Watercolor 101 with Molly Murrah

~ Whoa ~ … long-winded intro - 1 hour 10 minutes! Felt like I was being dragged through the mud for hours before getting a chance to JUST TRY PAINTING! … (the first actual exercise came in at 2 hours 10 minutes, then it went right back to lecture again!) The way to learn is to DO – just start with the exercises already, THEN flesh-out technique/product/artist info later on as you go. This course amounted more to a “textbook-reading” than hands on and you might find the barrage of information way too overwhelming to absorb, especially if you’re new to watercolor and aren’t given the chance to apply what’s being taught AS it’s being taught. Still, there IS some valuable bits of information throughout which is why I gave it a thumb’s up ... IF you’re willing to endure the marathon – (I finally lost patience & had to come back for “spot visits” during the day.) Suggestions to CreativeLIVE: 1. Please offer more Painting Courses (Watercolor, Acrylic) 2. Film the palette while the instructor is mixing & picking up colors 3. Please fix periodic screen blacks-out during the broadcast. (Not sure if this is deliberate or not to prevent copying, but it’s very frustrating when visuals come up.)

I would also recommend this class with some hesitation. This course is a broad and sweeping overview of watercolor painting. It is a good reference course and I will probably be treated like a reference book for watercolors. The skills we covered were valuable. It was beneficial to hear about the watercolor artists that Molly enjoyed and to have a list. The exercises were appropriate. I would recommend this course to someone who likes to know all the details of things before getting started. If you are someone that wants to jump right in this may be frustrating. Obviously, I am the latter. A few suggestions from my perspective....limit the product pushing. The references to Daniel Smith were off putting. I will try to avoid purchasing their products at all costs even if they are the best. It was very difficult to get access to the paint colors that she wanted us to have as some of the names are slightly different than what is available to me locally. I have already taken a beginner color watercolor course which I loved!! If I had not taken that course I probably would have been lost here. In that course(also online) we finished a project for every 10 minute lesson. I learned the basic technique's and it was FUN! I wish this class had more projects to practice that can be completed by a beginner and intermediate. Portraits seem like a large undertaking and it would be helpful to build confidence with smaller and simpler projects. I just felt a little discouraged. Molly is very talented and the work she shared was very thoughtful and showed incredible skill! I am very thankful that she took the time to teach the class and share her knowledge.

great overview for beginner

Excellent!

Molly's class is wonderful for getting a thorough understanding of watercolors and how they work. It's perfect for a beginner or even a more experienced watercolorist looking for a refresher or a few new techniques. I can't recommend it enough! I can't wait to play with all the techniques and theories discussed!

This course was fabulous. Molly is a great artist/teacher. Her instruction has really unleashed my creativity and given me confidence to create.

Great class, I learnt a lot indeed and it gets me starting painting. Thanks a lot Molly and Creativelive!

Looks like a really fun class! I'll take it soon!