Paint Simple Street Scenes in Watercolor

Name: Paint Simple Street Scenes in Watercolor
Rating: 4.0 (1 reviews)

Learn how to paint 6 different street scenes from around the world! BONUS: 1-hour London scene workshop included.

Created byWatercolour Mentor

Last updated 8/2022

English

What you'll learn

How to create fresh and vibrant street landscapes by following a two-step layering process.
How to build your confidence in using strong and vibrant colors.
How to be deliberate in your brushstrokes and use of color.
How to place complementary colours next to one another to create stunning compositions.
How to reduce a photo or scene in front of you down to essentials and pick out elements and objects of focus.
Learn how you only need 2-3 layers in order to complete a watercolor painting.
How to use colour effectively to create areas of interest of portray the mood of a scene.
How to use tone, or light and dark areas to create depth and richness in your paintings.
How to plan and compose your painting through sketching in pencil

Course content

3 sections • 16 lectures • 9h 1m total length

Introduction1:23
Discover a two-layer watercolor method to create fresh, vibrant street scenes and impressionistic streetscapes with deliberate brushwork, vivid color, and tonal contrast that build depth, mood, and visual interest.
Materials Required6:09
Master watercolor basics by choosing quality materials: pencils, erasers, mop and flat brushes, 100% cotton paper, and a simple primary palette—achieve wet-on-wet washes, gradients, and subtle dry brush textures.

Manhattan Street Scene - Part 140:52
Learn to build depth in a Manhattan street scene by establishing a horizon line, painting cars, figures, and signs, and rendering the Empire State Building through perspective and color washes.
Manhattan Street Scene - Part 240:40
Paint a lively Manhattan street scene in watercolor by building layers of cars, figures, and city buildings using cerulean blue, purples and neutral tones, with dry-brush textures and strategic shadows.
Melbourne Street Scene - Part 149:09
Explore planning a Melbourne street scene in watercolor by establishing a horizon line, simplifying buildings, and using light and shadow to convey depth, with a tram and clock tower.
Melbourne Street Scene - Part 248:28
Paint a Melbourne street scene in watercolor, layering blue and purple figures and buildings with light and shadows. Use flat brushes and negative painting for depth.
New York Street Scene - Part 139:38
Paint a busy New York street scene in watercolor by sketching simplified buildings, cars, and pedestrians. Exaggerate light, perspective, and colors with horizon lines, washes, and reflections.
New York Street Scene - Part 239:37
Create a New York street scene in watercolor by building dark background tones, painting building shadows, windows, and figures with dry brush and flat brush techniques, and applying light washes.
New York Traffic Scene - Part 136:55
Plan a one-point perspective New York traffic scene by establishing a horizon line, simplifying cars and pedestrians, and using watercolor washes to build depth with foreground figures.
New York Traffic Scene - Part 234:57
Develop watercolor skills by painting a New York traffic scene with cars, buildings, and figures, using washes, dry brush, and careful color blending.
Paris Street Scene - Part 134:58
Paint a Paris street scene in watercolor by sketching with a lower horizon, adding pedestrians, cars, and a delivery truck, and using sky and buildings to convey depth.
Paris Street Scene - Part 232:51
Learn to paint a Paris street scene in watercolor by layering colors, rendering cars and figures, and finishing with cutting around edges, shadows, and dry-brush detail.
Vienna Night Scene - Part 134:31
Learn to plan a Vienna night scene in watercolor, sketching foreground buildings and figures, then layer warm yellows for window light and reflections toward the vanishing point.
Vienna Night Scene - Part 235:05
Develop a vivid night street scene in watercolor using flip brush and dry brush techniques, purplish and cobalt blue washes, preserving light and rendering silhouettes and windows.
Class Project1:11
Follow sketching and painting demonstrations to complete six street scenes with pencil sketches and watercolor, practice composition, create painting from a royalty-free photo or your own, and upload for feedback.

Requirements

No Prerequisites - view the materials required lecture for more information.

Description

Hi, I'm Darren from Watercolour Mentor. Welcome to "Paint Simple Street Scenes in Watercolor". In this class, you'll learn how to create fresh and vibrant street landscapes by following my two-step layering process. You'll build your confidence in using strong and vibrant colors to portray your subject. By learning to be deliberate in your brushstrokes and colors, you'll create some beautiful impressionistic street scenes that you can show off to your friends and family!

BONUS - 1-hour London scene workshop included. This is a special demonstration that shows you how to paint a rainy day scene with reflections.

Many beginners often paint too light, too dark, or in the same tone. This can lead to flat paintings that lack character. Colour selection also plays an important role. Using complementary colors, or more simply, warm/cool colors next to one another creates stunning compositions that demand attention!

I'll be covering:

What to keep in mind when painting street scenes - how to simplify figures, shadows, windows, doors, and facades.
Sketching - how to reduce a photo or scene in front of you down to essentials and pick out elements and objects of focus.
Layering - learn how you only need 2-3 layers in order to complete a watercolor painting.
How to plan your painting - using a simple pencil sketch to guide your brushwork.
How to use wet-in-wet and wet-on-dry technique to create softness and sharp details
How to use color effectively to create areas of interest or portray the mood of a scene.
How to use tone, or light and dark areas to create depth and richness in your paintings.

I'm excited to get started, so let's get painting!

Course Project:
For the course project, follow along with the sketching and painting demonstrations. There are 6 unique street scenes with a pencil sketching and watercolour painting component. It's important to complete the sketching exercises in each scene, as this provides you with an opportunity to practice composing your painting. This will increase your confidence in completing your painting and more importantly allow you to plan.

If you have finished the 6 street scenes featured in this course, pick a royalty-free photograph or perhaps one of your own photographs of a favourite street. Using the process and techniques described in this class, create your own unique painting.

Finally, upload your painting(s) to the Udemy discussion/Q&A! If you have questions or would like feedback on your work, let me know and I will get back to you.

Note: Scanned images of my final paintings, as well as the original (royalty-free) reference photographs, are included in the 'Materials' lecture.

Who this course is for:

Students learning how to paint loosely in watercolors
Students aiming to loosen up their painting style
Students learning to paint buildings and street scenes
Beginner students in watercolor
Students learning how to paint

Paint Simple Street Scenes in Watercolor

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction and Materials2 lectures • 8min

'Paint-along' Demonstrations13 lectures • 7hr 49min

Bonus Workshop1 lecture • 1hr 5min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: