connection, the spark and the information we build from. If we don't get this stage right, we have nothing worthwhile to create! Have you ever heard of the comment 'see the world through the eyes of an artist' This is exactly this process, it is the origins of our inspirations.


From inspiration, we start to form and create a physical painting. This process is about maturing the seeds of our thoughts, to substance. What happens after the reference collection process? How do we transform what has inspired us, our ideas, our images and drawings into a physical painting? The drawing and image transfer process is so critical to successful outcomes in our work. Understanding the process will not only improve your work out of sight, it will improve the efficiency of your painting process as well. In this lesson we explore the processes involved in making this happen practically, cleanly and thoroughly.

Choosing colour for a specific painting, subject or element can be challenging. There is no firm rule in my book for colours, i love and use them all, and you will too... But lets be practical, lets find a strategic starting point, and a process to help you get started in the right place. This lecture is about simplifying the colour selection process, and how to narrow your colour selection down to a manageable, appropriate and digestible palette to work from.  

Textures bring diversity, emotion and interest to our painting. One of the best things about watercolour is the remarkable textural qualities that come naturally with this medium. The variations we can achieve by adjusting our balances, mixes, movements and timing are endless and its imperative that we learn to understand its nature, qualities and potential so we can harness it to our greatest advantage. There are so many textural effects we can achieve in watercolour, so lets take a look at some of the most important approaches for you to explore and have fun playing with. 

There are plenty of approaches to painting watercolour, but this tutorial looks specifically at MY staple diet for painting techniques and everything you'll need to learn to create realistic and botanical watercolours. I take a look at the three fundamental areas I work with - washes, glazes and dry brushing, and demonstrate how these three techniques come together to give fantastic final results.  

It may not seem like a lot, but the idea of these exercises is to provide you with a digestible set of painting technique practices, so relevant to the work we will be covering in future tutorials

This lecture gives you the first round of practical exercises and activities specific to developing the techniques needed for painting realistic watercolour and botanicals. These simple exercises explore 'wet on wet' 'even washes' and achieving 'tonal variations' Its not about creating a masterpiece, its about learning through play... so pick up the brush and have some fun with these exercises. Try different balances, ideas and approaches, even different sizes and paper to really familiarise yourself with the medium and materials.

The techniques themselves aren't terribly hard to understand in theory, but they take a little time and practice to get a feel for. Once you've established a handle on these approaches, its simply a matter of refining the techniques to a finer and finer degree. Your balance, how far you want to take it, or how you choose to apply it is totally up to you. The key is practice of course!

Note* Worksheets and Drawing Template is available in the 'Materials List and Exercise Worksheets' section of this tutorial

This lecture gives you the second round of practical exercises and activities specific to developing the techniques needed for painting realistic watercolour and botanicals. This series of exercises steps things up a little for some challenge, looking at achieving a variety of effects with 'tonal variations' 'multiple colours'  'textures' and we take this even further to some basic 'glazing' as well. Again, its not about creating a masterpiece, its about familiarising yourself with the medium and capabilities of the watercolour medium. Playing also helps us to get over those initial anxieties of putting paint to paper. Remember, try these exercises in different sizes and papers to understand the differences. 

The techniques themselves aren't terribly hard to understand in theory, but they take a little time and practice to get a feel for. Once you've established a handle on these approaches, its simply a matter of refining the techniques to a finer and finer degree. Your balance, how far you want to take it, or how you choose to apply it is totally up to you. The key is practice of course! Try your hand at these exercises, designed to explore and refine the skills needed to produce your best work.  

Note* Worksheets and Drawing Template is available in the 'Materials List and Exercise Worksheets' section of this tutorial

In this section you'll find your worksheets and materials list, covering everything you'll need for this course. More information on this can be found in the CLASSROOM section of my website

The materials list itemises everything you'll need to paint realistic and botanical watercolours in my online tutorials

The Exercise Sheet is a simple line drawing template to use for the exercises set out for you in the 'Play Time' section of this tutorial. Its a good starting point for you to practice the image transfer process, and to stick to a defined, relevant practice.

*PLEASE NOTE ~ The challenge of sourcing materials individually can be a huge and daunting task, so I have collaborated with Eckersley's Art Supplies store to supply all my students with a complete start up kit. The kit offers you a one-stop shop for all the materials you'll need for my tutorials, and at a discounted rate, and they will ship internationally. The kit is available through Eckersley's Art Supplies Online, or you can locate it on the 'CLASSROOM' tab of my website. My Start-Up Materials Kit includes a 10x14in sheet of Langton watercolour board. 

