Creative Watercolor Sketching for Beginners
A course by Laura McKendry , Artist and Illustrator
Paint exciting watercolor illustrations by exploring playful and unconventional techniques in your sketchbook
Use your sketchbook as a playground to create unique illustrations and awaken your creativity. Artist and illustrator Laura McKendry believes the best way to approach our creative process is with a playful attitude. She is known for her abstract and imaginative compositions which have seen her create illustrations for the likes of Laura Ashley and Papyrus.
In this course, Laura shares the step-by-step process she uses for creative watercolor sketching. Learn to enrich your sketchbook with unconventional color combinations and create experimental illustrations which express your playfulness.
This is Laura’s second course with Domestika. In her first, Illustrating Nature: A Creative Exploration, she shares her expertise on illustrating the natural world. This course is ideal for anyone who is interested in capturing their everyday surroundings in watercolor form.
What will you learn in this online course?
23 lessons & 20 downloads
- 99% positive reviews (2.4K)
- 101,518 students
- 23 lessons (5h 25m)
- 20 additional resources (9 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Fill a sketchbook with playful watercolor illustrations to use as inspiration for future artwork.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in illustrating with watercolors.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is necessary.
You will need watercolors, brushes, other drawing materials of your choice, and a sketchbook.
Reviews
Laura McKendry
A course by Laura McKendry
Laura McKendry is an illustrator and artist based in London, UK, who is renowned for incorporating unusual tools and materials into her watercolor and ink-based pieces. Her work can be found on greeting cards, wrapping paper, homeware, and fine art prints for clients like Artko, Impress, Jaccart, Laura Ashley, Papyrus, WHSmith, and Waterstones.
Her book cover illustration for André Alexis’ novel Fifteen Dogs was nominated for the V&A Illustration Awards in 2016. She also teaches short courses on drawing and illustration at Central Saint Martins and the University of Arts London, and runs online workshops that focus on finding ways to unlock creativity while perfecting creative techniques.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Warming up Your Brush, Hands and Eyes
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Introducing the Materials
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Dancing With Your Brushes
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Taking Your Paintbrush for a Walk
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Furry Blurry
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Flying with Monochrome 1
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Flying with Monochrome 2
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U3
Get to Grips With Colour
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Taking a Spin With Colour 1
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Taking a Spin With Colour 2
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Abstract Transparencies 1
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Abstract Transparencies 2
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When Colours Bleed
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U4
Creating Playful Illustrations
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Abstracted Aviary
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Diving Into Discord
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Playful Collage 1
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Playful Collage 2
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U5
Enriching Your Sketchbook
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Combining Techniques 1
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Combining Techniques 2
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Connecting Ideas
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The End Pages 1
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The End Pages 2
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The End Pages 3
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FP
Final project
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Creative Watercolor Sketching for Beginners
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
What are Domestika's online courses?
Domestika courses are online classes that allow you to learn new skills and create incredible projects. All our courses include the opportunity to share your work with other students and/or teachers, creating an active learning community. We offer different formats:
Original Courses: Complete classes that combine videos, texts, and educational materials to complete a specific project from start to finish.
Basics Courses: Specialized training where you master specific software tools step by step.
Specialization Courses: Learning paths with various expert teachers on the same topic, perfect for becoming a specialist by learning from different approaches.
Guided Courses: Practical experiences ideal for directly acquiring specific skills.
Intensive Courses (Deep Dives): New creative processes based on artificial intelligence tools in an accessible format for in-depth and dynamic understanding.
When do the courses start and when do they finish?
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
What do Domestika's courses include?
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
Have you been given a course?
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
Bellissimo corso ,mi ha fatto imparare diverse tecniche ,mi sono divertita e ho in mente diverse idee per creare un mio lavoro .Grazie
Professora maravilhosa, conteudo muito bom <3
Foarte bune explicatiile dnei!!!Felicitari ptr efort!!
I really like the way Laura explains the watercolor technique in detail — it's truly interesting and makes you want to pick up the brush right away.
This was my first Domestika course and I was really satisfied with the experience. The lessons were accessible and relaxing, like art therapy and I was able to play and learn a lot