Experimental Watercolors – Paint Your Friends! (Online Course) Summer 2025 w/ Milena Guberinic
August 3 to August 24 (Sundays), 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM, Eastern Time
**All sessions are live and will be recorded, students do not have to be present. All recordings will be available to students for 3 months after the final session, after 3 months the recording will be deleted.
Please check your email spam/junk folder for your Zoom invite.
DEMO: https://youtu.be/s_y_2I7AVFo
Course Description
Get ready for a fun and creative adventure in my 4-week online watercolor class, where we will dive into the exciting world of experimental painting in watercolor! This class is going to be all about painting portraits of your friends—human and furry ones! Each week, you'll discover fresh, dynamic techniques to bring your artwork to life, and you'll have the chance to share your progress and receive personalized feedback. Whether you’re a total beginner or looking to level-up your watercolor skills, this class is designed to help you explore, play, and embrace the freedom of watercolor painting in a supportive and engaging environment!
Course Outline
Week 1: Female Portrait in Watercolor
In our first week, we will focus on painting a female portrait. You will learn how to build subtle layers, experiment with colorful washes, and explore unconventional techniques to create a unique painting.
We will emphasize fluidity in blending colors and make water a key part of the water-color equation. This session is all about embracing experimentation, leaving behind rigid rules and creating something truly your own!
Week 2: Male Portrait in Watercolor
This week, we will paint a portrait of a male subject. You will build on what you learned in the previous week, using a reference photo of either your own friend, or one I will supply. We will continue to experiment with wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques, and introduce additional methods like splattering, scratching and lifting to add texture and depth. The goal is to encourage you to push the boundaries of traditional portraiture, while enjoying watercolor’s unpredictability.
Week 3: Dog in Watercolor
In week three, we will bring a playful energy to the paper by painting a dog! Once again, you are free to follow along with my demonstration or to select your own reference photo of your own furry friend! You will learn how to handle different textures—such as those of fur, eyes, and noses—using a variety of watercolor techniques. This session will help you get comfortable with playing with color and paint properties and textures to capture the unique character and personality of your animal subject. We’ll continue exploring spontaneous, experimental techniques, letting the medium express the lively and dynamic qualities of your dog.
Week 4: Cat in Watercolor
Our final week will be dedicated to painting a cat. We'll focus on refining your skills with a more detailed animal portrait while continuing to embrace the loose, experimental approach that watercolors offer.
You’ll work on capturing the softness of fur, the reflection of light in the eyes, and the fluidity of the cat’s pose. This week is all about adding the finishing touches to your watercolor practice, ensuring you leave with confidence in your experimental approach to painting.
Course Materials List
Watercolor paper:
100% cotton 140 lb or higher
Cellulose 140 lb or higher
(Optional) Yasutomo Mineral Paper or Yupo plastic paper
The size of the paper should reflect your comfort level. If you are comfortable painting small, select a smaller size. Conversely, if you are comfortable at a larger scale, select a larger size.
Watercolor paints:
If you are new to painting in watercolor, please select a basic and essential palette of a red, a pink, a middle yellow (hansa yellow medium, for example), a few blues (cerulean, cobalt, ultramarine), and earth colors (burnt sienna, burnt umber, and yellow ochre or raw sienna). Any basic watercolor set will have these. I will start the class by using such a basic palette in the first session. Additional (more advanced and challenging granulating and separating paints) will be added in subsequent sessions. I will tell you how to mix replacements for these from the basic palette, but if you wish to add them to your collection, I will announce them in the session before each time they will be used.
Watercolor brushes:
I primarily use synthetic brushes in a range of sizes and shapes (mostly flats and rounds). Please use brushes you feel comfortable using. If you have never painted in watercolor, please select 2 or 3 round brushes and 2 or 3 flat brushes – one large and one small one of each. What is small and what is large will depend on the size of your paper.
An easel or alternative
This will have limited utility, but if you have an easel, you will be encouraged to use it in the initial session(s). If you do not have an easel, you can use anything to prop up your paper or paper block on an angle so that water runs down with gravity.
