Master the Art of Watercolor: Upcoming Classes at Oakville Art Society
I’m thrilled to be joining the Oakville Art Society this spring to teach two exciting watercolor courses! Teaching in person is such a joy, and I’m looking forward to connecting with local art enthusiasts and guiding you through the process of painting with confidence. If you’re passionate about learning new techniques and exploring realistic watercolor styles, these classes are for you.
Watercolor Classes in Oakville
Mastering Realistic Botanicals (Watercolor)
Dates: Wednesdays, April 9 - May 14, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (6-week series)
Location: Oakville Art Society, Oakville
Dive deep into the world of botanical watercolor painting with this immersive 6-week course. I’ll teach you how to paint realistic flowers and plants, focusing on details like textures, shading, and lifelike color blending. It’s a wonderful opportunity to slow down and appreciate the beauty of nature while honing your artistic skills.
Savor the Strokes: Food Art (Watercolor)
Dates: Mondays, April 21 - May 12, 2025
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM (4-week series)
Location: Oakville Art Society, Oakville
Love food and art? This 4-week class combines both! We’ll paint mouthwatering dishes and desserts while focusing on capturing realistic textures and vibrant colors. It’s a fun, unique class that blends creativity with a touch of culinary charm.
Why Join These Oakville Watercolor Classes?
Comprehensive Learning: Multi-week courses give you time to master techniques.
In-Person Connection: Learn in a collaborative environment with personalized feedback.
Beautiful Location: Enjoy the inspiring atmosphere of the Oakville Art Society.
Sign Up & Start Your Watercolor Journey!
I’m excited to share my love for watercolor with the Oakville community and would love to see you there. Spaces are limited, so secure your spot soon!
10 Proven Ways to Make Money as an Artist: A Beginner's Guide to Earning from Your Art
There is a common perception that you cannot earn while making art. I, too, believed that art could never be turned into a profession. But I was wrong. Nowadays, with the emergence of technology and businesses, there is always a demand for art and design. Every new company needs a logo and branding, and behind that branding is a graphic designer or an artist who creates the identity for that company. Whether art-related or not, every field incorporates art and design in their system. So, art plays an important role everywhere.
My Journey: From Doodling to Earning
A few years ago, I started doodling with my then 3-year-old son's watercolor paints, watched some YouTube tutorials, and created an Instagram account. Every day, I painted for a few minutes and posted online. After some time, I started getting freelance jobs through social media. I began earning money through in-person workshops, online classes, and even print-on-demand (POD) sites. After about four years of consistent work, I built my portfolio and secured more commercial projects from companies around the world and magazines. So let me tell you, it is absolutely possible to make a living with your art. It may take time and effort, but you will get there if you keep going.
How to Start Earning Money with Your Art
If you are a creative and want to earn some income through your art, here are some ways to start making money as an artist. This guide is for absolute beginners who have never sold their art but are willing to do so and for those who have been in the creative field for a while but never considered making it a profession before.
1. Private Commissions
Taking private commissions is the first and most common step for most artists. Private commissions involve creating art like a painting, logo, portrait, or wedding stationery for someone. The client can be your friends, family, or anyone. This type of income is easy to get—all you have to do is showcase your work to people. You can also ask your friends and family to spread the word.
2. Print on Demand (POD)
Selling your art on Print on Demand websites like Redbubble and Society6 is a fun and easy step. You don't have to talk to any client or produce any product. Create art and upload it to these websites; they handle production, shipping, and customer care. However, note that you will get a small percentage of each sale, and you need to market your work to get sales due to increased competition.
3. In-Person Workshops
This is one of my favorite things I used to do before the pandemic. Meeting people from different cultures and teaching them your skills is incredibly fun. It may take some preparation, but it's definitely worth it.
4. Online Teaching
If you love teaching, you will enjoy teaching online too. You can film your classes and put them on platforms like Skillshare, Udemy, or your website. Another way of teaching online is through live Zoom calls. Figure out what works best for you and get started.
5. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is another small portion of my income. It involves marketing products from other companies and earning a percentage of each sale made via your link.
6. YouTube
If you love making videos like vlogs, tutorials, or product reviews, create a YouTube channel. While I am not a great YouTuber, many artist friends have done well on this platform. You can earn passive income after reaching a certain number of subscribers and build a solid following.
7. Licensing
Licensing is another amazing way to earn money with your art. It takes a while to get into this field, but it can be a full-time income generator for anyone with a unique signature style. Licensing means renting your artwork or designs to a company for a number of products for a certain period and earning royalties on the sales.
8. Selling Your Own Products
This is another fantastic way of earning income. You can sell art prints, original art, handmade products, stickers, mugs, etc. You can open an online shop with Shopify, Squarespace, or Etsy.
