Mastering Water Control:
Harness the Power of Water in Watercolors
Often regarded as one of the most difficult concepts surrounding this medium, I will help you to breakdown the mysterious aspects of water control into concrete exercises.
In this class, we will:
• Explore various watercolor application techniques
• Practice painting flat and graded washes
• Learn how to create and prevent water blooms
• Discover how water control and value are related
• Paint a beautiful rhinoceros portrait
This class is intended for various skill levels, exploring both basic watercolor principals as well as applying those techniques in a full painting. Beginners are welcome to simply try out the Class Exercises, but if you want something a little more challenging, join me in painting a rhinoceros portrait for the Class Project!
Overview
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Topics & Techniques: Water Control, Watercolor Materials, Flat Washes, Graded Washes, Blooms, Value
Project: Rhinoceros Portrait (video lesson only)
Reference & Line Art: Rhinoceros
Printable Worksheets: 5
Total Video Length: 1 hr 40 min
Total PDF Pages: 44
Supplies
-
Watercolor Paints
-
Watercolor Brushes
-
Watercolor Paper
-
Two Water Containers
-
Reusable Rag or Paper Towels
-
Pencil and Eraser
-
Waterproof Ink
-
Mounting Board & Masking Tape (optional)
-
Heat Tool or Hair Dryer (optional)
This class is available in three options depending on your learning style and platform preference.
Explore.
Understand.
Harness.
Create.
Reviews
With over 9,500 students on Skillshare, this class has received over 400 glowing reviews. Here's what some of my students have to say!
"Denise is a great teacher covering the basics that I have not learned in classes elsewhere. Her instructions are very clear and easy to understand."
Toni Caddell Haber
Skillshare Student
"This is such a gem even though I’ve completed it, I will listen again a few more times to digest all of the info. It might be intimidating for a true beginner but the instructions are so clear and it is slowly paced so it’s not hard to follow along with Denise."
Jodie Montgomery-Cranny
Skillshare Student
"From what I have found there is not a lot of selection for classes relating to water control, and I have spent a long time looking. This class has really helped me. It was very organized, structured and methodical. The final project, I feel, is a very good choice for many reasons as it can be done using a limited palette or in monochrome so its perfect on a limited budget...
I really liked the technique sheets too. Denise is a very good teacher, I look forward to taking her other classes."
Daniella Alicia
Skillshare Student
"The best class I've had so far on Skillshare. Useful information well delivered from a very engaging teacher. I'll becoming back to this lessons a lot, and also looking for her other projects."
Alan Seigneur Alonso
Skillshare Student
"Honestly she's one of the best teachers I've seen. You can tell the lessons go above surface level information and I love that she provided practice material. The best part was she had a small project at the end. I watch so many videos that have you learn new skills, but there is no mini projects to go with them. So I love that we get a "tangible" reward at the end of all our hard work."
Laura B.
Skillshare Student
"I loved this class. It really gave me the confidence to start painting. I had been struggling with where to begin and this class was perfect."
Jennifer Welch
Skillshare Student
"Wonderful class—makes an intimidating subject much more approachable!"
Sam
Skillshare Student
"I absolutely loved this class. As an absolute beginner in watercolor and art in general I found it really helpful. I especially appreciate Denise’s analytical approach, providing explanations and reasons that help understand what happens or what to look at (and also satisfy my curiosity). I also loved the uncut tutorial and the no-music choice. Super! Thank you Denise, keep going!"
Ck_815
Skillshare Student
"Denise makes it fun and easy to understand. Love the step by step process. Watching her paint is also very helpful!"
Simone Nugent
Skillshare Student
"This is an amazing class! Anyone doing watercolor at any level should take it!"
Akanksha Bapna
Skillshare Student
"Ms Soden is a great teacher and she makes a treasure trove of knowledge available to her followers/students. Her classes are excellently organized, planned, and just very useful for anyone wanting to learn more about watercolor."
Joni Rivera
Skillshare Student
"Amazing class! Great instruction, fun and helpful exercises, and beautiful painting. Thank you!"
Adrienne Yu
Skillshare Student
"Fantastic class -- fantastic instructor. I love it. I only marked it as appropriate for intermediate because of what I thought was a bit of complexity in the illustration -- I am a beginner. That said, I was able to produce a class project I'm proud of."
Sher Kyweriga
Skillshare Student
"Wonderful class—makes an intimidating subject much more approachable!"
Christina Brown
Skillshare Student
"This class was put together in one of the most professional ways I have seen to-date on SkillShare. Absolutely top-notch instructor who clearly put A LOT of time and effort into making these classes very actionable and crystal-clear. Simply amazing."
Miranda Watson
Skillshare Student
"Understanding how water and pigment work on your paper is essential to successful watercolor painting. The exercises taught me how to achieve more control. Very helpful! I’m an advanced beginner and felt confident enough to tackle the rhino and I even shared it. That is a clear sign of progress!"
Karen Hewitt
Skillshare Student
"If your a intuitive painter and your works have some flaws and your trying to figure out where you are going wrong This IS FOR YOU. My issue is I didn't know the washes were vastly different on cellulose paper vs cotton. My 2nd key issue was being aware of the additives in the paint since I was using mixed brands all at the same time. I am so grateful that Denise made this Lesson series."
Amber Martinez
Skillshare Student
"Denise is a great teacher. I never thought I would get through the final process, but I did, and I'm very proud of my rhino!"