Your resource for watercolor painting instruction  from Fountain Studio
The Watercolor Learning Center
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All the lessons listed here are in PDF format. Simply click the lesson you want and download it.

Some of the lessons have accompanying slides - click on the slides to download them. Slides are intended as inspiration for the most part, and illustrate how various artists use the concepts in their work. You may want to do further research on these artists.
Please note: These materials are copyrighted by Ellen A. Fountain. They are NOT to be offered for sale.


Introduction to Watercolor Painting
Paint, paper, water and a brush - that's all you need to start painting with watercolor.
Here are brief introductions to these basics.

     Introduction to Watercolor - BRUSHWORK
     Introduction to Watercolor - WASHES
     Introduction to Watercolor - PIGMENT CHARACTERISTICS/PROPERTIES
     Introduction to Watercolor - Textural Effects and Whites


Texture Effects in Watercolor - Good Afternoon by Ellen A. Fountain
Good Afternoon, Texture Effects Demo by Ellen A. Fountain

Color Mixing and Theory for Watercolor Painters
Some of these have exercises to do, some are informational only. The 3-color palette worksheets are just that - a testing sheet for various primary color combinations. You can have this copied on lightweight (80-90 lb) watercolor paper.
How to Choose Watercolor Paints
Color Mixing - Paint Properties/Characteristics
Avoiding Muddy Color
Color Mixing - Direct vs. Layering
Color Mixing - Color Schemes/Contrasts
Color Mixing - Color Values

Color Wheel - The Split Primary
Color Mixing - Intensity Manipulation with Complements
Mixing Rich Darks
Color and Style
Blank 3-color Palette worksheet 1
Blank 3-color Palette worksheet 2

3-color palette for watercolor painting

Color and Value - Exploring Hue, Value, Temperature and Intensity - 6 Weeks
Syllabus
Week 1 - High Key Values
Week 2 - Low Key Values
Week 3 - Full Value Range
Week 4 - Color Temperature
Week 5 - Color Intensity
Week 6 - Hue: Local vs. Arbitrary
Extra: Avoiding Dirty Lights


watercolor landscape painting detail by Ellen A. Fountain
Detail from a plein air watercolor painting by Ellen A. Fountain
Intro to Watercolor Landscape Painting -
5 weeks
Week 1 - Color          Slides for Week 1
Week 2 - Washes, Edges, Glazing
        Slides for Week 2
Week 3 - Brushwork            Slides for Week 3
Week 4 - Composition           Slides for Week 4
Week 5 - Pulling it All Together    Slides for Week 5
Resource Photos for Watercolor Landscape Painting Intro

Mixed Water Media Painting - 4 weeks
Watercolor Mixed Media Painting  4-week Syllabus
Week 1 - Watercolor with Opaque Acrylic or Gouache
Week 2 - Watercolor with Ink
Week 3 - Watercolor with Gesso *
Week 4 - Watercolor with Collage Elements

* If you want a more in-depth tutorial on this subject, consider ordering my workbook on this subject.

Download these for additional ideas and processes:
     How to Make Acrylic Sheets for Mixed Media works
     Acrylic Transfer Directions

Watercolor on Gessoed Paper
Learn more about and explore an alternative painting surface - gesso - with this lesson. Beautiful textural effects are possible, and you can wipe back to the white gessoed surface many times before it stains permanently.

Watercolor on Gessoed Paper
Artists Working on Gessoed Paper
Paint Pigments for Gessoed Paper

Download the slides
watercolor on gessoed paper detail by Ellen A. Fountain
Watercolor on hand-textured gessoed paper. Detail from a painting by Ellen A. Fountain

Silverbell Lake - watercolor painting by Ellen A. Fountain
Silverbell Lake. Watercolor by Ellen A. Fountain - sold - private collection
Painting Water in Watercolor
     Painting Moving Water
     Painting Still Water

Images for Handouts
     Illustrations
     Moving Water Images

     Still Water Images

Still Life in Watercolor - 4 Weeks

Week 1 - Emphasizing Positive and Negative Shapes
Week 2 - Washes and Edges - Negative Painting
Week 3 -
Chiaroscuro - Dramatic Contrast of Light/Dark
Week 5 - Textures, Mixed Mediums, Collage


watercolor still life - Ellen A. Fountain
Cyclamen and Pears, watercolor by Ellen A. Fountain sold - private collection

Still Life - Literary Inspiration - 6 Weeks
This class uses figures of speech and other literary devices as inspiration for content, and couples that each week with specific watercolor painting techniques commonly used in still life paintings. The slides for the above class (Considerations for Still Life) are also appropriate for this class.
Syllabus
Week 1 - Content: Metaphor - Technique/Underpainting Shadow Areas in Fabric
Week 2 - Content: Irony - Technique/Masking for a Batik Look
Week 3 - Content: Parody - Technique: Stencils or Stamps for Pattern Making in Fabric
Week 4 - Content: Synecdoche - Technique: Painting Reflective Surfaces
Week 5 - Content: Personal Symbolism - Technique: Glazing for Richer Color
Week 6 - Content: Narrative - Technique: Any Used this Class


Slides: Considerations for Still Life Painting

Themed Watercolor Painting

Click here to download exercises to help you explore a variety of themes.
If you want the accompanying slides for each theme, click on one or more of the choices to the right.

watercolor still life with crayon resist by Ellen A. FountainChildsplay - 30 x 40 inches. Watercolor by Ellen A. Fountain
Slides for Food Theme
Slides for Windows/Doors
Slides for Basic Elements
Slides for Night
Slides for Play
Slides for Enclosures
Slides for Time
Slides for Appropriations
Slides for Love
Slides for Flight
Slides for Legs/Feet




watercolor still life by Ellen A. FountainBeginning to See What He Saw, Watercolor by Ellen A. Fountain - sold - private collection


Painting Reflective Surfaces:
Metal, Glass and Mirrors


Practice looking carefully and translating reflective surfaces into paint on paper.
     Week 1 - Metals
     Week 2 - Glass
     Week 3 - Mirrors
     Slides of Artists Works
     Reference Photos to Use for Exercises

Renewing/Re-Inventing Your Watercolor Work
Exercises to help you jump start yourself out of a slump, or push yourself in a new direction

Examples of series paintings in watercolor by Ellen A. Fountain
Painting a Series
How to expand your composition, thinking and painting skills by re-painting themes or subjects in new ways.
- Generating Ideas for Series
- Working with Subject Matter
- Notes on Themes and Series by Various Artists
- Slides for Painting a Series
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