MY COMPLETE MATERIALS LIST - RECAP (This is my FULL working watercolour painting materials kit)

• Pencils, 2H, HB and 2B

• Mechanical pencil 0.5 mm HB

• White plastic eraser

• Scotch tape  

• Art Basics brushes, soon to have my own brand… sizes 000, 1, 3, 4, 5 with GOOD points and a cover sleeve on them)

• Palette (a KLIK Palette)

• Masking Fluid (colourless)

• Ruling pen

 

Watercolour paints artist quality Windsor and Newton

Paint colours

 

• Sepia

• Windsor Violet

• Perylene Maroon

• Permanent Rose

• Permanent Magenta

• Windsor Red

• Indigo

• French Ultramarine Blue

• Raw Sienna

• Burnt Sienna

• Olive Green

• Permanent Sap Green

• Payne’s Gray

• Cobalt Blue

• Cerulean Blue

• Green Gold

• Windsor Lemon

• Cadmium Yellow

• Scarlet Lake

 

Paper/board

 

• Langton Watercolour Board 10x14in

Final thoughts... and thanks so much for joining me here in my Paint Realistic Watercolour and Botanicals course! Its time to take a minute now to digest now I know, but I am really look forward to getting our brushes wet and seeing you in my hands on step by step tutorials that will follow this one. I hope that this tutorial has answered many of your questions, relieved your fears and quandaries, provided you with some clear direction and strategies to approach watercolour painting, and that it has ignited a beautiful flame to fuel you on! I really hope you'll join me on this continuing journey.

Practice grows the seeds of theory, thoughts and ideas to fruition. There is no secret like practice. There is no goal as important as enjoyment... I shall see you again! 

Happy painting ~ Heidi Willis


Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Suitable for absolute beginners to watercolor painting who have no experience
Provides numerous essential tips and insights about studio settings, materials, and work practices
Guides the learner through two practical exercises to start building familiarity with fundamental watercolor techniques
Provides a strong foundation for students who wish to further their watercolor skills in subsequent courses taught by the same instructor
Taught by Heidi Willis, an experienced artist and tutor with a focus on natural history and botanical painting
Course is module-based and self-paced, allowing students to learn at their own convenience

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Reviews summary

Beginner-friendly watercolor botanicals

According to students, beginners will find themselves well-prepared for botanical illustration with this course. They praise the practical lessons, which give learners a solid foundation in watercolor techniques. Students also appreciate the detailed guidance and encouraging feedback provided by the instructor.
Focuses on practical application of watercolor techniques.
Instructor provides detailed guidance and encouraging feedback.
Suitable for those new to botanical illustration.
"Este curso me proporcionou uma base consistente para o início da pratica da ilustração botânica."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Paint Realistic Watercolor and Botanicals - STUDIO BASICS with these activities:
Read 'Australian Flowers' by Heidi Willis
Introduce yourself to the concepts of botanical art and nature illustration.
Show steps
  • Acquire a copy of 'Australian Flowers' by Heidi Willis.
  • Set aside 2 hours to read the book.
  • Take notes on the key concepts and techniques used in botanical art.
Follow a watercolor painting tutorial for beginners
Start putting brush to paper and practice some basic watercolor techniques.
Show steps
  • Search the web for a free watercolor painting tutorial aimed at beginners.
  • Gather the required materials such as paints, brushes, and paper.
  • Follow the instructions in the tutorial to create your own watercolor painting.
Practice basic brushstrokes
Develop familiarity with your brushes and practice controlling the flow of paint.
Show steps
  • Load your brush with a small amount of watercolor paint.
  • Experiment with different brushstrokes on a piece of scrap paper.
  • Practice blending colors by mixing different paint strokes together.
Three other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all six activities
Create a portfolio of your watercolor paintings
Showcase your progress and build a collection of your best works to share with others.
Show steps
  • Select your best watercolor paintings to include in your portfolio.
  • Organize your paintings by theme or style.
  • Create a digital or physical portfolio to showcase your work.
Join an online watercolor painting group or forum
Connect with other watercolor enthusiasts to share ideas, ask questions, and get feedback on your work.
Show steps
  • Search for online watercolor painting groups or forums.
  • Join the group or forum and introduce yourself to the community.
  • Participate in discussions, ask questions, and share your own work for feedback.
Contribute to open-source watercolor painting resources
Give back to the watercolor community by sharing your knowledge and skills.
Show steps
  • Identify open-source watercolor painting resources such as tutorials, brush packs, or color palettes.
  • Choose a resource to contribute to and make improvements or additions.
  • Submit your contribution to the open-source project.

