Startup Project: Watercolor Still Life
Mary P. Murphy
Class Preview
1:28
- In-depth Instruction; over 145 mins
- On-demand video access anytime
- Bonus downloadable PDF resources
- Access to class Q&A
Preparing to Paint
26:32
Meet artist Mary P. Murphy, who starts by walking you through the tools you need to complete your project, a watercolor floral still life, including brushes, paper and paint. Then she revisits some basic techniques from the class "Startup Library: Painting With Watercolors," and key tips for mixing colors.
Composition & Underpainting
22:03
Start your project as Mary shows you how to make a great composition and transfer it to paper. Once your drawing is complete, get started on the underpainting. You'll see how transparent layers and masking fluid will make your painting shine!
Painting the Cloth
26:12
Start working on depicting cloth with watercolor. It might seem tricky, but Mary guides you step by step. Follow along as she shows you how to develop realistic textures, and paint shadows in layers to give your fabric a flowing, folded look.
Flowers & Pitcher
29:03
Focus on your still life's focal point. Starting with the flowers, Mary shares tips on using warm and cool yellow tones to guide the viewer's eyes through the painting. Afterwards, move on to the pitcher as you learn to create a shimmering reflection with glazes.
Background & Shadows
20:19
In this lesson, Mary shows you how to mix colors to create a black background and use calligraphic strokes to create dramatic shadows on the cloth. She also discusses the concept of lost edges.
Finishing the Painting
20:06
End class and complete your still life by adding some finishing touches. First add final glazes to smooth out your painting, then darken values and use lifting techniques to give it a professional finish.
Build your skills and create a watercolor painting that you can be proud of, even if you’re a beginner!
Ready to take the next steps in your journey of watercolor painting? Join established artist Mary P. Murphy in the follow-up to “Startup Library: Painting With Watercolors,” as she guides you to paint a floral still life step by step. Along the way, practice essential techniques for color mixing, painting tricky textures and rendering natural forms and shadows. You’ll have an elevated skill set and a watercolor painting that’s worthy of hanging on your wall!
Mary P. Murphy
Mary Murphy loved art from a young age, but her initial career path took her in a different direction, toward life as an award-winning speechwriter. After 20 years behind a pen, though, she picked a brush back up and the rest is history! She honed her skills training with artists such as Martha Deming and Jim McFarlane, president of the American Watercolor Society, setting up an in-home studio so she could paint nonstop. Her exuberant floral paintings began to accumulate local and national recognition and awards, and now she's thrilled to bring her passion to the Craftsy community.
Bonus materials available after purchase