Draw Paint Letter update

This gallery contains 4 photos.

We are nearly halfway through the yearlong course! Here are some recent projects and topics. Registration is always open — …

Continue reading →

You asked and I listened…

I’m delighted to announce that all 11 of my previous online art courses are being converted to an on-demand, “start anytime” format with a full year of video access. The first three, Drawn & Decorated Watercolor Lettering, The Heirloom Garden in Colored Pencil, and Birds in Watercolor and Beyond, are available now. The rest will be added within the coming week.

The new anytime art class lineup includes:

• Drawn & Decorated Watercolor Lettering (10 lessons)
• The Heirloom Garden in Colored Pencil (10 lessons)
• Birds in Watercolor and Beyond (10 lessons)
• Birds in Colored Pencil (9 lessons)
• Drawing Horses and Ponies (10 lessons)
• Drawing Dogs and Cats (8 lessons)
• Draw Owls: Designed for the Dark (4 lesson mini-course)
• Draw and Paint Six Culinary Herbs (10 lessons)
• Botanical Sketchbook Painting (4 subject modules)
• Draw and Paint Fairies in Nature (10 lessons)
• Fairies II: Draw and Paint the Enchanted World (10 lessons)

As always, you are free to work at your own pace and instructor feedback is available as often as you like. For more information and supply lists, visit my Start Anytime Online Classes page.

 

 

 

Start anytime, keep it a full year…

Good news: now my popular “Botanical Sketchbook Painting” course is available on demand, anytime you want to begin — and you keep access to the course website for a full year.

When you sign up, you’ll receive a link to  all the video lessons and all printable pdf pages right away. This way, each participant is truly free to create multiple pieces, to work at her own pace and focus on each aspect of the process — designing, painting, writing, lettering — whenever it is convenient. Instructor feedback and guidance via email is available at all times. I love to hear from you!  The cost of the course is $65. To sign up, email me at studio@valwebb.com.

For more info, and the supply list, scroll below the luna moth…

What is this course about?

Every plant has a fascinating story waiting to be told. Roses and the legend of St. Elizabeth, irises and the survival of King Clovis to become the father of the French nation, angel trumpets and the doomed settlement of Jamestown — turn over any leaf and find a tale hidden just beneath. In this course, learn to tone and texture your own paper to create a wonderful vintage look that can range from rustic to refined. Then use a surprisingly simple four-step method for layering opaque paint and colored pencil to make botanical images that sing on the page. A lighthearted look at page design will provide ideas for arranging the elements of your botanical tale. We’ll also cover tips for distilling your written narrative down to a few bright, clear sentences and labels that communicate the heart of your story hand-in-hand with the drawn and painted page.

 

Here’s the supply list. If you live where some of the materials aren’t available, live outside the US, or prefer to use something you already have, I can advise on good substitutes.🙂

• 2B drawing pencil and kneaded eraser
• 12-tube set of Reeves gouache (costs $10.50 from www.dickblick.com)
• Large plastic watercolor palette or old white china plate for mixing paint
• Pigma Micron black waterproof ink pen, size 03 or 05
• Basic set (12 or more) Prismacolor Premiere colored pencils
• Inexpensive synthetic watercolor brushes – #1 round, #4 round, #10 round
• A sheet of heavy watercolor paper (at least 300 lb weight). Cold press. Buy a full 22×30 inch sheet if possible, and you can use it for several paintings.

Questions about the supplies? Email me.

Pencil Overdrawing

On a steamy Alabama evening a few years ago, I saw something desperately flopping on the pavement in front of the local grocery store. At first I thought it was a small bird, but when it suddenly looped into the air I saw that it was an enormous moth. It struggled upward, scissoring the air with its wings, and then — to my surprise — it flew right in through my open truck window and landed awkwardly on the seat beside me.

