Watercolour for Beginners

I'm going to tell you something, and it's going to sound crazy: You don't need talent to paint.

That's right, I said it. You don't need any sort of special, innate talent to be able to paint.
It's not something that you're born with - it's something that can be learned!

AND WHEN YOU LEARN TO PAINT IN WATERCOLOUR, IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

YEP - CHANGE MY LIFE NOW

CAN YOU SAY YES TO ANY OF THESE?

I JUMP FROM ONE YOUTUBE VIDEO TO THE NEXT WITHOUT ANY STRUCTURE
I HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE, BUT HAVE A NAGGING FEELING THERE ARE GAPS IN MY KNOWLEDGE
I PROCRASTINATE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START
I HAVE BEEN TO SOME LESSONS, BUT REALISE THAT JUST COPYING ISN'T ENOUGH
I FEEL CONFUSED ABOUT ALL THE CONFLICTING INFORMATION OUT THERE
I WANT TO PAINT AND FIND MY OWN STYLE, RATHER THAN JUST MIMIC OTHERS
I'M SCARED THAT I HAVEN'T GOT TALENT
I WANT MORE THAN JUST TIPS AND HACKNEYED FORMULAS

IF YOU DID SAY YES, THEN GUESS WHAT?

We have all been there (including me) and that is why I made this course - it's made for you.

Based on over 35 years of teaching experience.
Using my love and passion for teaching and watercolour to help you get the best start to your watercolour journey.

DON'T BE FOOLED - LEARNING TO PAINT IS MORE THAN JUST PUTTING COLOURS ON PAPER

In this course I show you not only how to put paint on paper, but more importantly, how to see and how to think, so that you can better express yourself, respond to the world through watercolour and tell YOUR story.

This is what Sluga Watercolour Academy is all about.

This course will give you the foundations to build upon and skyrocket your watercolour skills.

ENROL NOW

WATERCOLOUR FOR BEGINNERS - your roadmap to watercolour confidence

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR

For those who have never picked up a brush - the raw beginners
For those who have some experience, but feel like they are missing some crucial knowledge
For those who know that learning to paint isn't just about copying demos
For those who want to learn the principles to be able to develop further
For those who want to learn the language of watercolour to express themselves
For those who have the watercolour equipment but don't know where to next
For those willing to do the exercises and practice to make progress

WHO THE COURSE IS NOT FOR

Those who want a formulaic approach to painting
Those who think you can master watercolour in 2 weeks
Those who just want to copy someone
Those who are only interested in a pretty picture
Those who don't want to do any practice
Those who think that talent is all you need

SOUNDS LIKE THIS COURSE IS FOR ME - SIGN ME UP

LEARN THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF PAINTING FOR SUCCESS

VALUE

Save yourself from flat paintings

I will teach you how to see values and how to paint them with watercolour.

Learn how values (darks and lights) are crucial to giving your painting a sense of form.

Find out what the traps are and how to deal with a world full of values.

COLOUR

Don't just guess with colour, feel like a colour super hero

Colour creates a sense of mood and excitement in your paintings. But to use colour, you must first understand it.

Learn to set out your palette in a logical order, mix secondary colours and understand the dimensions of colour.

EDGE

Don't be afraid of the edge - fly!

Find out what the different types of edges are and how to paint them in watercolour.

I show you why they are so important and what they do for a painting.

Don't miss this often overlooked element of painting, as this will take your paintings to a new level.

"Having some experience as a beginner watercolour painter, I realised over the years that I needed more watercolour theory to improve my paintings.

Thanks to Charles' wonderful teaching style, now while I paint, I can relax, not hold my breath and not worry about putting my first brush stroke on the paper!!"

Katrina Morrison

“ I decided to sign up for the course as I had seemed to lose my way, having previously been painting on and off for a number of years, struggling with some of the basics.
All thanks to Charles' tutoring, I have now refocussed on painting for pleasure and better know what it is I am painting by visualising before putting brush to paper, and not to get bogged down in trying to precisely imitate a scene.
The course has given me much more confidence in my approach, removing bad habits, reintroducing passion and confidence.

People who sign up for a course with Charles will not be disappointed."

Bruce Murfin

PLEASE TEACH ME - ENROL

LEARN THE THREE MAIN METHODS OF PAINTING

See the three main methods of painting applied to the same subject and find out the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Knowing these will add to your watercolour voice

DIRECT

GLAZING

WET INTO WET

WANT A SNEAK PEEK AT A LESSON?

check out this lesson and see if we click :)

"I signed up with trepidation because in my opinion I felt that I had no aptitude for painting, least of all watercolours.
Charles is so passionate about what he does and how he teaches.
I feel so much more confident to put paint to paper.
I'm very pleased and actually amazed with what I learnt in such a short time and will now be continuing my practice.
I highly recommend doing his beginners class, you will not regret it."

