A beginners guide to contemporary botanical watercolour with Natalie Martin
Welcome! My name is Natalie Martin and I'm a watercolour artist based in Victoria, Australia. This is my first online course, and where else do you start but at the beginning? In this self-paced beginners guide to contemporary watercolour we start from square one and build your skills and confidence towards painting botanical specimen from observation. I have essentially broken down my own process into accessible, bite size pieces ready for you to devour.
Working through a series of technique based exercises I share all my hot tips. We'll look at getting the paint moving fluidly on the page, how to hold your brush, manage water control, swirl and twirl that brush like a pro, relax into the process and so much more.
I delve not only into what materials you'll need and how to work them, but why as well. I believe understanding why I use and recommend certain things over others can better inform you as an artist and your own choices. My philosophy is build your kit gradually, rather than an enormous initial outlay. Discover and play with the medium first. Find your feet in it and tailor your materials accordingly.
My own style: loose, organic, flowy is all about gaining an expression of the subject on the page - not replicating it exactly. I talk about how I source my inspiration and how working from observation has really informed my practice. I encourage you to find your own creative voice. Your choices, your interpretation, your eye will all inform how your work will turn out.
What to expect:
9 videos shot in High Definition with an overall run time of 90 minutes. The beauty of a self paced online course is that you work through this course to pause and practice before proceeding onto the next stages.
An understanding of watercolour as a medium and other necessary materials
A final project - a botanical watercolour painting
Outcomes:
A fundamental skill set in watercolour
• Reference ImagesDownloadable files included:
• 51 page Course E-Book
• Materials List
Welcome to Watercolour E-Book
Now included in your enrolment is a downloadable 51 page E-Book (available on Teachable only). Brimming with hot tips, key takeaways and extension projects to further your watercolour fun. This is your companion guide for the course, something to reference when you are practicing and playing at home.
What you'll need:
I go into greater detail on materials required in the second video of the course. I have tried to keep the supplies required to a minimum so it's more about the painting than the supplies!
• Watercolour paints
• Round brushes - size 10 or 12 and 4
• Watercolour paper
• Pencil and eraser
• Two water jars
• Palette (an old plate will do)
• Paper towel
• Surface to work on
• Computer, tablet or phone
I have put together a painting kit of all the materials you'll need available below.
Welcome to Watercolour is available on Teachable as a one off purchase cost. You receive lifetime access to the course videos and can work through the course at your own pace. You can purchase the course alone, or bundle it with the materials you need to get started.
We would be delighted for you to gift this course. Due to the way the enrolment process works, please ensure you click on the 'Gift the Bundle' button if you wish to send the bundle as a gift. This will ensure the recipient receives a hard copy of everything they need to enrol in one box.
If gifting the course alone (not the bundle), we recommend you purchase an E-Gift Card that your gift recipient can then redeem for the course. We have $59 and $129 E-Gift Cards available as well as an ability to add a personalised message to your E-Gift card.
In line with Teachable's terms of use, students are entitled to a full refund within 30 days of their initial payment for course purchases if it does not meet expectations. This includes all courses purchased through nataliemartin.com.au. It does not include Skillshare memberships.
*The course is also available on Skillshare (a subscription based platform). There you will find the whole Welcome to Watercolour course, as well as many other courses across other disciplines! You can subscribe to Skillshare and pay a monthly subscription to access the entire library of Skillshare online courses. You will only have access to the course while you have a Skillshare subscription.
You've clocked the beginners course and you want to keep painting, where to next? There's two intermediate courses to choose from and it doesn't matter which order you do them in. Go with your gut and pick the one that tickles your fancy!
Duration: 2 hours and 40 minutes
Skill level: Intermediate
Suitable for ages 10+
This new intermediate course is my third online course, following on from Welcome to Watercolour and The Magic of Colour Mixing. In it, we’ll dig into basic and more advanced layering techniques, you’ll spend time experimenting with ways to layer pigment, and learn how to create different effects (as long as you can muster the patience to let things dry properly as you go!) You’ll gain greater insight into my practice, as we explore how to create artworks with greater complexity, detail and interest. We also take time to delve into common errors and equipment care.
Duration: 120mins
Skill level: Beginner - Intermediate
Suitable for ages 10+
This new course, The Magic of Colour Mixing follows on from Welcome to Watercolour and is for budding and established artists alike. In it, we’ll go deep into modern colour theory and together, we’ll build up your skills and confidence so you too can create works bursting with life and begin to develop your own language with colour.
Here’s a list of frequently asked questions, it covers everything from what to expect once you’ve enrolled to forgotten passwords, to gifting, to accessibility. If you can’t find the answer you are after, just open up the Chat With Us box in the bottom right hand corner of the website and ask away. We will get back to you as soon as possible, we keep regular business hours.
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