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Welcome to the Watercolor/Acrylic Academy!  I am your hostess, Colette Pitcher.  You can watch videos on the player below.  Each week I post a new video.  If you sign up for emails by clicking the "Join Us" button on the home page you will receive notice that a new video has posted and what other classes are available for the following week live at Showcase.  The videos are available any time for a mere $10/month.  Scroll down through the index to find introduction, beginner, techniques, simple or complex lessons.  Something for every artist.  Do you want something else?  Share your requests or ideas by using the contact button.  Most of all have fun!  You are on your way to improving your skills, keeping your brain engaged and creating art!  New:  more class choices.  Beginning watercolor, Acrylic academy, and some free videos.  Hover over the video class menu item and see dropdown choices.

Scroll down for index

Water Media Academy

Sunlit Pumpkins

Art Farm
Sunlit Pumpkins
All Categories
2 Point Perspective
A Boy and a Frog
abstract
Abstract 2
Acrylic
Acrylic color wheel
Acrylic palette set up
Am I finished?
Animal
Animal - giraffe
Animals
Architecture
art
banana
Bicycle
Birds
Building
Buildings
butterfly
butterfly floral
Calligraphy
Cat
Celebrity Portrait
Christmas Star
Clouds
Cobwebs
Color
Color Theory
Design
Dog
Edibles
Eggs
Fall
flat wash
floral
Floral
Florsl
Flower Bench
Halloween
Horse
Iris
Koi
Landscape
learn to paint
lettering
Long horns
Masterson palette
Moon
Movement
Nature
Nocturn
Orange
orange skills
Orange skills
Owl
Pack for Plein Air
Pagan Goddess
Painting Process
Painting white
pens
People
Perspective
Plan your painting
plastic wrap
Plein air
Plein Air
Poppies
portait
Portrait
Project Landscape
Project Orange
project red
Project Red - Portrait
project yellow
Project Yellow
Red
Removing stretched paper
River
Rome
Sailboats
salt
Scratchboard
seascape
Silhouette
Sketchbook
Sky
Snowy Owl
spatter
sponge
Spring
Still life
Still Life
Stretching watercolor paper
Supplies for Plein air
Techniques
Thumbnails
Tracing paper
Transportation
Tree
Tricks and Techniques
Turkey
tutorial
Value Scale
Water
watercolor
Watercolor
Watercolor Poppies
Watercolor tricks
Waterfall
Wet media acetate
Wildlife
Winter
Yellow abstract
Sunlit Pumpkins

Sunlit Pumpkins

$
41:24
The ABCs of design

The ABCs of design

$
16:49
Grounded Paper - Venice

Grounded Paper - Venice

$
41:01
Copycat

Copycat

$
42:48
Choose from Index of video categories and topics below:

Type underlined video title (for example: Red 1. Pigment) in search video (turquoise arrow) above and hit enter key.
You can search categories and search subjects by clicking link in black area.
Numbered videos are a great starter for beginners or refresher for intermediates.
Beginning and technique videos are all the way down.

Reference material beside index below. New videos posted weekly. 
Have lots of FUN!


 

Scroll down page for Reference pictures. 

420 video
choices:

Click images to enlarge for reference.  Right click to save and print.  

drawing of pumpkins by colette Pitcher
photograph of pumpkins by colette pitcher

This week's video

Reference photo by Sherrie Polasek

Photograpy of alpine glow by Serry Polsek
Letters A B C in artist style.jpg

Recent:

Venice WC.jpg

New!  Here is a list of all the videos.

watercolor of pumpkins by colette pitcher

Animals/Wildlife

I love fur!  It should always be on the critter however.

Polar bear.jpg
fox.jpg
IMG_E9180[1].JPG
Buck moon.jpg
thumbnail.jpg

Fox

thumbnail.jpg
IMG_E2547[1].JPG
IMG_E2520[1].JPG
IMG_2484[1]_edited.jpg
IMG_E2356[1].JPG
IMG_E1951[1].JPG
IMG_E1314[1].JPG
copycat.jpg

Landscapes

Places we love to explore.


Wildflowers

IMG_E9301[1].JPG
watercolor of petroglyphs by Colette Pitcher

Petroglyphs

IMG_E7107[1].JPG

Scraped Rocks

photograph of cumulous clouds by Colette Pitcher
watercolor painting of clouds by Colette Pitcher
summer clouds.jpg
IMG_4901[1]_edited.jpg

Landscape Layers

Clouds

IMG_5864[1]_edited.jpg

Colorful Sky

Summer vacay.jpg

Crested Butte
Wildflowers

thumbnail.jpg

Nocturne

IMG_5798[1]_edited.jpg

Sunrise Service

values.jpg

Layers

Same topic - different media:

rocks.jpg
rocks acrylic gouache.jpg
rocks acrylic gouache.jpg
Rocks and water acrylic.jpg

Rocks & Water
Watercolor

Rocks & Water
Gouache

Rocks & Water
Acrylic Gouache

Rocks & Water
Acrylic

IMG_E7543[1].JPG
IMG_7328_edited.jpg
IMG_2061%5B1%5D_edited.jpg
1 point.jpg
vertical.jpg

One Point
Perspective

Value & Color

IMG_E8764[1].JPG
IMG_E6879[1].JPG
thumbnail.jpg

Valuing Shape

IMG_E0859[1].JPG

Finch New Year

IMG_9433[1]_edited.jpg

Tree, Rocks, & Sun Rays

tree.jpg

Fall Appreciation

IMG_3741[1]_edited.jpg

Atmospheric Layers

Mountain Wildflowers

Setting the Stage

Waterway

IMG_E1646[1].JPG
Blossom Sky.jpg

Arches

Blossom Sky

Peace Like a River

IMG_E1654[1].JPG

Glacier

IMG_E9376[1].JPG
thumbnail.jpg
IMG_9374[1].JPG

Summer Tree

Coniferous Tree

IMG_E1614[1].JPG

Palm Tree

IMG_E7142[1].JPG

Fall Forest

Transportation
mighty ship  11 3 18 pic_edited.jpg

Getting from point A to point B can involve many types.

