Pet Portraits in Watercolor Here’s a peek at what Shelley Prior brings to you in this video: Don’t just put paint on paper … create a feeling and a mood in your work Better identify value and color temperature The best way to add softness Have a better understanding of watercolor paints and how you can make them behave Sharpen your observation skills (you’ll be able to apply this to your own paintings right away) The special formula for creating a peaceful feel How masking can save you a lot of time and achieve better results Different wet-into-wet and dry-into-dry techniques (they both have tremendous value) Properly paint light and shadow … not as difficult as it may seem How to soften textures so they don’t interfere with the rest of the painting Why Shelley uses two brushes for toning down harsh features (now you’ll know how to do this, too) Can a synthetic brush help you paint faster and finish quicker? (Shelley answers this question) Do this to your brush for the best results — you’ll wish you would have already known And more… When a painting showcases softness and light, it brings a wonderful sense of peace and calm to all who see it. This is exactly what artist Shelley Prior teaches in this watercolor course. For the past 30 years, Shelley has been a professional artist and art instructor. This powerhouse combination allows her to teach you the lessons of a lifetime on subjects such as identifying value, color temperature, and of course, softness. You’ll finish the course with a much better understanding of watercolor as a medium and you’ll have a keener sense of observation skills that will help you create higher quality paintings. Shelley shows you her best techniques for using a photo reference while still capturing a feeling or mood — something many artists never learned, creating a hesitancy to use photographs. Here, you’ll see how photos can work to your greatest advantage. A straightforward and practical-minded teacher, Shelley’s step-by-step approach is beneficial to every level of artist. Paint right along with Shelley and you will achieve very similar results. Then, you can apply these same strategies to your next painting in order to achieve an accurate likeness, the right values, hard and soft edges, and much more. In this video, Shelley is solving some of the biggest challenges artists face when painting animal portraits. She’ll show you how to soften your edges, balance texture with detail, utilize the white space of the paper to your advantage, and ways to control your watercolor while letting it do what it does so beautifully. This course will help you get better, more satisfying results with your art because you’ll no longer struggle with getting stiff, over-detailed paintings when using a photo as a reference. Shelley says that one of the biggest takeaways from this video is you do not need to define everything. Great paintings leave some obscurity, as well as detail. You want viewers of your work to engage with the story you’re telling through the painting. Shelley shares her reliable method for keeping the right amount of moisture in an area where she’s adding color in order to create softer details. Once you see Shelley do this, you’ll want to try it out for yourself on your next painting. Don’t miss one minute of Shelley’s expert advice and direction as she shares what has helped her become an award-winning artist. Bonuses Included with Video: High Speed View™ of the demonstration painting set to music — it’s fun to watch the painting develop Exhibit of Works: View an inspirational collection of Shelley’s paintings Interview with the Artist: Eric Rhoads conducts an in-studio interview with Shelley to explore her work as an artist and instructor Sparkle: Painting Colored Glass in Watercolor Discover Shelley Prior’s step-by-step process for capturing the magical dance of light, color, and transparency that makes glass come alive on paper! If you’ve ever tried painting glass in watercolor, you know how intimidating it can be. The dancing reflections ... the delicate shadows ... the intricate play of light and color... It can all seem overwhelmingly complex. You start painting, hoping to capture that magical sparkle and transparency… …but end up with muddy colors and flat, lifeless results. Each attempt leaves you more frustrated than the last, wondering if you’ll ever master this challenging subject. The problem isn’t your artistic ability. Trying to paint glass is extremely tricky if you don’t know what to watch for. For example, if you move just slightly, you’ll see a very different thing — the light has now changed, the edge is now placed differently … and that’s just the start of it. Thankfully, there’s a right approach to painting glass — an approach that breaks down this seemingly complex subject into simple, manageable steps. This is your chance to watch Shelley in action as she reveals her techniques for painting glass — from setting up your reference photo for success to mastering the final sparkling highlights that bring your painting to life! Here’s a small taste of what’s inside: The simple “jigsaw puzzle” approach that transforms intimidating glass subjects into manageable, easy-to-paint shapes — even if you’ve struggled with complex subjects before The counterintuitive secret to getting pure, clean colors in glass paintings (Hint: it has nothing to do with your choice of pigments and everything to do with this little-known application technique) How to capture that elusive “sparkle” effect that makes glass paintings come alive — discover the surprising role of contrast and exactly when to apply it Why you should actually use BRIGHTER colors than you think you need — and the foolproof way to adjust them later if necessary The “pre-wet paper” trick that eliminates ugly brushmarks and creates silky-smooth washes every time A revolutionary approach to painting straight lines that makes even the most complex glassware shapes achievable The truth about water-to-pigment ratios when painting glass — master this and watch your paintings transform from flat to fabulous Why working from photographs can actually be BETTER than painting from life when it comes to glass (this insight alone will save you hours of frustration) The “kaleidoscope effect” — how to capture the way glass transforms and reflects light from every angle An ingenious technique for lifting paint that creates stunning highlights without damaging your paper The professional “glazing sequence” that builds depth and luminosity while keeping your colors crystal clear PLUS: How to paint metal elements with the same confidence and precision as glass …and so many more creative ideas that will make you love painting all over again!