Dog in the Snow with Watercolor

Lessons

About This Lesson Series...

The Dog in the Snow with Watercolor class is a complete painting demonstration that focuses on capturing mood, atmosphere, and realism using transparent watercolor. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to paint a dog set against a snowy environment, balancing soft washes with controlled detail to create a convincing and expressive image. The class emphasizes thoughtful planning and deliberate execution, helping you understand how watercolor can be both fluid and precise.

Planning the Composition

The lesson begins with careful planning and drawing. You’ll learn how to establish accurate proportions and placement of the dog within the composition while keeping the drawing simple and flexible. Emphasis is placed on observing the subject closely, identifying major shapes, and setting up a strong foundation that supports the painting stages that follow.

Understanding Value in Snow Scenes

Snowy environments present unique challenges, and this class devotes special attention to value control. You’ll discover how snow is rarely pure white and how subtle value shifts are essential for describing form, light, and depth. The lesson demonstrates how to use light washes to suggest snow while preserving highlights and maintaining contrast around the subject.

Establishing Initial Washes

Once the drawing is complete, you’ll begin applying the first watercolor washes. These early layers focus on establishing the overall color harmony and light direction of the scene. You’ll learn how to keep washes loose and transparent, allowing the white of the paper to play an important role in creating brightness and atmosphere.

Painting the Dog’s Fur

A major focus of the class is painting believable fur without overworking the surface. You’ll learn how to suggest fur texture through directional brushstrokes, value changes, and careful layering rather than painting individual hairs. The instructor demonstrates how to build form gradually, using watercolor’s transparency to create depth and softness in the dog’s coat.

Creating Depth and Atmosphere

As the painting develops, attention shifts to enhancing depth and atmosphere. You’ll see how background elements are kept soft and understated to push them into the distance, while stronger contrasts and sharper edges are reserved for the focal areas. This approach helps guide the viewer’s eye and reinforces the sense of space within the scene.

Color Temperature and Mood

The class also explores how color temperature affects the overall mood of the painting. You’ll learn how cooler colors can reinforce the feeling of snow and winter, while warmer notes in the dog’s fur and facial features add life and interest. These subtle color decisions play a key role in creating a believable and engaging image.

Refining Details

As the painting nears completion, you’ll focus on refining important details such as the eyes, nose, and facial structure. The lesson explains how small adjustments in value and edge quality can significantly improve realism and expression. You’ll also learn how to avoid overworking these areas, maintaining freshness and clarity.

Materials and Watercolor Techniques

Throughout the class, materials and techniques are discussed, including paper choice, brushes, and pigment selection. You’ll gain insight into how water control affects edges and values, and how different brushes can be used to create varied marks. These practical tips help you gain greater control and confidence with watercolor.

A Complete Watercolor Experience

By the end of the Watercolor Snow Dog class, you’ll have completed a finished painting while developing a deeper understanding of watercolor techniques. The skills taught in this lesson—value control, layering, edge management, and expressive brushwork—are applicable to a wide range of subjects. This class is an excellent choice for artists looking to strengthen their watercolor skills while creating a compelling winter-themed artwork.

Specific Lessons

Lesson 1 (1:11:33)

In lesson one, we use a grid to draw the dog in the snow with an H graphite pencil.

Lesson 2 (1:13:45)

In lesson two, we begin with watercolor applications on the head of the dog.

Lesson 3 (1:09:10)

In lesson three, we continue with watercolor applications on the head of the dog.

Lesson 4 (1:08:28)

In lesson four, we work down the body of the dog with watercolor applications.

Lesson 5 (1:07:47)

In lesson five, we continue work on the body of the dog.

Lesson 6 (1:14:41)

In lesson six, we continue work on the body of the dog.

Lesson 7 (1:12:15)

In lesson seven, we continue work on the teddy bear.

Lesson 8 (1:10:34)

In lesson eight, we complete the painting.

Resources for this Lesson...

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References

Photo Reference

Finished Result

Here's what you'll need...

• Graphite Pencils
• Stonehenge Watercolor Paper Block
• Winsor and Newton Professional Field Watercolor Set
• Nylon Brushes

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