Deidre Ellis

WANT TO FEEL LIKE DEIDRE? - ENROL HERE

WHAT IS IN THE COURSE

You will get a structured, logical and detailed course, that I have designed specifically for beginners, those with little experience, or those who need a refresher.

12 Modules - 43 lessons (videos, exercises, quizzes and demos)

Lessons are released at intervals over a period of 37 days. This allows you to have time to absorb and solidify information and practice skills before moving on to subsequent lessons.

SUMMARY

MODULE 1 - WELCOME

LESSON 1: WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Preview

LESSON 2: MEET THE TUTOR

LESSON 3: HOW TO GET AROUND THE COURSE

MODULE 2 - WATERCOLOUR AND YOU

LESSON 1: WHY WATERCOLOUR?

LESSON 2: START WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

MODULE 3 - GETTING READY

LESSON 1: THE GEAR YOU NEED

LESSON 2: HOW TO SET UP

MODULE 4 - PAINT ON PAPER

LESSON 1: FIRST BRUSH MARKS

LESSON 2: EXERCISE - GETTING TO KNOW YOUR BRUSH

LESSON 3: WASH METHODS

LESSON 4: EXERCISE - PAINTING WASHES

LESSON 5: A BETTER WAY

LESSON 6: EXERCISE - ANOTHER WASH METHOD

MODULE 5 - LEARNING TO SEE

LESSON 1: THE VALUE OF THINGS

Preview

LESSON 2: MEET THE VENETIAN

LESSON 3: YOUR VENETIAN

LESSON 4: QUIZ - THE VALUES OF A CUBE

LESSON 5: MATCHING VALUES

LESSON 6: COLOURS AND VALUE

LESSON 7: QUIZ - THE SUBTLE DIFFERENCES IN VALUE

LESSON 8: SIMPLIFYING VALUES

MODULE 6 - PAINTING VALUES

LESSON 1: A FOUR VALUE PAINTING

LESSON 2: EXERCISE - PAINT THE CUP

LESSON 3: ABSTRACTING VALUE SHAPES

LESSON 4: VALUE PAINTING PROCESS

LESSON 5: EXERCISE - A SCENE IN BLUE

LESSON 6: EXERCISE - PAINT VENICE

LESSON 7: EXERCISE - THIS TIME YOUR OWN

MODULE 7 - UNDERSTANDING COLOUR

LESSON 1: COLOUR INTRO

LESSON 2: DIMENSIONS OF COLOUR

LESSON 3: DIMENSIONS IN PHOTOSHOP

MODULE 8 - MIXING COLOUR

LESSON 1: USING YOUR COLOUR WHEEL

LESSON 2: ANOTHER WAY TO MIX SECONDARY COLOURS

LESSON 3: QUIZ - MIXING SECONDARIES

LESSON 4: THE THREE WAYS TO MIX COLOUR

MODULE 9 - COME TO THE EDGE

LESSON 1: ALL ABOUT EDGES

LESSON 2: QUIZ - WHAT EDGE IS THAT?

LESSON 3: QUIZ HELP - WHAT EDGE IS THAT?

LESSON 4: QUIZ - THE USE OF EDGES

MODULE 10 - PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

LESSON 1: PAINTING METHOD 1 - DIRECT

LESSON 2: PAINTING METHOD 2 - GLAZING

LESSON 3: PAINTING METHOD 3 - WET INTO WET

LESSON 4: EXERCISE - PAINT THE BOAT

LESSON 5: EXERCISE - MORE PRACTICE

LESSON 6: EXERCISE - YOUR SUBJECT

MODULE 11 - WHERE TO NOW?

LESSON 1: CONCLUSION

MODULE 12: BONUS - DEMOS TO COVER A FEW PARTICULARS

LESSON 1: DEMO - PAINTING PEOPLE

LESSON 2: HOW TO PAINT CARS - PART 1

LESSON 3: HOW TO PAINT CARS - PART 2

LESSON 4: HOW TO PAINT CARS - PART 3

LESSON 5: HOW TO PAINT CARS - PART 4

LESSON 6: DEMO - CONNECTING SHAPES

VIDEOS

You will get the best view in the house.
It's just you and me :)

30 videos
filmed in high definition with 3 cameras
over 2 hours of video
more lessons added in the future
lifetime access

QUIZZES

Don't worry it isn't a test.
There is no failing.
It's just a few quizzes I have added to re-emphasise and solidify certain concepts.
5 quizzes in the course.

EXERCISES

Of course you want to practice ... don't you?
Yes, I knew you would.
So apart from following along with the videos, there are 9 exercises for you to do to really help you get the methods and ideas embedded into your creative mind.

DEMOS

Want to see some more? I hope so.
And yes, there is more to come.
Occassionally I will add another lesson or demo if I feel that it will help with your progress. These may cover a very specific topic/subject.

