Close-Up Flowers in Watercolor
Nan Carey
Class Preview
0:45
- In-depth Instruction; over 130 mins
- On-demand video access anytime
- Bonus downloadable PDF resources
- Access to class Q&A
Getting Started
9:21
Meet your instructor, watercolor artist Nan Carey, and kick off the lesson with a colorful overview of the paintings and techniques you'll cover in class. Nan shares important considerations for choosing reference photographs and helps you transfer your photo of choice onto watercolor paper.
Mixing Colors
10:11
Explore your palette with Nan's explanations of colors and color relationships. You'll learn how to pair analogous and complementary colors for a pleasing effect before practicing various methods for mixing the exact hues that you want.
Beginning the Lily
12:04
Start painting along with Nan as she begins with the leaves of a beautiful lily. You'll set up a comfortable and efficient workspace before diving into a wet-on-dry technique that allows you to quickly cover the parameters of your transfer image.
Glazing
27:20
Continue to develop your lily watercolor with Nan's expert tips to guide you. You'll learn how to add a glaze (a layer of thin, transparent paint) over dry areas to illuminate new hues, and explore methods for painting the background areas. Nan also shares helpful troubleshooting tips to fix mistakes and recreate colors that you've mixed before.
Finishing Touches on the Lily
22:40
Complete your lily painting with finishing touches such as spots on the petals and effects that soften hard edges to add a sense of dimension and form. Nan also demonstrates how to add a final glaze to dry paint to bring out even more subtle characteristics of color and shadow.
Starting the Rose
24:37
Nan walks you through the initial process for starting your second painting, a delicate pink rose. Improve your skills in paint application, including the process of laying in the initial colors, controlling the consistence of color and creating a sense of movement as Nan helps you mix the perfect ratio of paint and water.
Finishing the Rose
22:52
Finish your rose painting with the addition of a dark background, discovering ways to prevent your light and dark colors from mixing in the process, and adding bold focal points that pop on the page. Nan also shares tips for glazing and scrubbing the rose's leaves, as well as adding texture with a fun and surprisingly easy method. You'll finish the class with two frame-ready watercolors, and inspiration to start painting all the other flowers that you love!
Join award-winning artist Nan Carey and learn how to paint watercolor flowers that blossom with vibrant hues! Begin by easily transferring the image of a lily, and dive into color-mixing to create an array of lush, beautiful hues. Follow along with Nan to apply soft, delicate washes of color to your floral composition, and discover how to use wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques to create light, luminous petals, and leaves. You’ll learn how to preserve white areas in your painting to act as highlights, and how to depict shadows that create a sense of depth and dimension. Explore glazing to enhance your work with rich layers of color, and then practice your new skills with a second composition: a radiant rose. You’ll also learn how to instantly create texture, erase your mistakes, choose the right brushes, and set up your workstation – everything you need to know to paint exquisite watercolor flowers any time you want!
Nan Carey
Nan Carey received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, and worked as a graphic designer and art director before transitioning to watercolor painting and instruction. Her work has been exhibited in numerous solo and group shows, and featured in Watercolor Mixing: The 12-Hue Method by Christopher Willard. Carey teaches at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and here on Craftsy!
Bonus materials available after purchase