Water bucket
Make sure you have AT LEAST one well of water for clean water and one well of water into which you can insert your paint-laden brush.
August 3 to August 24 (Sundays), 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM, Eastern Time
**All sessions are live and will be recorded, students do not have to be present. All recordings will be available to students for 3 months after the final session, after 3 months the recording will be deleted.
Please check your email spam/junk folder for your Zoom invite.
DEMO: https://youtu.be/s_y_2I7AVFo
Course Description
Get ready for a fun and creative adventure in my 4-week online watercolor class, where we will dive into the exciting world of experimental painting in watercolor! This class is going to be all about painting portraits of your friends—human and furry ones! Each week, you'll discover fresh, dynamic techniques to bring your artwork to life, and you'll have the chance to share your progress and receive personalized feedback. Whether you’re a total beginner or looking to level-up your watercolor skills, this class is designed to help you explore, play, and embrace the freedom of watercolor painting in a supportive and engaging environment!
Course Outline
Week 1: Female Portrait in Watercolor
In our first week, we will focus on painting a female portrait. You will learn how to build subtle layers, experiment with colorful washes, and explore unconventional techniques to create a unique painting.
We will emphasize fluidity in blending colors and make water a key part of the water-color equation. This session is all about embracing experimentation, leaving behind rigid rules and creating something truly your own!
Week 2: Male Portrait in Watercolor
This week, we will paint a portrait of a male subject. You will build on what you learned in the previous week, using a reference photo of either your own friend, or one I will supply. We will continue to experiment with wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques, and introduce additional methods like splattering, scratching and lifting to add texture and depth. The goal is to encourage you to push the boundaries of traditional portraiture, while enjoying watercolor’s unpredictability.
Week 3: Dog in Watercolor
In week three, we will bring a playful energy to the paper by painting a dog! Once again, you are free to follow along with my demonstration or to select your own reference photo of your own furry friend! You will learn how to handle different textures—such as those of fur, eyes, and noses—using a variety of watercolor techniques. This session will help you get comfortable with playing with color and paint properties and textures to capture the unique character and personality of your animal subject. We’ll continue exploring spontaneous, experimental techniques, letting the medium express the lively and dynamic qualities of your dog.
Week 4: Cat in Watercolor
Our final week will be dedicated to painting a cat. We'll focus on refining your skills with a more detailed animal portrait while continuing to embrace the loose, experimental approach that watercolors offer.
You’ll work on capturing the softness of fur, the reflection of light in the eyes, and the fluidity of the cat’s pose. This week is all about adding the finishing touches to your watercolor practice, ensuring you leave with confidence in your experimental approach to painting.
Course Materials List
Watercolor paper:
100% cotton 140 lb or higher
Cellulose 140 lb or higher
(Optional) Yasutomo Mineral Paper or Yupo plastic paper
The size of the paper should reflect your comfort level. If you are comfortable painting small, select a smaller size. Conversely, if you are comfortable at a larger scale, select a larger size.
Watercolor paints:
If you are new to painting in watercolor, please select a basic and essential palette of a red, a pink, a middle yellow (hansa yellow medium, for example), a few blues (cerulean, cobalt, ultramarine), and earth colors (burnt sienna, burnt umber, and yellow ochre or raw sienna). Any basic watercolor set will have these. I will start the class by using such a basic palette in the first session. Additional (more advanced and challenging granulating and separating paints) will be added in subsequent sessions. I will tell you how to mix replacements for these from the basic palette, but if you wish to add them to your collection, I will announce them in the session before each time they will be used.
Watercolor brushes:
I primarily use synthetic brushes in a range of sizes and shapes (mostly flats and rounds). Please use brushes you feel comfortable using. If you have never painted in watercolor, please select 2 or 3 round brushes and 2 or 3 flat brushes – one large and one small one of each. What is small and what is large will depend on the size of your paper.
An easel or alternative
This will have limited utility, but if you have an easel, you will be encouraged to use it in the initial session(s). If you do not have an easel, you can use anything to prop up your paper or paper block on an angle so that water runs down with gravity.
Water bucket
Make sure you have AT LEAST one well of water for clean water and one well of water into which you can insert your paint-laden brush.