cheyenne drawing.jpg
Cheyenne pic.jpg
Cheyenne wc.jpg
IMG_E2716[1].JPG
Ford drawing.jpg
Ford GT watercolor by Colette Pitcher
Photograph of a wagon by Pace Clynke
Watercolor of a wagon by Colette Pitcher
Photo by Pace Clynke
 
1955 Chevy Pick up
IMG_2791[1]_edited.png
Watercolor, pen and ink of a gas pump by Colette Pitcher
Old truck photograph by Teresa Mueller
Drawing of old truck by Colette Pitcher
Watercolor of old truck by Colette Pitcher
Watercolor of boats by Colette Pitcher
IMG_4415[1]_edited.jpg
IMG_4658[1].JPG
IMG_E4747[1].JPG
Rusty fender watercolor by Colette Pitcher
drawings of boats by Colette Pitcher
Photo of Rocky Point by Tracy Stroh
Watercolor of Boats at Rocky Point by Colette Pitcher

Photo by Tracy Stroh

Starter Techniques:

Beginners start here.  The Red section explains materials and supplies.  The orange section shows essential skills to help make watercolor do what you wish.  The Yellow section shows tricks and fun secrets.  Each section has a project.  The purple sections is more essential information to build your skill level. Review these areas when the paint is challenging.  More projects are in the blue section.  

Red

Materials and supplies:

 

1 - Pigment

2 - Tracing and Transfers

3 - Brushes

4 - Water Control

5

6 Magic Time

7 - Dry, Drier, Driest

8 - Keep It Clean

​

Project Red - Portrait 1-4

Orange

Skills to master:

​

1 - Flat Wash

2 - Soft Edge, Graded Wash

3 - Rough Texture

4 - Dry Brush

5 - and Lifting

6 - Wet Into Wet

7 - Shape Into Form

8 - Glazes and

9 - Shadows

10-Drawing and 

11-Tranfers

12-Washing Off Paper

​

Project Orange-Still Life 1-6

Yellow

Tricks to enhance:

​

1 - Salt

2 - Plastic Wrap

3 - Sponge, Spatter, and

4 - Toothbrush

5 - Cobwebs

6 - Crayons, Candle and

7 - Scrape

8 - Blow and

9 - Bubble Wrap

Project Yellow 1, 2, 3

Calligraphy

Fairy/Angel

Chancery Italic Hand

Bee Quote

Inking

Ames Lettering Guide

Things with Wings

Ruling Pen

Watercolor Journal

Flutterby

Starter Projects:

​

Butterfly 1-8

Seascape 1-4

Giraffe 1-5

Landscape 1-4

Abstract 1-2

Favorite Mug

Winslow Homer on Teabag

Economy of Line

Juicy Clouds

Glass Bottles

Soap Bubble Hydrangeas

Drawing:

​

Red Tailed Hawk

GAA Bunny Demo

Economy of Line

More painting concepts:

​

Pack for Plein Air

2 Point Perspective

Wet Media Acetate

Design with Tracing paper

Thumbnail Drawing

Removing Stretched Paper

Layering Color

Color Theory

Mixing and Applying Color

Color Contrast

Planning a Painting

Stretching Watercolor Paper

Watercolor Mediums

Bad Hair Day (fix brush)

Value Scale 1-2

Half Sheet Transfer

Watercolor Block

​

project%2520orange%2520tracing_edited_edited.jpg
project%20orange%20painting_edited.jpg
project%20still%20life%20drawing_edited.jpg
project%20still%20life%20painting_edited.jpg
seascape%20drawing_edited.jpg
seascape%2520painting_edited_edited.jpg
wild%2520life%2520drawing%25201_edited_edited.jpg
wild life painting.jpeg
project%20landscape%20painting_edited.jpg
project%20wildlife%20drawing_edited.jpg
project%20wildlife%20painting_edited.jpg
IMG_E0348[1].JPG
IMG_3884[1]_edited.jpg
watercolor colors.jpg
IMG_E3911[1].JPG
thumbnail.jpg
bubbles on white.jpg
bubbles on black.jpg
Letters A B C in artist style.jpg
IMG_E5743[1].JPG
Green - Acrylic:

All videos could be used with acrylic as techniques are similar.  These videos are painted in acrylic but could also translate to watercolor:

 

Setting up a stay-wet palette

Sunset Sail miniature

Plein air balcony landscape

Hummingbird - movement

Color Wheel and Charts

Acrylic Poppies

Koi - Acrylic

Color Theory (3 videos: color wheels

   modern and inorganic, mixing black

   from compliments, tint tone &

   analogous chart)

Autumn Landscape

# 3 Ditch

Zion

"Sunset Sail"
Category: Acrylic miniature
IMG_E0301[1].JPG
IMG_E0342[1].JPG
IMG_E0340[1].JPG
Hummingbird acrylic by Colette Pitcher
IMG_E0341[1].JPG
acrylic color wheel
acrylic green chart
acrylic purple chart
Photograph of #3 ditch by Colette Pitcher
Acrylic painting by Colette Pitcher
IMG_E0423[1].JPG
Poppies acrylic by Colette Pitcher

Poppies

koi.jpg
Koi 8x11.jpg
Acrylic painting of Zion by Colette Pitcher
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