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Introduction to Watercolour Basics

Watercolours Made Easy

  • When you paint, are you frustrated with unwanted lines and streaks?
  • Are your watercolours dull, muddy, or overworked and you can’t figure out why?
  • Do you easily lose the light areas in your watercolour paintings?
  • Are you struggling with how much water to add to your paint?
  • Or are you too scared to pick up a brush because you just find watercolours so intimidating?

Imagine if all that could change.

What if you could take the intimidation out of watercolour so that it could be easy and fun?

This Introduction to Watercolour Basics course will do just that.

Instant access!

Introduction to Watercolour Basics - all of the finished paintings

"If you’ve ever wanted to learn the way painting can transform your life, Kendra is a beautiful teacher. Her gentle empowering nature comes through with every lesson…. Dive in to watercolours with Kendra Dixson." Carrie Mitchell

I can help you produce smooth and luminous watercolours with clear areas of light and shadow which bring your paintings to life.

Introduction to Watercolour BasicsWatercolours Made Easy Online Course

  • Lifetime access to Watercolours Made Easy course including all prerecorded videos, lessons and downloads.
  • Comprehensive, step-by-step PDF notes with pictures detailing each lesson in an easy to follow format
  • Extended lesson library with bonus videos to get you started on the right foot

Instant Access to all Lessons and Notes

$197.00
Add to cart

Prices are in USD

When I first started painting I had no idea what true watercolour paints even were. I was using the same paints that kids use in elementary school.

When I finally discovered real watercolour paints, everything I did turned out streaky and opaque. I was so frustrated that I threw those tube paints in a box and I went back to painting with the kid paints.

The next summer I hesitantly signed up for a watercolour workshop.

I had no idea that this class would change my life.

The first thing I learned was how to mix water into my paints and we painted the paper blue...

That’s it, just blue, but I was amazed. The blue paint was so smooth and so bright and translucent, I couldn't believe it. From that moment I was hooked on watercolours.

You see, with the proper techniques, the feelings you experience when you paint will transform from frustration to inspiration.

Hi, it's Kendra

Hi, it's Kendra

I took my first workshop 22 years ago. My paintings have since been featured on brochures and covers across multiple ski resorts and festivals in British Columbia. I was also commissioned by the Royal Canadian Mint to design two coins for their O Canada silver coin collection.

Over the past 20 years I’ve had the pleasure of teaching hundreds of people how to paint with watercolours.

Now I want to teach you.

I'm so excited you want to learn to paint with watercolours. Beginners find my classes incredibly rewarding because there is so much progress in such a short time, and everything we do is so new and exciting.

Watercolour is such an expressive medium. It's magical how the colours blend on the paper and come to life with light and shadow.

In this Introduction to Watercolour Basics course you will learn all the techniques needed to build a solid foundation in watercolours and how to overcome common struggles that beginners normally encounter.

You will see each technique demonstrated in a step-by-step, easy to follow manner with a pace specifically geared towards beginners. I demonstrate everything twice so you can relax and watch the first one and then paint along with me.

Birch Trees in Watercolour

Upon completion of this course, you will have learned how to:

  • steer clear of muddy washes
  • avoid unwanted streaks and backruns
  • mix the right amount of water into your paint
  • add details without overworking
  • keep the light
  • control your brush
  • "erase" an accidental splatter
  • make a smooth and blended wash on wet or dry paper
  • create gradients in a variety of ways
  • experiment with different textures using salt, wax, sponge, a utility knife, plastic wrap, and even a fork
  • paint clouds, trees, and grasses
  • create mist, reflections, and sparkles on water
Plastic wrap texture in a Watercolour Waterscape

I am always amazed by what we can cover in six 2 hour lessons. Once the course is complete, you will be able to take all the tips and tricks you have learned and let your own creativity blossom.

Here is everything you will receive when you sign up for this course:

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WELCOME

The welcome pages includes a downloadable supply list with detailed descriptions as well as a summary suitable for printing, a video about the supplies we'll be using, a page dedicated to getting set up for the first lesson, and an FAQ. For your convenience the supply list will also be emailed to you as soon as you enroll along with a description of how to set up your paper for the first lesson.

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ONLINE WATERCOLOUR COURSE
WITH INSTANT AND LIFETIME VIDEO ACCESS ~ $197 VALUE

Instant access to all content. Six lessons, 1.5-2 hours each, adding up to 10.75 hours of video, where I demonstrate everything twice so you can watch the first time and paint along with me for the second. 

I taught in-person workshops for 18 years and then in 2020 I moved over to teaching on zoom. It turns out there are a lot of advantages to taking lessons online rather than in person such as having access to an instructor across the world all while avoiding flights and hotels, following along from the comfort of your own home, not having to look or pay for parking, and especially being able to see what I am painting much better on a screen than in an open classroom setting. 