August 3 to August 24 (Sundays), 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM, Eastern Time
**All sessions are live and will be recorded, students do not have to be present. All recordings will be available to students for 3 months after the final session, after 3 months the recording will be deleted.
Please check your email spam/junk folder for your Zoom invite.
DEMO: https://youtu.be/s_y_2I7AVFo
Course Description
Get ready for a fun and creative adventure in my 4-week online watercolor class, where we will dive into the exciting world of experimental painting in watercolor! This class is going to be all about painting portraits of your friends—human and furry ones! Each week, you'll discover fresh, dynamic techniques to bring your artwork to life, and you'll have the chance to share your progress and receive personalized feedback. Whether you’re a total beginner or looking to level-up your watercolor skills, this class is designed to help you explore, play, and embrace the freedom of watercolor painting in a supportive and engaging environment!
Course Outline
Week 1: Female Portrait in Watercolor
In our first week, we will focus on painting a female portrait. You will learn how to build subtle layers, experiment with colorful washes, and explore unconventional techniques to create a unique painting.
We will emphasize fluidity in blending colors and make water a key part of the water-color equation. This session is all about embracing experimentation, leaving behind rigid rules and creating something truly your own!
Week 2: Male Portrait in Watercolor
This week, we will paint a portrait of a male subject. You will build on what you learned in the previous week, using a reference photo of either your own friend, or one I will supply. We will continue to experiment with wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques, and introduce additional methods like splattering, scratching and lifting to add texture and depth. The goal is to encourage you to push the boundaries of traditional portraiture, while enjoying watercolor’s unpredictability.
Week 3: Dog in Watercolor
In week three, we will bring a playful energy to the paper by painting a dog! Once again, you are free to follow along with my demonstration or to select your own reference photo of your own furry friend! You will learn how to handle different textures—such as those of fur, eyes, and noses—using a variety of watercolor techniques. This session will help you get comfortable with playing with color and paint properties and textures to capture the unique character and personality of your animal subject. We’ll continue exploring spontaneous, experimental techniques, letting the medium express the lively and dynamic qualities of your dog.
Week 4: Cat in Watercolor
Our final week will be dedicated to painting a cat. We'll focus on refining your skills with a more detailed animal portrait while continuing to embrace the loose, experimental approach that watercolors offer.
You’ll work on capturing the softness of fur, the reflection of light in the eyes, and the fluidity of the cat’s pose. This week is all about adding the finishing touches to your watercolor practice, ensuring you leave with confidence in your experimental approach to painting.
Course Materials List
Watercolor paper:
100% cotton 140 lb or higher
Cellulose 140 lb or higher
(Optional) Yasutomo Mineral Paper or Yupo plastic paper
The size of the paper should reflect your comfort level. If you are comfortable painting small, select a smaller size. Conversely, if you are comfortable at a larger scale, select a larger size.
Watercolor paints:
If you are new to painting in watercolor, please select a basic and essential palette of a red, a pink, a middle yellow (hansa yellow medium, for example), a few blues (cerulean, cobalt, ultramarine), and earth colors (burnt sienna, burnt umber, and yellow ochre or raw sienna). Any basic watercolor set will have these. I will start the class by using such a basic palette in the first session. Additional (more advanced and challenging granulating and separating paints) will be added in subsequent sessions. I will tell you how to mix replacements for these from the basic palette, but if you wish to add them to your collection, I will announce them in the session before each time they will be used.
Watercolor brushes:
I primarily use synthetic brushes in a range of sizes and shapes (mostly flats and rounds). Please use brushes you feel comfortable using. If you have never painted in watercolor, please select 2 or 3 round brushes and 2 or 3 flat brushes – one large and one small one of each. What is small and what is large will depend on the size of your paper.
An easel or alternative
This will have limited utility, but if you have an easel, you will be encouraged to use it in the initial session(s). If you do not have an easel, you can use anything to prop up your paper or paper block on an angle so that water runs down with gravity.
Water bucket
Make sure you have AT LEAST one well of water for clean water and one well of water into which you can insert your paint-laden brush.