Paint Realistic Watercolor and Botanicals - Toadstools
What you'll learn
- At the end of this course, you will have improved your knowledge, confidence and skills in watercolour painting
- At the end of this course, you will have improved your knowledge, confidence and skills in botanical illustration
- At the end of this course, you will have a greater familiarity and strategy of how to approach the magical Fly Agaric Toadstool as a painting
- Students will learn how to use a fairly simple palette for highly effective results
- Most importantly, students will have FUN exploring this excellent painting subject
- At the end of this course, you will have reenforced what we have learned in previous 'Paint Realistic Watercolour and Botanicals' tutorials, growing it into new territory again
- At the end of this course, you will feel a better sense of confidence about creating your own paintings independently
Requirements
- This course has no prerequisites other than a healthy attitude and a willingness to learn... the most important ingredients!
- There is however, some assumed knowledge in this course, so I do recommend you start with my 'STUDIO BASICS' course as a foundation, then 'CHASING AUTUMN' and/or 'MAGNOLIAS' to move onto this course... Otherwise, jump right in and enjoy!
Description
Whats On the Table?
My newest online painting tutorial 'Paint Realistic Watercolour and Botanicals - TOADSTOOLS' delves into illustrating the wonders of another very special subject, Amanita muscaria. A widely admired and immediately recognisable toadstool more commonly known as the Fly Agaric or Fly Amanita. This is arguably the most iconic of the captivating toadstool world and a brilliant painting subject indeed!
For storytellers and artists of every kind, this seemingly magical toadstool never ceases to capture our hearts and imaginations, leaping to the forefronts of our minds at the mere suggestion of 'toadstool'. For me it ticks every box as a painting subject. It is delightful, beautiful, mysterious and fun. For my students, I have every confidence this subject will prove to be excellent for our next stage of learning and achievable watercolour fun. I am very excited to have you along for the ride once more.
With 4 in depth foundation courses on offer leading up to this point, TOADSTOOLS brings another excellent change of pace to the mix. This is a wonderful starting point or introductory for new students to jump in and have a play with this genre and medium. It is an ideal refresher course for those revisiting botanical illustration, perhaps after some time away. It is fantastic for students wishing to improve their illustration rendering skills, and it is a perfect 'next stop' learning experience for those students continuing on with me here. Toadstools is all about letting go a little, new play, having fun with this extraordinarily subject and enjoying the watercolour medium, whilst continuing on this wonderful learning path together.
Objectives
Our three Fly Agaric subjects provide us an excellent opportunity to look at subject, learn about subject scope, colour diversity and use, my essential combination of watercolour techniques; washes, glazes and dry brushing techniques, effective use of masking fluid necessary for this subject. Through comprehensive step by step tuition, we will learn more about the processes and essential watercolour painting techniques involved in creating each of these elements in a realistic style, from start to completion.
Choose one, two or three of the fabulous toadstool examples covered in this course to explore. Create single painting studies of each or combine them in your own mix and match composition to personalise your own piece... its up to you. Practice, repeat, vary, revisit, apply the knowledge to something new. This course is all done in your own space, in your own time and at your own pace... Its such a wonderful way to learn!
Level of Experience?
Don't even worry about it! Whilst there is some assumed knowledge in this, my 5th course, it is not essential and I welcome to everyone no matter your level of experience. For those new to realistic botanical painting and/or watercolor, this is an ideal starting point to have a play with. It is especially suitable as we will be creating beautifully rich, diverse, realistic toadstool illustrations together using a fairly simple palette of colours. Best of all, if you decide youd like to learn more, its as simple as backtracking to previous tutorials to keep on learning. For those with an existing foundation from my previous courses welcome back! TOADSTOOLS will bring fabulous new learning to your repertoire.
Following the STUDIO BASICS, CHASING AUTUMN, MAGNOLIAS and LOTUS tutorials, TOADSTOOLS continues to concrete what we've learned so far in my online painting tutorials and develop and refine our techniques and skills in watercolour painting and botanical illustration further with the exploration of this wonderful subject.
Once again, I look forward to helping you to learn, grow and keep you moving forwards on your own painting path, and to share my love of this wonderful, joyful world or realistic watercolours and botanicals with you again.
Ill see you in the wash ~ Heidi
Who this course is for:
- This tutorial is suitable for those looking to develop and/or improve their realistic watercolour painting skills, particularly in the botanical illustration genre
- Students at any level can join me on these courses. 'Toadstools - Fly Agaric' is strongly based around having fun with the medium and subject at any level
- Previous students with some prior knowledge of my materials and techniques is ideal, but is not critical
- Lovers of watercolour
- Lovers of nature and natural history painting
- Students who are interested to learn more about washes, layering, dry brushing and the use of masking fluid in their work
- Anyone interested in finding a beautiful interest with self paced learning
Course content
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Instructor
![Heidi Willis](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 64 64"%3E%3C/svg%3E){kind=avatar}
- 4.5 Instructor Rating
- 3,686 Reviews
- 15,472 Students
- 5 Courses
Heidi Willis ~ Renowned Natural History Artist, Botanical Illustrator and Watercolour Painting Tutor
Australian born, Heidi Willis is an entirely self-taught Natural History watercolour artist. Her work intricately illustrates our native and exotic plants, flowers, fruits and seed capsules, whilst her powerful & distinctive portraits of our spectacular bird life offers viewers an insight into the world as she experiences it. Painting full-time since 2003, Heidi quickly established herself as one of Australia’s emerging artistic talents. Her reputation as a leading natural history, wildlife and botanical artist is well established and her meticulous and intricate studies of botany and birds can be found in significant public and private collections around the world.
Heidi’s work has featured in prominent national and international exhibitions over her career. Highlights include The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize six times to date. The Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize is one of Australia’s most prestigious and richest art competitions held by the South Australian Natural History Museum. Several of her works have been showcased as a finalist at the Focus On Nature exhibitions, a leading international Natural History Art Prize held in the New York State Museum. Her work has also featured and won awards in both Botanica and The Margaret Flockton Award, hosted by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.
Her work is held in the permanent collection at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation PA, USA and her work has also been included in the highly regarded Shirley Sherwood Collection. Her work has also been featured in several publications, most significantly Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, Craft Arts Magazine, Colophon, SA Life, International Artist Magazine (front cover), twice in Artist's Palette Magazine (front cover), twice in Australian Artist Magazine (front cover) and Australian Geographic Magazine multiple times over, with her work featured on the front cover of Artist’s Palette issue 123. Most recently, Heidi was taken on by Australian Geographic as a freelance botanical illustrator where her work features in the Nature Watch section of the magazine.
With her work in such demand and her watercolour masterclasses booked out over a year in advance, she has turned her focus to online teaching in order to reach and help more people pursue and achieve their own watercolour goals.