"I found I actually really like doing it this way as I can see everything better and my office is so nice and warm - always way too cold at the gallery!" Linda

All of the lessons are already recorded so you'll have immediate as well as lifetime access to the videos. The lessons were filmed as a live online class, so the energy of the lessons is the feeling that you are painting right there along with me, and I answer questions that came up in the class as we go. I spent over 4 months editing the videos so that they flow nicely and added multiple camera angles and annotations so you can really see what I am doing and read which colours I am using etc. 

"Gosh Kendra, I'm so happy you sent the video. I'm going to watch it again and try the painting a couple more times for practice, and the notes are amazing. Thank you so much!" Karen Thompson

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SIX COMPREHENSIVE EBOOKS WITH DETAILED NOTES AND PICTURES OF EACH LESSON ~ $114 VALUE

My students have always appreciated that I also provide detailed notes for each lesson. So on top of the videos, you will also receive a comprehensive eBook loaded with images, describing every technique step by step. Every lesson. That adds up to 6 eBooks of step by step instructions which you can download and/or print for personal use. Each eBook is 42-69 pages long. In total, there are over 320 pages of detailed notes!

“Hi Kendra thanks again for a really great course! I learned so much and really enjoyed taking every class. You had a good variety of subjects and I really appreciated all of the notes and videos. I also printed off the notes, such a great reference... Thanks again for the great course...” Linda

"I have taken a few beginner series from different teachers and Kendra was hands down the best. What I also very much appreciated was her amazing notes so I did not have to work from memory after the classes." Diana

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A STURDY FOUNDATION IN WATERCOLOUR BASICS ~ PRICELESS

There is nothing more freeing than knowing where to start.

Lesson 1

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In this lesson you will learn how to:

  • Mix Your Paint Just Right
  • Paint 9 Types of Smooth Washes
  • Avoid Streaks and Blossoms
  • How to Keep Your Washes Bright and Luminous
  • Glaze in 3 Different Ways
  • Paint Misty Mountains
  • "Erase" an Accidental Splotch on Dry Paper
  • Understand the Difference Paper Quality Can Make

The eBook that comes with this lesson has 42 pages of detailed notes with step by step pictures.

Lesson 2

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In this lesson you will learn:

  • 6 Different Methods for Clouds
  • Lifting Techniques and How to Avoid Overworking
  • How to Mix a Beautiful Neutral Grey
  • What an Underpainting is and Where and Why You Might Use One
  • How to Paint an Underpainting that Will Make Your Trees Glow
  • How to Glaze A Gradient onto A Sky
  • A Scraping Technique to Paint Prairie Grass
  • How to Paint a Soft Reflection

The eBook that comes with this lesson has 55 pages of detailed notes with step by step pictures.

Lesson 3

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In this lesson you will learn how to:

  • Make Natural Looking Branches that Taper at the Ends
  • Scrape a Bark-Like Texture Into Branches
  • Paint a Small Leaf with One Quick Motion
  • Create Foliage with a Sponge
  • Use an Underpainting to Paint a Glowing Tree
  • Paint a Tree Trunk so it Doesn't Stick Out Like a Sore Thumb
  • Add Shadows to Clouds
  • Achieve a Gradient in a Small Space
  • Paint a Smooth Sky Around Complex Shapes
  • Mix a Rich Black With Just Two Colours
  • Manipulate Your Brush to Create Fir and Pine Trees
  • Glaze a Hillside of Trees in the Distance

The eBook that comes with this lesson has 55 pages of detailed notes with step by step pictures.

Lesson 4

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In this lesson you will learn how to:

  • Make a Beautiful Abstract Texture with Plastic Wrap that You Could Use for Skies, Water, Ice, Leaves, Grass
  • Scrape a Bark-Like Texture Into Branches
  • Paint the Sky and Water All in One Wash
  • Create a Dynamic Sunset Sky
  • Use Masking Tape for a Moon
  • Apply Wax in Different Ways such as to Create a Bright Reflection of the Moon or Subtle Sparkles on Water
  • Treat Each Section Separately with Pen and Watercolour
  • Add More Shape to Objects With Three Colours
  • Swipe Your Round Brush Sideways to Paint Trees and Their Reflections
  • Dab Misty Trees into a Background
  • Press Distant Tree Trunks into the Paper
  • Make a Sunset Burst Along the Horizon

The eBook that comes with this lesson has 48 pages of detailed notes with step by step pictures.

