Ultimate Line and Wash: Techniques and Landscapes

Hi, I'm Darren from Watercolour Mentor and welcome to Ultimate Line and Wash: Techniques and Landscapes. Line and wash and was one of my first introductions to watercolor. It combines the benefits of both mediums and it is a great way to learn the basics of drawing and painting. There were so many things that I wish someone had walked me through when I started learning pen drawing and watercolors. I want to share these essential tips and skills with you so that by the end of this course, you'll be able to show off some beautiful line and wash illustrations to your friends and family!

This class is aimed towards beginners with 12 classic line and wash demonstrations which I'll help guide you through step-by-step. There are drawing and tracing templates included as well for each demonstration to help you transfer your drawings over quickly and easily.

No prior experience is needed for this class. I will cover how to draw and paint simple shapes to more complex ones. Materials you will need are; watercolor paints (primary colors - red, blue, yellow), watercolor brushes (assorted), and watercolor paper (preferably 100% cotton).

I take a different approach from other instructors by narrating my demonstrations in real-time. I explain every technique I use in the context of the painting. Some landscapes featured in this class are; Venice, Burano, a Paris Street Scene, a London Street Scene, and the Charles Bridge in Prague. In this beginner's class, I'll be going over all the pen and wash sketching basics. I'll talk about what materials you'll need, your options, and which ones I use and recommend. If you have a pen, some watercolor paints, and paper, then you're pretty much ready to go. I'll show you how to sketch with a pen quickly and accurately using a variety of techniques including drawing lines in segments, hatching, and using different sized nibs to your advantage. I also demonstrate essential watercolor techniques you can use over and over again for any painting. And don't forget, there are 12 narrated painting demonstrations of some classic landscapes included.

In this class, I will cover basics such as:

• Materials - what paints, paper, brushes, and pens you will need.
• Hands-on pen sketching techniques - follow along and sketch with me. Learn how to hold your pen for different effects, draw basic lines and shapes, how to create depth and light/darkness in your drawing through the use of 'hatching'.
• A crucial video on understanding 'tone/values'. This includes practical exercises and demonstrations for you to follow along to.
• Understanding light sources and how to paint realistic shadows.
• How to sketch a subject easily by simplifying a landscape into basic shapes and combining loose and accurate drawing styles.
• Hands-on lessons on essential watercolor techniques such as wet-in-wet and wet-on-dry.
• How to paint skies, clouds, water, land, figures, boats, and other objects.

So join me in this class - I'm excited to get started and to show you how easy it is to create your own beautiful paintings that you can be proud of!

Included demonstration paintings:

Assignment:

Your class project is to draw and paint your own line and wash landscape! This can be a scene featured in one of the class demonstration videos or based on one of your own photographs or scenes you have observed outside.

You can also refer to the scanned drawing/painting templates attached below which will allow you to trace the drawings if you choose to do so. I recommend drawing each scene free hand. Drawing is an important step in improving your painting skills. This provides you with an opportunity to compose and plan your painting. Once you've finished the drawing, use the watercolor steps and processes included in the class demonstrations to complete your painting. Lessons 3-7 go through basic pen drawing and watercolour painting techniques, exercises, and warm-ups to build up essential skills.

Materials:

Use any permanent black ink pens, watercolor paper, and brushes you have available. I recommend:

• Lightfast/Permanent ballpoint ink pen (0.5mm nib)
• 100% cotton watercolor paper or sketchbook
• Watercolour Brushes - mop brush and a variety of round and flat brushes.

Getting Started:

Review the class demonstrations first. Focus on some of the techniques and practice exercises in lessons 3-7. There are 12 different line and wash landscapes that you can draw and paint from. You can also download the tracing templates to transfer over your drawing.

Looking to sketch and paint another scene? Research some free reference photo websites, pick one of your own reference photos, or simply find an outdoor location where you can sit and paint. Using the steps and processes included in this class, create your own unique urban sketch.

Sharing Your Work:

Share your final illustration and progress shots with the class by uploading them to the "Your Project" section. If you have any questions or need more tips, please let me know. I'm happy to help.