What watercolor plein air techniques are taught for painting sunsets, forests, Stonehenge, and cityscapes?

The course demonstrates on-location watercolor methods for simplifying scenes, capturing changing light, building washes, and choosing effective landscape colors.

Does the course include oil and acrylic painting lessons for still lifes and landscapes?

Yes. Lessons cover oil landscape and fruit still lifes, acrylic still lifes and landscapes, limited palettes, color mixing, and creating harmonious colors.

How does the course teach artists to varnish or rework an old painting?

It explains practical varnishing for oil and acrylic paintings and shows how to prepare and repaint an older oil work to improve its finish.

Free Course Image Painting tutorials and lessons

Free online course Painting tutorials and lessons

Duration of the online course: 5 hours and 26 minutes

4.9

(46)

Paint with confidence in this free online course: watercolor, oil & acrylic lessons on landscapes, still life, color mixing, plein air tips, plus practice.

In this free course, learn about

Plein air watercolor sunsets: warm color choices and layering sky-to-land gradients
Painting forest light in watercolor: controlling values, edges, and atmospheric depth
Watercolor architecture: simplifying buildings, perspective, and clean washes
Handling on-location challenges: changing light, wind, and difficult tree/foliage shapes
Oil landscape setup: first-step block-in, composition planning, and value massing
Choosing materials: preferred small study canvas panel sizes for quick oil studies
Oil still life foundations: starting process, drawing, and establishing big shapes/values
Using limited palettes: key pigments and how to mix a wide range from few colors
Solvents/mediums: thinning burnt umber and managing paint consistency in underpainting
Varnishing paintings: when to varnish, types of varnish, and safe application tools
Reworking old oil paintings: wetting the surface, correcting values, and improving salability
Still life lighting: selecting light temperature and using it to control mood and color
Portrait color mixing: key considerations for believable skin tones and temperature shifts
Color harmony mixing: building a basic palette and keeping mixtures unified across a painting

About the free online course

Build real painting skills you can use right away with a free online course designed for anyone who wants stronger results in watercolor, oil, and acrylic. Through practical tutorials and thoughtful exercises, you will learn how to translate what you see into believable light, color, and form, whether you are painting outdoors or working in a studio setup. The focus is not on rigid rules, but on repeatable methods you can apply to new references and personal ideas.

You will practice painting landscapes that feel atmospheric and alive, from sunsets and forest light effects to meadows, coastal pathways, and city scenes. Along the way, you will develop a clearer approach to simplifying complex subjects, choosing values that read at a distance, and making confident decisions about edges, shapes, and focal points. The course helps you move beyond copying and into constructing a scene with intent, so your paintings look more cohesive and purposeful.

Still life lessons add another essential skill set: controlling structure, proportions, and surface transitions. Working with familiar subjects such as fruit, glass, and reflective surfaces, you will learn to organize your setup, spot the key relationships that make objects feel solid, and create luminous color without overworking your paint. Whether you prefer quick studies or slower, more refined passes, these sessions emphasize a process you can repeat to steadily improve.

Color mixing is treated as a core discipline, not an afterthought. You will explore how to mix convincing skin tones, create harmony across a painting, and rely on a manageable palette that reduces confusion while expanding control. In addition, you will learn how to care for and finish work, including varnishing and intelligently reworking older paintings, a valuable skill for artists preparing portfolios, gifts, or pieces for sale. By the end, you will have stronger technique, clearer decision-making, and a practical workflow you can carry into any subject.

Course content

Video class: How to Paint a Sunset in Watercolors - Plein Air Painting Tutorial 05m
Exercise: What inspired the warm colors in the hills and trees in SchaeferArt's sunset painting?
Video class: How to Paint Forest Light - Watercolor Painting Tutorial 15m
Exercise: What is the main focus of the first stage of painting the redwood trees in the forest?
Video class: How to Paint a Building in Watercolors - Painting Tutorial 32m
Exercise: What is the name of the country pub that SchaeferArt sketched in England?
Video class: How to Paint Forest Light Effects in Watercolors - Landscape Painting Tutorial 10m
Exercise: What was the biggest challenge the artist faced while painting the redwood tree on location?
Video class: How to Paint a Forest Meadow - Oil Painting Landscape Tutorial 22m
Exercise: What is the first step in creating the painting in the tutorial?
Video class: How to Paint Stonehenge - Watercolor Painting Tutorial - Tips for Plein Air Painting 11m
Exercise: What is the challenge of painting Stonehenge on a cloudy day?
Video class: How to Paint a Cityscape - Watercolor Landscape Painting Tutorial 18m
Exercise: What colors did the artist use for the sky in the painting of the street in Paris?
Video class: How to Paint a Forest Landscape - Oil Painting Landscape Tutorial 30m
Exercise: What is the artist's preferred canvas panel size for small studies?

Video class: How to Paint a Still Life with Fruit - Oil Painting Lesson 42m
Exercise: What colors did Brandon Schaefer use for his limited palette in this painting tutorial?
Video class: How to Paint a Bowl of Lemons - Oil Painting Still Life Tutorial 28m
Exercise: What is the artist using to thin down the burnt umber paint?
Video class: How to Varnish Oil & Acrylic Paintings 07m
Exercise: What tool does the instructor use to apply the varnish?
Video class: Reworking An Old Oil Painting - Speed Painting 02m
Video class: Repainting An Old Oil Painting: Improve Your Paintings & Sell Them 10m
Exercise: What did the artist use to wet the surface of the old painting before reworking it?

Video class: Lemon Glow - Acrylic Painting Lesson 14m
Exercise: What light temperature was used for the still life painting?
Video class: How to Paint a Still Life - Fruits & Glass Jar | Painting Lesson 06m
Exercise: What is the artist's process for starting a still life painting?
Video class: Color-Mixing for Portraits | Acrylic & Oil Painting Lesson 12m
Exercise: What is a key aspect to consider when mixing colors for skin tones in portraits?
Video class: Color-Mixing for Harmony | Acrylic & Oil Painting Lesson 19m
Exercise: What colors does the artist use in their basic palette?
Video class: Acrylic Landscape Painting Lesson - Point Reyes Pathway in Light 35m
Exercise: What kind of brush is the artist using in the beginning of the painting?

Learn aboutPainting

Explore free online painting courses and learn essential techniques in watercolor, acrylic, oil, color theory, composition, and more. Study at your own pace with beginner-friendly lessons, build practical creative skills, and earn a certificate upon completion. Start learning painting online for free today and grow your artistic confidence.