This wondrous visitor was Antherea polyphemus, the largest moth in North America and one of a gorgeous retinue of silkworm moths whose beauty rivals that of any butterfly. With no functioning mouth parts, they live only about four days after emerging from their silken cocoons. My polyphemus moth friend appeared to be at the end of his short lifespan. He was missing a leg and a generous wedge of one wing, evidence of a harrowing escape from a hungry bird or the jaws of a gecko.

I let him rest on the seat during the drive home. He died somewhere along the miles of country road and so, after unloading the groceries, I placed the moth gently on my drawing table and sketched the graceful arc and lush patterns of those huge wings. A few weeks later, the sketch became the inspiration for a set of fairy wings:

Few artists use the technique, but pencil overdrawing (drawing the shading and details over a thin, flat layer of watercolor) is perfect for the subtle patterns and textures of a moth’s wing. You build the layers slowly and gradually, barely touching the paper with strokes as light as a moth, and the drawing becomes a deeply relaxing process.

We used pencil overdrawing in this week’s Draw Paint Letter email video lesson. If you like to draw, but are intimidated by realistic watercolor, it’s a good way to get your feet wet (so to speak).

Happy drawing,

Val

A Birthday Story

My mom, who would have turned 80 today, was a prolific writer. I have stacks of her notebooks filled with poems, essays and short stories in her small, neat handwriting. I thought I had read them all – but this morning, something new caught my eye. To my surprise and delight, it is a memory of her 16th birthday on March 11, 1952.

 

My mother and father were planning a dance in my honor at a downtown hotel in Bristol, Virginia. I had searched for months for just the right dress for the occasion, but nothing filled my grown-up sophisticated requirement. Finally, my mother and I selected a sky blue watermarked taffeta fabric and a Vogue pattern which had gussets flaring the skirt.

I thought this dress was too “young-looking” but Mama and the seamstress assured me it would be perfect. The fitting a few days later did little to change my opinion, but the dance was less than a week away.

Two days before the party, I went into town to pick up my satin ballerina shoes that were being dyed to match my dress. There, in the window of Mademoiselle’s Style Shop, was my dream dress! It was made of tissue silk. The full skirt floated down to ankle length from a scoop-necked bodice. Black and silver vertical stripes gave the look of a Scarlett O’Hara waistline.

I rushed inside and tried on the dress. This was exactly what I wanted to look like on the night of my 16th birthday dance. I would sweep my long ponytail up into a French twist and enter the adult world in sophisticated style — then I looked at the price tag: $120.  That may not seem surprising now for a party dress, but in 1952 it was startling.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t wait to get back home and announce that at last I had found the perfect dress, and if my parents would buy it for me I would never ask for another thing as long as I lived.

After hearing the price, my mother (who held the purse strings in the family) said, “No. You are too young to wear black, and it is ridiculous to pay that much for a dress.”

My father, who could still be swayed by female tears, said, “Well… your mother and I will talk about it.” But from the look on Mama’s face, I knew the discussion was over and I had lost.

The day of the dance arrived and Mama made a small compromise by letting me wear my hair up in a French twist. (Not much compared to a tissue silk, scoop-necked black dress, I thought, but at least I would have a hint of sophistication.) After spending an hour in Lucille’s Hair Salon, Mama and I went to meet Daddy for lunch at the hotel to check on last-minute preparations.

As I pulled out my chair, a long box tied with a pink ribbon slid out from under the table. Printed on the lid was Mademoiselle’s Style Shop. I lifted the top and there, nestled in pink tissue, was my dress. As I held it up and beamed with delight, my mother glowered at my father. She said, “She will never get your money’s worth out of that dress.”

Daddy’s reply, I realize now, was my greatest present. He said, “She has already given me my money’s worth.”

I kept that dress for 45 years. Two of my grandchildren played dress-up in it until it finally rotted away, as old silk will. But we all got our money’s worth out of that dress.

 

***

 

 

 

 

Draw Paint Letter: a new way to learn

Draw Paint Letter: the Artist-Naturalist’s Year

Learn through the seasons. Keep the videos forever.

