Linda Baker Combo Set

Layers of Design in Watercolor

Learn how to create complicated watercolor paintings in a straightforward way with Linda Baker in her first art art instruction video.

Linda starts with a road map that allows her to play with her favorite watercolor techniques to create texture and depth in her piece. Baker begins with sketches and thumbnails where she makes her value pattern decisions. She transfers her drawing onto the page and begins her masking process. Masking is a large part of Baker's process and it allows her to create clean crisp edges without the painstaking effort of carefully painting in each watercolor line. Baker's art lessons are really about texture.

You'll use different watercolor texture techniques in each of four distinct layers in your still life, and the watercolor painting techniques you learn will add excitement to portraits, landscapes, florals, and more.

Baker doesn't dwell on mistakes - you'll learn to make the best of what you get. You'll integrate layers by softening masked edges and blend colors with tilting and a spray bottle. Baker will teach you how to paint with a plan so that once the thinking is done, you can play with color, texture, and paint.

BONUS CLIP: Critiquing and Finishing a Watercolor Painting: Keyless Entry

In this demonstration watercolorist Linda Baker critiques a nearly complete painting and modifies it to strengthen the design. She softens graphic edges with clean water and scrubs pigment from distracting corners to keep the viewer's eye from leaving the composition. The painting she modifies, Keyless Entry, went on to win an award at the 2010 San Diego Watercolor Society International Exhibition.

Fearless Watercolor: Layering and Color

Master foundation skills and fun, easy techniques in Linda Baker's beginner-friendly art video workshop

You'll layer fresh, glowing watercolors as you create a one-of-a-kind nature scene.

Baker uses masking, an easy technique that lets you stop worrying about mistakes. Once your masking fluid is in place, you can play with bright pigments and flowing paint with no fear of damaging your composition. The forgiving subject matter in this demonstration is perfect for painters new to watercolor or artists who are still developing their drawing skills. Linda Baker introduces you to her favorite tools and materials and offers practical design advice as she paints with broad, loose brush strokes. You add life to your tree line with simple texturing methods involving scratching, salt, and spattering. Baker works on three paintings in different states of completion to show you what's possible with her versatile process. With her masking methods and experimental approach to color, no two paintings will ever turn out the same.

Linda Baker takes us thru her process using 3 different paintings at various stages of finish:

1) In the first she shows us drawing, masking the trees, and how to use wet washes, texture, mingling color and more in the background.

2) In the second we see a similar method was applied to another painting using different colors. Here she shows us how to remove the mask, and how to paint and texture the trees.

3) In the third she shows us another painting in more of a finished stage, with different, earthier colors. Here she shows some negative painting techniques to transition edges and add depth and harmony in the background.

Extra Clip: Finishing with Darks