Reviews:

Read what people like you say!

5 star rating

Great course

Kate Orde-Powlett

Very useful lessons for someone who had never picked up a paintbrush before, concise and easy to follow modules

Very useful lessons for someone who had never picked up a paintbrush before, concise and easy to follow modules

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5 star rating

Great course to start watercolor

Janet McMillion

Michelle is such a fine teacher. Her instruction is so clear and she understands where beginners come from. Each lesson builds upon the last and I appreciat...

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Michelle is such a fine teacher. Her instruction is so clear and she understands where beginners come from. Each lesson builds upon the last and I appreciate her video demos, the ability to print out notes, and the projects to help you turn your learning into watercolor creations. I built confidence along with my skills!

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5 star rating

Excellent class!

Cathleen Burton

Michele is excellent at explaining everything and has great tips. Glad I took the time to do this.

Michele is excellent at explaining everything and has great tips. Glad I took the time to do this.

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5 star rating

Very good for beginning watercolor artist

Gwen Myers

Great explanation of different strokes and techniques. Really helped me getting started.

Great explanation of different strokes and techniques. Really helped me getting started.

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1 star rating

Techniques

Judith Sutcliffe

Extremely useful and eye opening. Thank you

Extremely useful and eye opening. Thank you

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5 star rating

Essential

Susan Buckley

Great demos, essential tips and brilliant teaching style

Great demos, essential tips and brilliant teaching style

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star rating

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Basic Watercolor techniques lead to a strong foundation:

Learn to control the paint, remove frustration, and finally get the results you want...

  • Flat and Graduated Washes

    A FLAT WASH seems like the simplest thing in the world, but simple isn't the same as easy. Many things go into achieving this technique, and it's the secret to everything moving forward. If you can paint a flat wash you can learn any techique, that's why it's our very first lesson.

  • Water Control

    IF YOU STRUGGLE TO CONTROL THE PAINT, water levels are the answer. Learn why the paint moves in the way it does and you will have have the secret to controlling results. From sharp edges to soft bleeds, choose what happens and when.

  • Blending and Faded edges

    WATERCOLOR THAT FADES TO CLEAN PAPER (without drying lines), or bleeds one stunning color into another - these are the results everyone wants. Learn to manipulate the pigments and get the beautiful paintings that make Watercolor such a desirable medium.

You CAN learn Watercolor painting!

Anyone can learn and anyone can improve, you just need the right structure, the right course, and the right tutor:

Is this course for YOU?

Start improving your Watercolor skills today!

  • Are you a complete beginner who wants to start strong?

  • Do you long to work in Watercolors but are intimidated by their apparent complexity?

  • Did you throw yourself into watercolor painting but feel you missed the basics and are now out of your depth?

  • Perhaps you work in mixed media, crafts or illustration and know that Watercolor could enhance your results

  • Perhaps you are accomplished in oils or acrylics - but have no idea how to handle Watercolors!

Meet your tutor: Over 5 million people have viewed Michele's Watercolor tutorials on YouTube!

Michele has over 25 years experience teaching painting and drawing in the UK and Europe. She has taught thousands of students at hundreds of venues. She is a published commercial illustrator, exhibition curator, and has given lectures and demonstrations to art clubs, societies and on radio. Her tutorials have been published in magazines and seen on Sky TV. Her YouTube channel has over 145K subscribers, with videos viewed over eight million times. Michele's Online Courses have hundreds of satisfied students and 5 star reviews.

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What do real people like you say about the course?

Natacha Umar: Abuja, Nigeria

Subjects I thought were way too complex I felt I was now able to break it down, simplify and have a go at painting them. This is not a paint-along-with-me course. Full guidance was given but I felt free to work on my own. [I learned]Just get everything ready and paint that sky wash. You can do it! [The course] demystified the process. Instead of thinking oh no I can't do that, it gave me the confidence to say well I maybe it's no so hard afterall. At least have a go! I LOVE this tree painting, even now well after the course. Really liked the petals. Look, an actual painting I finished!
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Start your Watercolor journey today!

Build your skills, as you see yourself gain confidence and get the results you want:

What do real people like you say about the course?

Margaret Kiprenko: Ontario, Canada

Prior to taking Michele's beginners watercolour course, I only painted with acrylics and oils. I always wanted to try watercolours, but felt very intimidated by them - I always thought that they are too hard to control. This course changed that. Michele takes you through fundamental basics of painting with this medium, using simple, yet fun exercises. She explains the 'why' and 'how' of using watercolours in a clear and engaging manner. Each learning module is presented in an easy to follow and relaxed way, and one can either just choose to practice using suggested exercises (which I loved), or paint simple, yet visually effective pictures specifically selected by the instructor to integrate what one learned so far. Thanks to this course, I am no longer intimidated by watercolours and will tackle more complicated paintings in the future.
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Your Course includes:

  • Lifetime access! Fit the course to your lifestyle; take a break, re-watch anything, no deadlines

  • A dedicated Facebook support group you can join, just for Michele's online students

  • A handy site access guide to help you log in and navigate

  • 10 Modules (lessons) each teaches you a new technique then gives you instructions and resources to practice

  • 1hr 57 minutes of videos will teach you the basics of flat and graduated washes, blending, hard soft and faded edges, working and re-working

  • Printable PDFs to accompany the lessons, each with a trouble-shooting guide to help with common issues, especially helpful if your painting area is not near your computer

  • 20 downloadable photos, carefully chosen to help you practice the techniques

  • Bonus materials curated from Michele's YouTube channel and elsewhere, to help you continue your painting journey!