How does it work?

Val Webb’s art tutorials, tips and techniques will be delivered to your email inbox on beautifully illustrated printable pages, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Fridays, you’ll also receive a link to a full-length video lesson. All video content will remain permanently online, available for you to practice and review whenever you like.

Draw Paint Letter will start on March 21, 2016 and will run for at least one full year. Students may join the class at any time during the year and will have lifetime access to all material sent out, from their personal start date going forward. The cost is $30/month and is billed monthly through PayPal. You do not need a PayPal account to make the payment using a credit or debit card.

Payment by check will be accepted for a minimum of 2 months of lessons ($60) at a time, and at the end of that period, a courtesy invoice for the next two months will be sent. To find out where to mail a check, email Val at studio@valwebb.com.

To stop receiving tutorials and video lessons, simply email Val and your enrollment will end at the close of your current 30-day period.

 

What subjects will we draw and paint?

Val is best-known for drawing the garden and the natural world, and much of our focus will be in those places. Drawing (pencil, charcoal, pen-and-ink, colored pencil) and painting (watercolor) subjects will include seasonal changes in animals wild and domestic, birds of all kinds including shorebirds and birds of prey, butterflies and moths, marine life, frog and turtles, botanical drawing techniques, wildflowers, heirloom vegetable varieties, tropical flowers and ferns, historic and medicinal plants, herbs, trees, the cottage garden setting, natural landscapes (forest, coastal, mountain and desert), creeks and rivers, open water, skies, and much more. Our subjects will reflect the changing seasons and, because the course is so open-ended, ideas and suggestions from students are also very welcome and can be easily incorporated into the weekly mix.

Many of our projects will combine drawing, painting and lettering in the tradition of classic illustration, beautiful nature journals and field sketches. Others will be stand-alone “outside the box” techniques. These are NEW videos and printables, made specifically for this course, and not recycled material from Val’s other online classes.

 

What drawing techniques will be covered?

Drawing techniques covered will include traditional pen-and-ink, “splash and splatter” techniques for dramatic effects, ink-and-wash and ink-and-brush, realistic pencil drawing, field drawing and sketching from life, charcoal drawing, making and using toned paper, colored pencil drawing and color blending.

 

…And what about painting and lettering techniques?

Painting lessons will explore traditional watercolor, “fast and loose” floral watercolor, pen-and-ink with watercolor, watercolor with colored pencil, drybrush, reverse painting in watercolor, ink resist painting, and more. Lettering projects will feature a wide range of hand-lettering styles in pencil, ink and watercolor, plus page design and “fancy field notes.”

 

Who can take this class? Do I need to be able to draw?

Draw Paint Letter is open to all. Class material is appropriate for anyone, at any level of art experience. No previous art experience is required, and Val teaches in a spirit of warmth and gentle encouragement. Our students range from “never tried to draw before in my life” to seasoned professionals polishing their skills in a specific subject area. Don’t let a lack of drawing experience keep you away!

 

To sign up, ask a question or just say howdy, email studio@valwebb.com

 

Draw and Paint Six Culinary Herbs

I’m bringing back my very first (and most popular) online drawing course, starting March 29.

Draw & Paint Six Culinary Herbs will incorporate all the things that make the humble kitchen garden a place of a thousand small delights. In addition to learning to create softly shaded pencil studies, spirited ink-and-wash sketches and richly layered color renderings that combine watercolor and colored pencil, we’ll also explore the history and folklore associated with our six herbs. Each lesson will include art demo videos, printable illustrated instruction pages and photo tutorials posted on our private class website — as well as illustrated tips on growing, harvesting and using our culinary collection.

