Skip to content
UdemyDigital PaintingPaid courseAll LevelsCertificate

Foundations for Mastering Watercolor Painting / FIRST STEPS (Udemy.com)

An in-depth, approachable look at painting materials that will make mastering the medium truly possible.

Created by: Jill Poyerd

Last updated January 2025

icon
What you will learn

  • Learn watercolor techniques quicker and easier
  • Understand what watercolor paint is and how it is unique
  • Discern how a paint will perform based on its pigment property
  • Gain insight into water's important role in the water media painting process
  • Appreciate the importance of surface texture and structure when you paint
  • Understand the differences between brush materials
  • Problem-solve with success when something goes wrong in the painting process
  • Feel freer in developing your own artistic voice

How it compares

Against the other 175 rated Udemy courses in Digital Painting on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.7 out of 5higher than 76% of them
  • Reviews2,743#13 of 176 by number of reviews
  • Length3.3 hoursshorter than 57% of them
  • Last updatedJanuary 2025more recently than 78% of them

icon
Course Description

NOTE: This is not a hands-on painting course.

“The best watercolour course I have seen…I need a structured better approach than the typical watch-me-paint courses, that explain nothing about quality of paints and mediums and how they affect the final result. Brilliantly narrated, videos quality are amazing and super explanatory. 6 stars!" - Joao C.

“I am learning so much. It is really helping me to understand the medium I am working with, as well as how I can manipulate it to create the effects and emotions I want. Everything just changes when you know what you are looking for. My level of confidence in watercolour has definitely skyrocketed.” - Nicole O.


The instructor of this course is a Signature Member of the National Watercolor Society.

Watercolor painting at its core is built upon pigment, water, and a painting surface, and in order to master the medium you need to thoroughly understand your materials. This course is designed to give you an in-depth look at the properties of each material used in the watercolor painting process. With this understanding, beginners will have an easier time learning techniques and experienced painters will be better equipped to perfect their skill and solve potential problems. This isn’t a hands-on painting class, but rather is a lecture-based course containing information you aren't likely to find anywhere else.

icon
Udemy Discount

The discount is applied through our link. Open the course from here and Udemy's current promotional price is applied at checkout on most courses, no code to type.

Some courses are excluded from Udemy's promotions. If the price does not drop, clear your browser cookies and use the button again.

icon
Instructor Details

Jill Poyerd

Jill Poyerd, NWS, is a contemporary realist whose award-winning work can be found in private collections both nationally and internationally. She has been featured in national publications, is the author of the portrait painting book Fearless Portraits, and is a signature member of several prestigious art societies, including the National Watercolor Society. Jill works in both watermedia and oil paints and has exhibited extensively throughout the Mid-Atlantic region as well as in national shows. In addition to her work as an artist, Jill is an active member of the arts community. She has curated many multi-medium group shows and is the founder of the Fine Art Professionals of Northern Virginia. Additionally, she produces art appreciation videos for her highly successful YouTube Channel where her videos inspire and inform an international audience of over 5 million viewers.

icon
More courses by Jill Poyerd

$64.99

$64.99

$64.99

$64.99

$64.99

$64.99

icon
More Digital Painting courses

$34.99

$84.99

$64.99

$94.99

$64.99

$79.99

icon
Reviews

4.7

2,743 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By DrawFromScratch on 1/30/2021

I can only recommend this course. The videos are of great image and sound quality, Jill explains the concepts with the perfect amount of detail (in my opinion!), applying the concepts to real examples so that they are better understood. All the questions students ask are answered with such valuable information... I am so happy to have found this course and Jill! She is a great teacher, an incredible professional and you can tell by the effort she puts in the course and in the follow up with the students that she really cares of what she does.

By Iuliia on 11/8/2020

Amazing course! Exactly what I was looking for. The teacher is very experienced, the presentation is done to the highest standard with a lot of practical and theoretical information. Now I can easily understand what colours I need based on the information provided by the manufacture and not by timeless practical tries. Also I now better understand why something is not going as planned with my colours. Can definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to better understand the media they are working with.

By Grace Hyland on 11/8/2020

A very good course, tells you everything you need to know before you start painting with watercolour. Very thorough. Also, the tutor's voice is very soothing

By Tanya Gipson on 11/8/2020

Wow! I can't believe the detail, research, science and even production value Jill Poyerd has invested in this course. I am now considering aspects of the pigments, paper, water temperature, characteristics I formerly didn't even understand. Within a couple days of applying her principles, my paintings are benefiting. I will take all of Jill's courses and thank her for doing the hard work to bring this module into fruition.

By Roshan Malik on 10/26/2020

V good

By Kirstin McPherson on 10/23/2020

So helpful

By Hannes Woolls on 10/20/2020

loved the course, learned so much,

By Patricia Jordan on 10/18/2020

Perfect. Jill Poyerd has a beautiful voice, she is very organized and thorough in her explanations, and she covered everything I wanted to learn about in this very beginning course in watercolor. I will take the next course in the series that she teaches on watercolor.

By Chris Van Beck on 10/18/2020

My strategy wad to watch the entire course quickly and then more intensively on a second viewing (not done yet). This was the first time I've tried an on-line course, other than free You tube versions (which I consider extremely variable in quality, more miss than hit). it was a worthwhile experience and much better than I expected, in fact I was very impressed. The presentation was professional, with a good balance of pace and density of information. My objective was to learn something about the media and to make a decision about whether I should proceed further: it is certainly helping. Knowing very little about the process of water colour painting I found The preview, the advisory notes of the presenter and her response to negative comments very useful in making a decision to buy this course, I like the presentation style of the teacher very much, it was like reading a very good book, and I am encouraged to try her next course about the mechanics and technique.

By Michele Oddone on 10/10/2020

Great course as always ! Highly recommend !

By Tina van Huyssteen on 10/5/2020

Thank you Jill. Enjoyed this thoroughly!

By Ruth on 9/25/2020

excellent information. I am learning a lot!

Showing 12 of 361 reviews

icon
Quality Score

Content Quality
/
Video Quality
/
Qualified Instructor
/
Course Pace
/
Course Depth & Coverage
/

Overall Score : 94 / 100