Price includes lifetime access:

No stressy deadlines or vanishing content, work at your own speed, and when upgrades are added you get them for free

You CAN tackle subjects that seemed too hard:

Basic techiques lead to more subject mastery!

  • Effortless landscapes

    A FLAT OR GRADUATED wash is the basis for many skies and a successful sky is the secret to a beautiful landscape. Avoid the frustrations of drying lines, water blooms and messy, unnatural skies.

  • Delicate Botanicals

    HEAVY, GRAINY, smudged flowers will be a thing of the past. Learn the graded, blended effects that make translucent, perfect petals and leaves within your reach.

  • Details and Backgrounds

    FROM STILL LIFE and interiors, to animals and buildings, understanding how to control wet and dry edges is essential. This new knowledge will enable you to know when to let an area dry and when to work into it wet.

What you will learn:

  • Gain confidence by starting from the very beginning

  • This course concentrates on techniques, not complicated subjects

  • Choose the right materials and brush size so you control results

  • Learn how to do a perfect flat wash even around other shapes

  • Learn graduated (faded) washes, perfect for skies

  • Achieve sharp edges, blended edges and choose the right pigments for the job

  • Learn how to avoid drying lines and bleeding by controlling water levels

  • Gradually build your skills as you learn the basics needed for ANY painting

What do real people like you say about the course?

Marilyn Tooke: Guildford Surrey UK

I was starting from zero so I had no confidence and initially did the course because it gave me something to do during [the pandemic] lockdown. It’s no exaggeration to say I loved everything about the course. Michele explained everything so clearly and encouraged us to just have a go even if it turned out to be dreadful. But strangely enough although my efforts left a lot to be desired, I loved doing the paintings, and couldn’t wait to try the next module. Starting from scratch meant that anything was better than nothing , and i found to my delight that if I really followed Michele’s teaching, I really could produce something that was better than I’d done before! What the course did was to make me see that given the kind of help that was in the course I could learn to do something I found I really loved doing and felt confident to try things I would have previously thought was impossible... and find I could do it!
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FAQ

  • How much is the course in British pounds or other currency?

    The exchange rate changes every day but you can get a rough idea by putting the question into Google. There may be slight variations depending on which conversion metrics the Thinkific site is using but you can certainly get a good idea of the approximate price. Remember to do this on the same day you intend to buy the course. When you buy Thinkific will automatically convert the price to charge you the right amount of money for your local currency.

  • What if I don't have Paypal or Stripe?

    These are just the methods by which the site receives payment, you can pay with your usual credit or debit card (in most countries).

  • What support will I get?

    In addition to email access to Michele, there is a dedicated Facebook group, just for students of Michele’s Thinkific courses, where you can compare results and get advice alongside other students. If you have any access or log in issues or trouble understanding how to navigate the site you can also request a special PDF guide that will make everything clear (it's also included in your course, so we suggest downloading and storing a copy on your pc as soon as you join).

  • How long will I have access to the course for?

    After you buy the course you have lifetime access, you can take the course at your leisure and re-visit any of the modules you like. Plus you will automatically have access to any additional content or upgrades that are added at a later date.

  • How is the course structured?

    There are 10 modules each with a full video tutorial, and two downloadable PDFs. The first PDF is an illustrated step by step of the technique taught in the video, it also includes additional tips and troubleshooting to help you figure out any issues you are having. The second PDF gives you two copyright free photographs to complete larger paintings from (optional).

  • What materials will I need to buy?

    If you already have paper, paint and brushes you may not need to buy anything. I will not be insisting you have exact colors and brands. However, there will be a video and downloadable PDF with tons of advice and links to suggested materials so you can choose what to buy if you don’t have anything.

Start Today!

Course Curriculum:

  • 1

    Welcome to the course!

  • 2

    Thinkific Course Access and Log in Guide

    • Access and Log in Guide (IMPORTANT! Download and save it to your PC - I get more emails about log in issues than anything else, this will get you back into your course!)
  • 3

    Recommended Art Materials

  • 4

    Module 1 The Perfect Flat Wash

    • The Perfect Flat Wash!
  • 5

    Module 2 A Flat Wash around a 'Floating' Object

    • A Flat Wash around a 'Floating' Object
  • 6

    Module 3 A Flat Wash between Complex Areas

    • A Flat Wash between Complex Areas
  • 7

    Module 4 A Graduated Wash on Wet Paper

    • A Graduated Wash on Wet Paper
  • 8

    Module 5 A Graduated Wash on Dry Paper

    • A Graduated Wash on Dry Paper
  • 9

    Module 6 A Blended Edge in a Small Area on Wet Paper

    • A Blended Edge in a Small Area on Wet Paper
  • 10

    Module 7 A Blended Edge in a Small Area on Dry Paper

    • A Blended Edge in a Small Area on Dry Paper
  • 11

    Module 8 A Blended Edge on top of a Pre-painted Area

    • A blended edge on top of a Pre-painted Area
  • 12

    Module 9 Painting Dark Paint or Silhouettes on White Paper

    • 9 Painting Dark Paint or Silhouettes on White Paper
  • 13

    Module 10 Painting on a Dry, Pre-painted Area

    • Painting on a Dry, Pre-painted Area
  • 14

    Bonus Materials - 50 Beginner Watercolor Tips PDF

    • 50 Beginner Watercolor Tips
  • 15

    Bonus Materials - 7 Things I wish I knew before starting Watercolors!

    • 7 Things I wish I knew before starting Watercolors!
  • 16

    Bonus Material - Ultimate guide to Watercolor terms (Glossary)

    • Ultimate guide to Watercolor terms (Glossary)
  • 17

    Bonus Material - Fix 10 Watercolor Mistakes!

    • Fix 10 Watercolor Mistakes!