You can take a look at the supply list and each lesson’s featured herbs here:

Mar 2016 Herb Supply List

Mar 2016 Info

The course is designed so that you can work at your own pace, without ever feeling rushed. Lessons will appear weekly beginning Tuesday, March 29, on a private, password-protected website. All 10 lessons will remain there until July 29. During those four months, you have access to the lessons anytime you wish to work on them. Feel free to take a week off (or even a month) for other activities. You’ll still have plenty of time to complete the course. Each lesson will include:

• My video demo with step-by-step guidance for each new technique
• Printable color instruction pages
• Examples for each lesson, created to guide and inspire you
• Personal help when needed, and feedback when each lesson is completed
• Access to our own private online group where you can share comments and images with others taking the course around the world. (Participation in the group is optional. No instruction will take place there.)

Art topics covered in the course include:

• How to develop the habit of looking deeply at your subject, so that you clearly see and understand its structure
• Three steps to creating a quick and accurate foundation sketch
• How to draw leaves in perspective
• My “gentle pencil” technique for softly shaded pencil studies
• How to combine ink and wash for fast and elegant herb drawings
• Traditional layering of watercolor and colored pencil to build a richly detailed rendering
• Color matching and color mixing – including highlights and shadows
• The structure of an herb plant, and some basic terminology

Absolutely no experience is necessary. The supply list is simple, and contains no exotic materials. (In fact, if you recently took my online watercolor lettering course, you already have the brushes you’ll need. You can check them off your list!)

What about technology? Well, you will need four basic tools to “attend” this online class:

• A computer, or access to one
• An email account to receive informative messages or send in your work for feedback
• A way to print out your illustrated instruction pages
• A way to send images of your completed projects to me for feedback. You can use either a scanner or a digital camera to create an image, then email it.

The cost of the entire course is $50, which is payable by personal check, money order or through PayPal. (To use PayPal, let me know you want to join the class and I will send you a secure PayPal invoice with an embedded “pay now” button.) Email me to sign up, or if you need additional information. See you soon!

Five online classes start January 5

Five new class sessions begin in a few weeks: Watercolor Lettering, Drawing Dogs and Cats, Birds in Watercolor, Fairies II and a first-time-ever mini course. Scroll down for complete info…

 

NEW MINI COURSE! STARTS JANUARY 5:

Draw Owls: Designed for Darkness
Starting January 5, 2016 – work at your own pace
4 Lessons for Beginner and Intermediate Artists
Videos + 16 illustrated printables $42

Develop fundamental drawing skills in pencil and charcoal as you sketch some of nature’s most efficient (and beautiful) predators. Each week will feature a new technique and a new species of owl. No experience necessary — this class is specially designed for beginning and intermediate artists.

Lessons will be information-rich, each consisting of multiple videos and illustrated printable pages., and will be posted on a password-protected web page. A new lesson will post every two weeks. Instructor guidance and feedback is available as often as you like, through email.

Supplies for this course:

• 4B drawing pencil, any brand
• Soft kneaded eraser
• Supply of inexpensive sketch paper for practice
• Black charcoal pencil
• White charcoal pencil
• 2 sheets of toned charcoal paper (gray or buff)

To register, email studio@valwebb.com

 

———————————————————————————————-

ALSO STARTING JANUARY 5:

Drawn & Decorated Watercolor Lettering
Starting January 5, 2016
10 Lessons – work at your own pace
$65

CLICK TO PRINT SUPPLY LIST PART 1

CLICK TO PRINT SUPPLY LIST PART 2

No previous experience necessary! Learn to create decorated letters using watercolor, Pigma Micron pens, pencils and a brush. Participants will have four months to complete ten projects. Class projects include:

• Three easy methods for making decorative and illuminated initials.
• Surprisingly simple techniques for Celtic knotwork.
• Using “quickhand” techniques to make art journals or notebooks more beautiful.
• Colorful, whimsical letters based on medieval alphabets (how to draw them, how to use them).
• Creative page design that combines lettering and other images.
• Vines and flourishes – watercolor letters inspired by Art Nouveau.
• Guidelines for designing your own unique personal alphabet.
• Combining color, form and attitude to make your letters sing.

