Realistic Watercolor for Beginners? Sign me up!

🎯 Does this sound like you?

We've all been there!! 😅

• You want to paint with more depth, but your snowman has been looking like flat cartoon circles with sticks.
• You try to create soft texture, rounded shapes... but the paint pools and blooms in weird places.
• Your shadows look muddy, your highlights disappear, and somehow your snowman has a five o'clock shadow. 😂
• You thought white would be easy... until you realized shadows on snow gets tricky.
• You mess up one part, and suddenly the whole painting is... "what it is.” 🤣
• You watch other artists make it look effortless... and wonder what sorcery they're using.

Here's the truth: Watercolor is like, well, it's like trying to understand a woman. We will always be mysterious, but there really is a method to the madness, 😂 most of the time. 😁 I'm just trying to say that watercolor isn't completely unpredictable once you understand the medium.  There's no actual secrets, you just haven't learned the techniques yet. It really is more of a partnership with this medium.  It is unlike any other, which is what makes it so amazingly interesting. 🌟

That's why I think the snowman as a painting subject can be the perfect place to start. Forgiving shapes, soft and hard edges, whites and shadows that teach you water control without too much punishment for mistakes.  This subject will actually reward you with a fun, end result. They can even become your hand painted Christmas cards.  ☃️🎄🎅

You'll learn foundational rules that are the groundwork for all watercolor paintings, especially hyper-realistic style (layering, glazing, dimension) through a subject that lets you focus on skill-building, not perfection. ❄️

 😍 Imagine this instead! 

I'll be your guide from chaos to control. 🥳

• You'll learn how watercolor actually behaves as you paint, with active learning.  (water control, timing, and layering techniques)
• You'll understand why your past attempts went wrong - and how to fix those mistakes
• You'll paint something you're actually proud to show people (not another "abstract on purpose" piece 😂)
• You'll have step-by-step guidance from someone who's been in your shoes - and figured it out
• You'll master foundational techniques through a forgiving subject - so you can focus on skill, not stress
• You'll build the groundwork for ANY realistic painting - these aren't just snowmen, they're your training wheels for hyper-realism

I'm Zarah, and trust me - I may have been exactly where you are. In fact, I wanted to quit watercolor altogether. 😆

I started with pencils and colored pencils, mediums that actually behave themselves and stay put where you placed them. But watercolor? Oh man, was I clueless! Here I was thinking this was a child's medium, this is child's play and I should be able to pick it up no problem... 🤣 but yeah, this medium kicked my ego straight to the curb! 😅

I thought I could just watch YouTube videos and it was all going to be easy... and to some extent, sure, I did learn some things. But I spent way more time and money on bad supplies (bad for what I actually wanted to accomplish) and soooooo much video watching with no results I was happy with.  I didn't know it would lift, I didn't know about water or brush control or why supplies mattered. 😂

But once I stopped wrestling with watercolor and started understanding how this medium and all the supplies work together? Everything became soooo clear and simple. It was all such compilation of, "Well, DUH", moments and this medium just clicked! I finally had the illusion of  control.   It's really just about understanding the medium and trusting in yourself that you can do this.

The ability to master watercolor is already in you. I'm just your wing-man, showing you the why and the how to maneuver this situation and that situation, etc.

It takes action, it takes actually painting and practicing to get the timing in watercolor.  It's a dance. 🥰

Begin Mastering Hyper-Realistic Watercolor with Foundation Techniques

Each workshop breaks down the exact techniques that create realistic depth and dimension 🥳

• Working with your supplies - Let's end the supply confusion once and for all. You'll learn which brushes, paints, and paper actually matter for realistic results - and which "must-haves" are just marketing hype. Save your money and your sanity!
• Color mixing & temperature - No more "muddy dishwater" accidents! 😂 You'll discover how to mix the exact colors and values you see in your mind - cool shadows, warm highlights, and everything in between. Understanding color temperature is what separates "meh" paintings from "WOW" paintings.
• Light and shadow - Have you ever wondered why some paintings look flat and others look 3D? It's all in the contrast and shadows. Most beginners just stop too soon, without developing that depth in their paintings. You'll learn how to observe where light hits (and where it doesn't) and translate that onto your paintings to create real dimension and form. Your snowmen will look like they're actually sitting there in the snow!
• Water control & glazing - This is the key. You'll learn how to layer transparent washes that build realistic values without turning everything into muddy soup. Once you understand how water and watercolor paint behave on paper, everything else starts clicking. This is where the magic happens! ✨

Here's the thing: Watercolor Wizardry Workshops aren't quick craft projects you rush through and forget. They're skill-building experiences that teach you foundational techniques you'll use in every single painting you create - whether it's snowmen, florals, portraits, landscapes, or anything else you are painting.

You'll have 365 days to work through the tutorials at your own pace. Pause when life gets busy. Rewind when you need to see something again (because we ALL do!). Practice the same snowman five times if you want - there's no "right" way to learn. No pressure. No deadlines. No "you should be further along by now." Just you, your paints, and a skill that stays with you forever - long after these 365 days are up.

Mess up? Good! That's where the real learning happens. Try again with what you just figured out. Come back in three months and see how much you've grown. This is YOUR journey, and it looks however you need it to look. Because here's the truth: these workshops aren't about checking a box or finishing fast. They're about actually gaining skills you'll carry into every painting you create for the rest of your creative life. That's worth taking your time for. 🥰

🥰 What's inside?

A BUNDLE OF GOODIES!! 🤩 with 365-Day Access

Get a full year inside this BUNDLE  OF GOODIES featuring the real-time, step-by-step video workshop, the Quick Start Guide Video Series in Watercolor Wizardry Academy Course, printable pdf text guides, high-quality color reference images with their black & white versions, and a coloring page version too. The bite-sized beginner lessons in the workshop go through each phase of a painting process, and the quick start guide will walk you through watercolor foundations in action, so you get the introduction to understanding supplies, color mixing, and water control while painting real projects, not theory. Step into your creativity with confidence.

• Flexible, Self-Paced Learning for Busy Lives
  • Come and go as needed. These lessons fit into real-world schedules, whether you have five minutes or an hour. Pick up where you left off, rewatch what you need, and grow steadily without pressure.
• Workshop and Quick Start Guide video lessons
  • Beginner-Friendly Video Structure.  Every lesson is designed to help beginners understand the essentials through active learning, while you paint, with no fluff and no overwhelm. You’ll build strong artistic habits, and gain clarity about your tools.  You'll experience those “ohhhh, I get it now” breakthroughs that make watercolor finally click.
• High-Resolution Reference Images
  • Each image includes 2 sizes (4x5 and 8x11.5) and I've provided a full color and grayscale version for effortless tracing and transferring. I also included as the coloring page linework, letting you practice the techniques without getting stuck on the sketch. Focus on the skills of painting watercolor.  Learn how to apply the techniques you've been learning about to create depth and texture, to bring your painting to life.
• Invitation to Our Creator Community (Free Tier)
  • You’re stepping into a circle of support, encouragement, and creativity. Inside our Creator Community, hosted on Kajabi.  You can ask questions, share progress, exchange ideas, get feedback, and help shape the heart of this growing artistic kingdom.