Freehand Sketching with Acrylic and Watercolor
A course by Mokshini , Illustrator

Learn to draw from observation and fill your scenes with color, light, and texture using different painting techniques
Observational drawing allows you to capture the joy of a moment and translate it into artwork that sparks joy. For illustrator and painter Mokshini, it’s a key part of her creative process. She has worked with clients including The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Estée Lauder, and she shares her work with over 15K followers on Instagram.
In this online course, Mokshini teaches you how to use free-hand sketching to tell stories through color, light, and textures. Turn a bustling scene into an expressive work of art, combining drawing, acrylic, and watercolors to create an expressive painting inspired by the world around you.
What will you learn in this online course?
18 lessons & 29 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (49)
- 1,607 students
- 18 lessons (3h 34m)
- 29 additional resources (10 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Create a narrative painting based on a real-life scene by sketching and using watercolors or acrylic paint.

Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone interested in illustrating the world around them using different painting techniques.
Requirements and materials
Previous drawing experience would be helpful, but is not essential.
In terms of equipment, you will need watercolor and acrylic paint, paintbrushes, and a few other materials specified by the teacher in the course. Previous drawing experience would be helpful, but is not essential.
In terms of equipment, you will need watercolor and acrylic paint, paintbrushes, and a few other materials specified by the teacher in the course.

Reviews

Mokshini
A course by Mokshini
Mokshini is an illustrator and painter from Sri Lanka, who currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. She’s loved art ever since she could pick up a pencil, and participated in many drawing classes growing up, encouraged by her artistic parents. She went on to study fashion design in New Zealand, where the drawings for her final project attracted a lot of attention and convinced her to take her art more seriously. Mokshini later went on to work as an illustration teacher at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and in textile design for Calvin Klein, as well as drawing in-house at Ralph Lauren.
Four years later, she made the move to pursue a freelance career and has since collaborated with clients including The New Yorker, The New York Times, Estée Lauder, Harper’s Bazaar, The BBC, and Vans. She also shares her work with over 15K followers on Instagram.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Preparing for Your Sketch
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Tools and Materials
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Using a Sketchbook
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Observation Drawing: Lines vs. Shapes 1
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Observation Drawing: Lines vs. Shapes 2
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Finding Your Voice
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U3
The Use of Thumbnails
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What Are Thumbnails?
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Adding Dynamic Elements 1
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Adding Dynamic Elements 2
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The Final Sketch
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U4
The Painting
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Applying Your Materials
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Painting: Methods and Techniques 1
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Painting: Methods and Techniques 2
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Color, Light, Texture, and Detail 1
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Color, Light, Texture, and Detail 2
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U5
Editing and Sharing Your Work
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Enhancing Your Image
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Sharing Your Work
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FP
Final project
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Freehand Sketching with Acrylic and Watercolor
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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.



Very colorful and useful course. Thank you
Amazing course. Very good content, very well explained. I learned a lot!!
Love her voice... it's very soothing and assuring. She provided very helpful additional resources, and provided great inspiration for me to try new things and keep a sketch book. First time I've heard of and made thumbnails. Her tips were great - I used up a whole page practicing how to draw just hands. Then dogs! Now, to find the courage to go to a busy place and sketch a live scene!
mkt bra, nöjd, informativ
Fun and motivational course with good tips. I have started to draft most my sketches and love the idea that I can change them along the way.
Mokshini has a calm style that makes the lessons very enjoyable.