Lesson 5

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In this lesson you will:

  • Experiment with all the Different Textures You Can Get with Table Salt Depending On How Wet Your Paper is and How Much Salt You Use
  • Use Salt At Just the Right Time to Create Snow Falling Against a Night Sky
  • Learn How Much Water and Salt to Use to Give the Impression of Sun Dappled Leaves
  • Use Paper Towel to Create Cool Reflections
  • Learn Another Easy Method to Paint Far Away Fir Trees
  • Lift a Misty Shoreline and Surface Ripples on the Water
  • Scratch Sparkles on Water
  • Paint Dynamic Foreground Clouds and Understand How to Test the Paper and Paint to Get the Right Consistency
  • Learn How to Give Water a Surface to Give Depth to the Painting

The eBook that comes with this lesson has 53 pages of detailed notes with step by step pictures.

Lesson 6

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In this lesson you will learn how to:

  • Choose Tree Colours to Match the Environment
  • Scrape Birch Tree Bark and Textured Branches
  • Paint Wet on Dry Ripples On Water in a Way that Creates Depth
  • Paint Sparkles on Water with a Dry Brush Technique
  • Create Depth in a Waterscape
  • Paint Distant Trees and Reflections with a Flat Brush
  • Fill in a Forest Without Having to Paint Every Branch
  • Create Colourful Wax Sparkles
  • Paint Grass in a Quick and Easy Way
  • Paint a Sillhouette of Birds on a Wire

The eBook that comes with this lesson has 69 pages of detailed notes with step by step pictures.

Special Bonus!

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LIFETIME ACCESS TO EXTENDED LESSON LIBRARY ~ $47 VALUE

Plus, get instant access to bonus videos in my Extended Lesson Library which you will receive for free. They include videos on:

  • Why Buying Good Quality Paper is Worth it
  • How to Tear Down your Watercolour Paper
  • How to Tell if you have a Good Watercolour Brush
  • Watercolour Paints and Palettes
  • How to Tell if your Watercolour Paints are Transparent or Opaque

Here is a summary of everything included:

Introduction to Watercolour Basics Course Value
Online Watercolour Course with Instant and Lifetime Access to All 6 Lessons Including Over 10 Hours of Video Instruction$197 Value
Six Comprehensive eBooks with Detailed Notes & Pictures of Each Lesson Step by Step for You to Keep$114 Value
BONUS - Lifetime Access to Extended Lesson Library$47 Value
A Sturdy Foundation in Watercolour BasicsPriceless
Total ValueOver $350

Introduction to Watercolour BasicsWatercolours Made Easy Online Course

  • Lifetime access to Watercolours Made Easy course including all prerecorded videos, lessons and downloads.
  • Comprehensive, step-by-step PDF notes with pictures detailing each lesson in an easy to follow format
  • Extended lesson library with bonus videos to get you started on the right foot

Instant Access to all Lessons and Notes

$197.00
Add to cart

Prices are in USD

 

You do not need to know how to draw to take this course.

You don't need talent or skills.

You just need a willingness to try, a desire to learn, a little patience, and a love for watercolour.

"I love the way you teach, you are so kind and helpful." Carol Morgan

Introduction to Watercolour Basics
Watercolours Made Easy

This course is perfect for those of you who have only dabbled in watercolour painting, or never even picked up a brush. Emphasis will be placed on the very basic techniques and skills needed to develop a foundation of watercolour, and how to avoid the struggles that most beginners face.

Through demonstrations and practice we will take the intimidation out of watercolour and make painting easy and fun. Learn how to produce clear washes, textures, clouds, trees, mist, water, snow and more.

"It was all so much fun! I’m looking forward to practicing everything. Thanks for making it so easy to follow." Eileen Cook

Instant Access!

You can get started right now! As soon as you purchase the course, you will have immediate access to all the content and it's yours for a lifetime.

Kendra teaching watercolour
Kendra Instructing at a Workshop
Kendra Teaching a Workshop
Kendra teaching a watercolour workshop
Kendra Dixson

I will be sending you a detailed supply list when you sign up. In the mean time here is an example supplies list in summary:

  • masking tape or painter’s tape
  • old tea towel
  • paper towel
  • watercolour palette
  • 1 sheet of 22×30 ARCHES Cold Press 140lb (300 gsm) Watercolour Paper or other 140lb 100% cotton paper
  • 1 set of 18 Pentel Paints or 1 small tube each of cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, hooker’s green, transparent yellow such as aureolin yellow, raw sienna or yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and a dark pink colour such as permanent rose
  • 4-5 pieces of cardboard, boards or thick card to tape your paper to
  • Watercolour brushes have long bristles that come to a point when you flick a wet brush. I mainly use a ½” flat, a size 6 round brush, and a size 1 rigger/liner/script brush.
  • a small utility blade with a ½” / 9mm wide blade with a lock mechanism 
  • a clear or white tealight candle
  • salt
  • scissors
  • pencil
  • white eraser
  • a water bottle to stay hydrated
  • a black pen with permanent ink such as a fine tip sharpie
  • sea sponge or torn pieces of a household sponge

This is what my previous students are saying:

  • "Kendra, I have so many words to say! I was absolutely delighted with today's class...