To sign up, email studio@valwebb.com.

———————————————————————————————-

Birds in Watercolor and Beyond
Starting January 5, 2016
10 Lessons – work at your own pace
$65

CLICK TO PRINT THE LESSON SEQUENCE

CLICK TO PRINT INFO ON HOW THE CLASSES WORK

CLICK TO PRINT SUPPLY LIST – PAGE 1

CLICK TO PRINT SUPPLY LIST – PAGE 2

CLICK TO PRINT SUPPLY LIST – PAGE 3

Learn a new technique each week, ranging from splashy impressionistic bluebirds in flight to softly shaded cranes on toned paper — no experience necessary for this avian art adventure. Work at your own pace, with five months to complete the material and as much instructor guidance and feedback as you wish. Includes a project using Val’s dramatic gouache resist. A fun and informal way to build your skills and enjoy the beauty of birds. To register, email studio@valwebb.com.

 

———————————————————————————————-

Fairies II: Draw and Paint the Enchanted World
Starting January 5, 2016
10 Lessons – work at your own pace
$65

CLICK TO PRINT THE SUPPLY LIST

This magical course continues where my Fairies I course left off: We will draw and paint enchanted landscapes, interiors, moonlight, candlelight — and the neighboring inhabitants of the fairy realm, including goblins and trolls, dragons and unicorns, tree spirits, the Woodwife and more. To register, email studio@valwebb.com.

NOTE: THIS COURSE IS DESIGNED TO FOLLOW THE FAIRIES I COURSE, AND CONTAINS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MATERIAL. BEGINNERS SHOULD TAKE THE COURSES IN ORDER, BUT IF YOU ARE CONFIDENT IN YOUR DRAWING SKILLS AT AN INTERMEDIATE LEVEL YOU MAY TAKE THIS COURSE FIRST.

 

———————————————————————————————

Drawing Dogs & Cats
Starting January 5, 2016
8 Lessons – work at your own pace
$60

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD SUPPLY LIST

No experience necessary — the only prerequisite for this course is a love of our four-legged family members. Working in pencil for some projects, black-and-white charcoal pencil for others, develop your drawing skills by learning to create glossy fur, expressive eyes, animals in action and at rest. Topics include drawing puppies and kittens at different stages of growth, four techniques for drawing white fur, drawing realistic dog noses, drawing dog and cat caricatures and more. Very minimal supply list. Pre-registration is required, and is payable by check or PayPal. To sign up, email me directly at studio@valwebb.com.

 

Ink + Brush = Appaloosa

For decades, I have loved the lively illustration work of that master of historical illustration, Victor Ambrus. And so it was Ambrus — and his lovely smudges and splatters — I had in mind when producing this demo for the online class, Draw Horses and Ponies. And when the technique includes lots of round inky droplets, the spots on an appaloosa seem like the natural place to go. I have experimented with fancier brushes, but this sort of serendipitous messiness seems to work best with a 50-cent chip brush from the hardware store.

New online mini course: Draw Owls

Draw Owls: Designed for Darkness
Starting January 5, 2016 – work at your own pace
4 Lessons for Beginner and Intermediate Artists
Videos + 16 illustrated printables      $42

Develop fundamental drawing skills in pencil and charcoal as you sketch some of nature’s most efficient (and beautiful) predators. Each week will feature a new technique and a new species of owl. No experience necessary — this class is specially designed for beginning and intermediate artists.

Lessons will be information-rich, each consisting of multiple videos and illustrated printable pages., and will be posted on a password-protected web page. A new lesson will post every two weeks. Instructor guidance and feedback is available as often as you like, through email.

Supplies for this course:

• 4B drawing pencil, any brand
• Soft kneaded eraser
• Supply of inexpensive sketch paper for practice
• Black charcoal pencil
• White charcoal pencil
• 2 sheets of toned charcoal paper (gray or buff)

To register, email studio@valwebb.com