Watercolor Landscapes for Beginners: How to Paint What You See

“Paint what you see” is something I heard often as a beginner artist—and I had no idea how to do it. After all, how can you “paint what you see” if you don’t know what to look for?

That’s exactly what this class is for, my friend. Over the years, I’ve developed a tried-and-true technique for taking a gorgeous landscape reference photo and turning into a unique watercolor painting—a technique that even watercolor beginners can follow and master.

We’ll start with some watercolor basics, like the wet-on-wet technique, and we’ll talk about how to recognize those techniques in the wild so you can break down seemingly complicated photos into clear steps and layers. 

After an overview of basic techniques, we'll walk through every step of the final project: from selecting a reference photo, to forming a clear painting plan, to painting every layer with confidence. You can paint along with me, using my reference photo, or you can take your pick from three other options I’ve provided as downloads.

I don’t hold anything back—even when things don’t go according to plan, I’ll give you my tips and tricks for successfully moving forward with curiosity and self-compassion. 

By the end of the class, you’ll have a beautiful watercolor painting as well as a full art toolkit to repeat this process again and again, for a lifetime of watercolor adventures. 

I can’t wait for you to join me inside! 

• Watercolor Landscapes for Beginners
• Your Class Project
• Water Control: Techniques for Depth
• Color Value: Techniques for Distance
• Choosing a Good Reference Photo
• How to Analyze Your Reference Photo
• Make a Painting Plan
• How to Mix Your Color Palette
• Project: The Background Layer
• Project: The Midground Layer
• Project: The Foreground Layer
• Self-Assessment and Self-Compassion
• Final Thoughts