Dreamy Watercolor Landscapes: Paint with Light
The Preparation and the First Layer
A course by Katarzyna Kmiecik , Watercolor artist and cloudscape specialist
Joined January 2022
Joined January 2022
About the video: The Preparation and the First Layer
Overview
“Now that the preliminary sketch is ready, I'll prepare the paper for the first layer of watercolor by applying the Lifting Preparation medium all over the sheet of paper (you can skip this step if you don't have it) and masking fluid in certain parts that will later help me create the clearances in the leaves. When both of those watercolor mediums will be completely dry, I'll show you how you can wet your paper to encourage the flow of pigment in the desired direction. Then, I'll put the first layer of watercolor using the wet-on-wet technique.”
In this video lesson Katarzyna Kmiecik addresses the topic: The Preparation and the First Layer, which is part of the Domestika online course: Dreamy Watercolor Landscapes: Paint with Light. Explore creative watercolor techniques to paint warm, dynamic landscapes filled with light, texture, and layers.
Partial transcription of the video
“In this lesson, I'm going to show you how to start working on your final project, but first we have to prepare our paper. Firstly we're going to apply the masking fluid onto our painting. As you can recall, there are a couple of ways to keep the parts of your painting white, but if you are quite stressed to start painting the wild first layer of the watercolor, you can consider applying the masking fluid. in the beginning and that's what we are going to do right now. Then once the masking fluid will be dry, we will go on with applying the lifting preparation medium. Just in case we need to ...”
This transcript is automatically generated, so it may contain mistakes.
Course summary for: Dreamy Watercolor Landscapes: Paint with Light
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Category
Illustration -
Areas
Painting, Watercolor Painting
Katarzyna Kmiecik
A course by Katarzyna Kmiecik
Katarzyna Kmiecik is a Polish watercolor artist, illustrator, and educator with over 17 years of experience in perspective drawing and 12 years in watercolor instruction. Her teaching combines technical precision with artistic intuition, built through years of classroom practice and collaboration with brands such as Winsor & Newton, Etchr, and DK Publishing. Her work, recognized by awards including the Rising Star at IWM2022 and second place at the Fineness Watercolor Festival, reflects a strong command of light, color, and atmospheric depth.
She focuses on painting cloudscapes and luminous landscapes, using layered washes and intuitive brushwork to evoke mood and movement. Skies, sunsets, and fleeting light inspire her visual storytelling, often developed without preliminary sketches to preserve spontaneity. Classical music and observation of nature fuel her creativity, supporting a process rooted in emotional resonance and visual balance. Her workshops, online content, and growing library of resources offer structured yet inspiring guidance to those eager to develop their watercolor practice.
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