AND YOU CAN WATCH THE COURSE ON ANY DEVICE

Phone, tablet, laptop or desktop - as long as you have internet access

PAYMENT: WATERCOLOUR FOR BEGINNERS - your roadmap to watercolour confidence

SECURE PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD OR PAYPAL.
DETAILS AT CHECKOUT

ONE OFF PAYMENT

$217 AUD

30 videos

5 quizzes

9 exercises
Image files

Lifetime access
Access to future additions to the course

30 day money back guarantee

BUY NOW

4 MONTHLY PAYMENTS

4 x $57 AUD

30 lessons

5 quizzes

9 exercises
Image files

Lifetime access
Access to future additions to the course

30 day money back guarantee

BUY NOW

NO RISK

I would hate for you to be unhappy with the course. If you feel it hasn't been of value, you can get your money back within 30 days.

Wow, you have scrolled all the way down to here and I haven't really inroduced myself!

Hi, I'm Charles Sluga

For over 30 years I have been working as a professional artist and teaching watercolours - and loving it!

I also love movies and photography. I have an amazing wife and two incredible daughters, an Airdale Terrier-Lunatic and 3 Indian Runner ducks.
I live in Australia, love the smell and feel of the sea and I always cry when I read Steinbeck.
So that's me in a nutshell.

I remember struggling when I first started painting in watercolour - getting conflicting information, wasting so much time trying to find a path to manage this watercolour stuff and getting sucked into all the myths about watercolour -

it's the most difficult medium
you should never use white ... or black
you can't have more than three washes
you shouldn't mix opaque colours together
always start with the lights
you can't make corrections
etc, etc, etc

... and that is why I have created the Sluga Watercolour School.
To help people like yourself, not go through the frustration I did. The beauty is I can reach you wherever you are in the world.
I wish I could have had the opportunity to study online when I started watercolours, but that was pre internet days - yes I'm that old :)
Welcome to Watercolour for Beginners.

"Charles is an outstanding teacher, as well as being a fine artist and a generous person.
Charles not only instructs and guides his students extremely well, but also adds the rare quality of stretching and challenging in such a positive way that he helps us grow our skills, techniques and creativity."

Warwick James

Ready to paint?

YES I AM - ENROL NOW

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What mediums can I use?

This is a course for beginners in watercolour, so watercolour is the optimum choice.
However, many of the principles covered in the course (learning to see, values, colour mixing) are applicable to any medium.
To get the most out of the course though, I highly recommend watercolour (it's the best medium anyway :))

I don't have any equipment yet - should I enrol?

Absolutely! I have a link in this course to a free course on watercolour materials.
You can zip over there during this course, and then go shopping!

What if I am unhappy with the course?

If you were to be unhappy with the course, that would be rather sad.
So if it really is not teaching you anything and you feel you should get your money back, of course I will return your money and wish you luck in your watercolour endevours.

How long does the course take?

This is a self paced course. That means all the lessons have been pre-recorded and you can go through the course at any pace that suits you.

How long do I have access to the course?

You have lifetime access.
You can watch the lessons as many times as you like.

Do I need any special equipment to do the course?

You obviously will need watercolour equipment (which I cover in the course) and access to a computer and interent to enjoy the content. You need to have fast enough interent to watch the videos.
If you can watch Netflix you should be OK :)

Do I need any experience to do the course?

Definitely not!
This course is aimed at the raw beginner.
So you can come along with no experience at all.
I start from scratch.

I have some experience - is the course suitable?

I would say that if you have some experience (maybe you have done a few courses or watched a few Youtube videos and put brush to paper) I would say you would still benefit from the course.
I have found that many people who have some experience have found the course has solidified their knowledge, or in some cases filled in knowledge gaps (which often happens when you have attended what I call "monkey see, monkey do" workshops).
So, short answer is yes, I think you will get something out of the course.
If in doubt, feel free to send me an email.

What if I want to paint abstracts?

That's great!
Even though the demonstrations in this course are of recognisable things, the principles and methods covered apply to all styles and forms of painting.
It is also important that you paint what YOU want to paint - it's not about you becoming a mini-me :)
Good abstract art still relies on the principles covered here. Join in!

Why don't I get the entire course at once?

This course is drip fed, which basically means the release of lessons is staggered over 37 days.
This prevents you from feeling overwhelmed with all lessons at once.
Releasing lessons at various times allows you to absorb the knowledge and practice before you are hit with the next lesson.
After 37 days all lessons will be available, so you can rewatch any lesson at any tme.

Is there any live streaming element to this course?

No - all lessons are pre-recorded. The advantage of this is that you can do the lessons at your own pace, in your own time - even in your pyjamas :)

I still have questions

I still have answers ... so feel free to send an email if there is something you need answering.

ANCHOR YOURSELF IN CREATIVITY AND ART

Learning to paint in watercolour WILL change your life!

WATERCOLOUR FOR BEGINNERS COURSE

IT'S TIME!

Yes, I want to do the course
I'm ready to paint in watercolour
I'm ready to see the world differently
I want to be creative and paint

UNLOCK THE COURSE FOR ME - I'M READY