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VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Hi, I am Renee. Welcome to my studio and welcome to my Jump Right In Pathway.

In this journey, I'm going to be sharing my love and excitement of getting started in watercolors. Here I've put together my favorite fundamentals and easy projects, and at the end, we put it all together in a full painting that I just know you're gonna be proud of.

Below this video, in the description, you'll find links to all the lessons that are in this journey, along with info on materials and other bits and pieces that you'll need. And every lesson has reference photos, drawings to trace, and some of them even have worksheets that you can download.

It's easy and fun, it's just how watercolor should be, and I can't wait to share this journey with you. So come on, let's get started.

Jump right in

Let's get paint moving!

Feeling rusty? Afraid to make a mess? Let's jump in with some of my favourite fundamentals and easy projects.

There are 6 easy-to-follow lessons here. You'll finish with new skills, a handful of paintings, and the confidence to keep going.

Join my $12 Painters Group on Patreon to get started!

Join me on Patreon

IN THIS PATHWAY...

1. Setting up and warming up

  • this is a gentle way to get started — especially if you're feeling a bit rusty
  • I'll show you how to set up your workspace and a few small things that really help with flow
  • we'll paint a bright rock cairn, with each stone introducing a key watercolour skill
  • come back to this one whenever you need a reset or don't quite know where to begin

2. Let's paint: a whale tail

  • an easy and emotive painting of a humpback whale tail — nothing complicated here
  • you can choose your favourite blues and greys and enjoy the process
  • we’ll practise soft colour transitions in the tail and in the sea
  • perfect if you’re starting out or picking your brushes up again after a break

3. Colour mixing with primary colours

  • I'll show you how much fun colour mixing is
  • we’ll paint the same little scene four times, each using just a red, a yellow and a blue
  • you’ll see how many colours (and lovely neutrals) you can mix from a limited palette
  • by the end you’ll have four postcard paintings and colour swatches to keep using

4. Let's paint: a big snowy mountain

  • in this lesson we head to New Zealand and paint Aoraki / Mt Cook up close
  • I’ll explain how I use a simple tonal value scale and directional brush strokes
  • we’ll paint the whole scene using just three colours
  • it’s a great confidence-builder for creating form and depth without overworking things

5. Painting shadows

  • shadows often trip people up, so I show you how to fix them
  • we’ll look at why shadows matter so much and how they create form
  • I’ll walk you through improving a simple painting by reworking the shadows
  • there’s also a downloadable worksheet with notes you can keep

6. Put it all together: a barn in the snow

  • you're ready for this!
  • we’ll let go of detail and focus on the painting process instead
  • watercolour really shines in a scene like this — loose, light and unfussy

 

These lessons aren’t about perfection or getting things “right”. They’re about building habits, confidence and a bit of momentum — so you feel comfortable getting your brushes out again.

MATERIALS YOU'LL NEED

Here’s a quick summary of the materials to help you get ready. Under each lesson you’ll find the exact materials you need, plus the reference photos and drawings to trace.

Suggested papers

100% cotton, cold pressed, 300gsm
Fabriano Artistico watercolour blocks or full sheets torn down to size OR
Etchr watercolour blocks OR
Etchr Sketchbooks

Paints

Here's a list of what's on my palette. No need to go on a shopping spree! Just use whatever's on your palette that is similar. And any brand is fine too.

Paynes grey, indigo, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, permanent violet, cobalt turquoise, sap green, green gold, hansa yellow medium, hansa yellow deep, pyrol orange, quinacridone rose, natural sienna, quinacridone sienna, burnt umber, sepia

Plus white gouache

Brushes

1 inch flat, Escoda Versatil 16, Escoda Perla 12, Escoda Prado 4, Escoda Prado Rigger 4

Pens

Lamy Safari EF nib, Rohrer & Klingner sketch ink 'Lily'
White gel pen

Other

Pencil, eraser, ruler, masking fluid, table salt, old toothbrush, old credit card

Join me on Patreon

Join my Painters Group for $12 on Patreon for access to this pathway and all other journeys plus my library of 100+ deep-dive videos and step-by-steps.

Join here