Career center

Learners who complete Paint Realistic Watercolor and Botanicals - STUDIO BASICS will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Fine Artist
Fine Artists create works of art, such as paintings, sculptures, and drawings. Many Fine Artists who work in painting may focus their work on botanicals. This course is specifically tailored to individuals interested in painting botanicals. It may help Fine Artists develop their skills in painting realistic and detailed botanical illustrations.
Painter
Painters create works of art using paint and other media. Many Painters focus their work on botanicals. This course may help Painters develop their skills in painting realistic and detailed botanicals.
Illustrator
Illustrators create visual images to accompany written text, such as in books, magazines, and newspapers. This course's focus on painting realistic botanicals can help Illustrators develop their skills in creating detailed and accurate illustrations of plants and other natural subjects.
Conservator
Conservators preserve and restore works of art and other artifacts. This course's focus on materials and techniques can assist Conservators in making decisions about how to preserve and restore paintings, specifically.
Crafter
Crafters create and sell handmade goods, such as jewelry, pottery, and paintings. This course's focus on painting techniques and botanicals can help Crafters to develop their skills and create beautiful works of art.
Teacher
Teachers help students learn by providing instruction and guidance. This course may be helpful for Teachers who are interested in incorporating painting and botanicals into their curriculum. The course materials may also provide ideas for projects and assignments that Teachers can use in their classrooms.
Art Director
Art Directors oversee the visual style and presentation of a variety of media, including magazines, newspapers, websites, and advertisements. The focus on understanding composition, color and other elements of painting in this course can be helpful to Art Directors in their work.
Curator
Curators research, acquire, and display works of art and other artifacts in museums, galleries, and other institutions. This course's focus on painting and botanicals can help Curators to understand and appreciate the works of art in their collections, particularly those that are in the form of paintings and botanical illustrations.
Designer
Designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. This course's focus on composition and elements of art can provide Designers with a foundation for creating such visual concepts.
Photography Stylist
Photography Stylists prepare and arrange objects, people, and locations for photographs. This course's focus on composition and elements of art can help Photography Stylists create visually appealing and effective photographs.
Museum Educator
Museum Educators develop and implement educational programs for museums and other cultural institutions. This course's focus on painting and botanicals can help Museum Educators to develop their knowledge of these subjects and to create engaging educational programs for visitors.
Gallery Director
Gallery Directors oversee the operations of art galleries, including exhibitions, sales, and marketing. This course's focus on painting techniques, materials, and choosing the right materials can help Gallery Directors to better understand and appreciate the works of art in their galleries.
Art teacher
Art teachers offer studio instruction in a variety of mediums such as drawing, painting, sculpture, and ceramics. A good fine arts education can help Art Teachers give lessons and guidance that can shape a student's career in the arts. This course specifically focuses on building a strong foundation in painting and choosing the right materials, so it may be helpful for Art Teachers to take to better understand the fundamentals of these aspects of the arts that they teach.
Arts Manager
Arts Managers oversee and manage the day-to-day operations of art organizations such as theaters, museums, and galleries. A course in painting can help Arts Managers understand the nuts and bolts of producing a work of art, which can help them to manage and appreciate the work of the artists they work with.
Set Designer
Set Designers create the physical environment for a film, television show, or theater production. This course's focus on composition and elements of art can help Set Designers create visually appealing and effective sets.

Reading list

We've selected nine books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Paint Realistic Watercolor and Botanicals - STUDIO BASICS.
Provides sound, practical advice on watercolor painting and is commonly used in a classroom setting.
Comprehensive guide to botanical illustration. It covers everything from basic techniques to advanced topics.
Specializes in botanical illustration techniques, providing step-by-step instructions and detailed explanations on capturing the intricacies and characteristics of plants and flowers.
Serves as a comprehensive resource for watercolor artists, covering a wide range of topics from materials and techniques to composition and advanced approaches, offering a valuable supplement to the course's foundational content.
Provides a great foundation for botanical illustration as it focuses on drawing plants.
covers all the basics of watercolor painting, including materials and techniques. It great preparatory text with lots of background information.
Showcases a wide range of watercolor techniques and projects, offering inspiration and practical guidance for beginners and experienced painters alike, complementing the course's emphasis on practical skills.
While this book focuses on drawing, it offers valuable insights into the structure, proportions, and anatomy of the human figure, which can be beneficial for botanical artists who often incorporate human elements into their work.

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