    You did an amazing job of breaking it down step by step... You described so many things so well. How wet the paper should be, how wet your brush should be, how much paint, how wet the paint should be. I have a much better sense about all that now."

Karen Thompson

  • “I was looking for a place to take some art classes in Kelowna and Kendra’s watercolour class thru the Kelowna Art Gallery came up. I took her classes and finished up the first series just before everything got shut down due to Covid.

    Her method of teaching and all the little tricks she shared were fantastic! Her step by step instruction was so helpful and always encouraging. I really wanted to take more lessons with her but things were still shut down.

    When she offered her online tutorial in the spring I thought it might not be as helpful but I was wrong. It worked so well. I would highly recommended anyone wanting to try watercolour for the first time to give Kendra a try. You won’t be disappointed. I am waiting for her next sessions to start up!”

Brenda Jones

  • "Kendra Dixson offers an enjoyable course to learn water colour painting. She is a talented, enthusiastic artist and shares an easy approach to learning this art. I have always enjoyed Kendra’s classes and achieved some satisfying work in them."

Elizabeth Baxter

  • “Hi Kendra. Thank you for sending the original painting you did. Beautiful water-colour! So much detail that really shows the importance of preplanning.

    I am slowly learning that to acquire any proficiency in painting with water-colour I must also learn to slow down the process, preplan the desired result and be patient to let things dry.

    I am really enjoying all the different projects including this one… So thank you for giving us a variety of subjects. There is always something to learn from each painting.

    See you next Tuesday and thank you again for the follow up emails and videos. You are a wonderful artist and teacher!"

Peggy

  • "Over the last couple of years, I have taken five or six sets of lessons from Kendra and always enjoy her enthusiasm and great way of delivering her ideas and instructions. She brings a diverse set of subjects to paint and to develop the techniques that are significant for watercolour painting. Whenever Kendra is teaching I will be happy to retake her classes if I am able, as I always take something more away from the classes to work on."

Jennifer French

  • "I really enjoyed all of Kendra’s watercolour classes. Using landscapes as a subject, she covers so many skills and techniques. Best of all, we got to see samples of her work before she began teaching. She uses clear directions, many times over, so we could achieve a similar result. In all four of my classes with her, Kendra made sure we understood the hows and whys of what we were doing.

    Through her careful instruction, I am now confident painting basically anything and have a solid understanding of why technical skills are the backbone of successful creative painting.

    Thanks Kendra!"

Leona Geber

  • “Watercolor painting has always been so intimidating, and I would always put off using this medium in my art practice. Initially when I saw this class on social media, I was really apprehensive about taking this class and completely hating the whole experience of watercolor painting. Signing up for the class was totally easy.

    The class is amazing and teaches you so many techniques and methods about watercolor painting. Kendra is a patient teacher and goes through the techniques first and then works with you as you paint your samples and answers questions/concerns that might arise as you paint. Taking this class online was also valuable because of the lifetime access to the materials and techniques. I can sit comfortably at home and redo a technique that I might have to master by trying it over and over again. Kendra gives us a list of materials that we have to have on hand for each class, that is also valuable because then you have a set of materials and a technique list handy as you attempt your own art.

    This is the best investment I made in my learning last year and am looking forward to more classes from her in the future!”

Rekha Nandakumar

  • "I have taken two of Kendra’s live on-line courses. One was a beginner course, the other a more intermediate course. I thoroughly enjoyed both series of classes and found that the course material and her style of delivery helped me grow in my ability and my understanding of the principles of watercolour. I highly recommend her on-line program."

Alice Domes

This is what others are saying about Kendra's Video Tutorials:

Fabulous Demonstration...you're a natural teacher and that's coming from a retired teacher. You made it quite simple and clear. Thank you for sharing and please do more. Heart Icon
Great explanation, Kendra! This will be really useful heart icon
Thank you Kendra for the detailed lesson. For the first time I think I really understood how to produce realistic water drops. Will practice this today.
Thank you so much! You made it seem so easy that I'm encouraged to try.
Another great video & a tricky subject to cover & you do it perfectly, this is amazing!!!!!

Introduction to Watercolour BasicsWatercolours Made Easy Online Course

  • Lifetime access to Watercolours Made Easy course including all prerecorded videos, lessons and downloads.
  • Comprehensive, step-by-step PDF notes with pictures detailing each lesson in an easy to follow format
  • Extended lesson library with bonus videos to get you started on the right foot

Instant Access to all Lessons and Notes

$197.00
Add to cart

Prices are in USD

 

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