9. Commercial Projects
Commercial projects like logo designing, packaging design, advertising, editorial design, and illustrations are some of my favorites. If you love art direction and enjoy illustrating for different companies and magazines, this could be a great fit for you.
10. Patreon
Patreon is a crowdfunding platform where artists can create a membership business with their fans. People pay you monthly, and you share content like tutorials, live calls, and behind-the-scenes insights.
These are my top suggestions on how you can start making money as an artist. There might be many other ways too. Start with one and gradually expand your horizons. I hope this article was helpful to you!
Skillshare Classes for Procreate Lovers
Why I Love Skillshare for Learning Digital Illustration and Procreate
I’ve been a dedicated Skillshare user since 2016, and I’ve never regretted subscribing to this amazing platform. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned artist, Skillshare is the perfect place to enhance your skills and grow creatively. I started by taking many traditional painting classes and gradually transitioned into digital painting, especially using Procreate.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to sharpen your skills in Procreate, these classes will inspire you to create beautiful digital art. Below are some of my most recommended classes for Procreate lovers:
A playful and engaging class perfect for beginners. Lisa Bardot breaks down fun drawing exercises that will help you get comfortable with Procreate while exploring different styles and techniques.
This class is ideal if you’re new to digital illustration. Brooke Glaser teaches you how to complete four exciting projects while getting familiar with the tools and features of Procreate.
This class dives deep into the world of color theory and teaches you how to effectively use color palettes in your digital illustrations. Sarah Holliday shares her expertise in choosing the right colors to bring your artwork to life.
If lettering is your passion, this class by Gia Graham is a must-watch. She covers the fundamentals of hand lettering and adds unique finishing touches to make your designs stand out.
Mel Armstrong’s class will teach you how to add depth and texture to your illustrations by creating your own brushes and using texture overlays. Perfect for artists wanting to make their work more dynamic!
Iva Mikles’ class is a wonderful introduction to creating room scenes. This is great for practicing perspective, composition, and adding vibrant colors to your artwork.
If you’re into whimsical, stylized art and want to dip your toes into animation, this class is a treat! Charly Clements walks you through designing and animating playful scenes in Procreate.
Travel back in time with Jutta Schnieder’s class, where you’ll learn how to create charming mid-century-inspired cookbook illustrations. A great choice for retro art lovers.
Each of these classes brings something unique to the table and will help you grow as a digital artist. Which one are you excited to try first?
If you are not on Skillshare yet, You can get 1 Month absolutely free and cancel anytime. Click the button below to get your 30 days free trial on Skillshare and enjoy the plethora of high quality classes.
If you have watched any other classes that you think can be added to this list, please feel free to comment below. I’ll be happy to add them 🙂
Procreate Watercolor Essential Brush Pack - Make Realistic Watercolor Paintings in Procreate
I am delighted to announce that my new Procreate Watercolor Essential Brush Pack is now available for purchase. Designed with great care and attention, this brush pack caters to a variety of watercolor styles, making it perfect for artists at any level.
What's Included:
40 Custom Brushes: Crafted to mimic the rich textures and effects of traditional watercolor painting, allowing you to achieve both delicate and bold strokes with ease.
6 High-Resolution Canvases: Pre-textured canvases to give your digital artwork an authentic watercolor paper feel.
10 Color Palettes: Curated palettes to inspire your creativity and help you explore a range of color harmonies in your artwork.
6 Sketches: Ready-to-use sketches to kickstart your projects and practice your skills.
How This Brush Pack Can Enhance Your Skills:
Versatility: Whether you're illustrating botanicals, creating abstract art, or painting landscapes, these brushes are versatile enough to handle any project.
Realistic Effects: Achieve realistic watercolor effects digitally, with brushes that respond to pressure and tilt, just like traditional tools.
Creative Freedom: Experiment with different techniques and styles, and see how these tools can elevate your work.
Efficiency: Save time with pre-made canvases and color palettes, allowing you to focus on honing your artistic skills.
This brush pack is designed to complement the techniques and a variety of styles. Whether you're just starting your creative journey or looking to enhance your skills, these tools will provide the foundation you need to grow as an artist.
Feel free to share your artwork and connect with me on Instagram by tagging me @markdisha or use hashtag #markdishabrushes.
Can’t wait to see what you create using this brush pack :)
Happy painting!
Procreate Magic - Remove Paper Backgrounds From Digital Watercolors
Removing extra paper backgrounds from your digital watercolor artwork is not the smae as removing it from your traditional watercolor paintings. Are you looking to enhance your Digital Watercolor Art by removing unwanted paper backgrounds while keeping that beautiful texture intact? I just published a 7 minute SHORT CLASS on Skillshare where you'll discover the secrets to effortlessly achieving professional-quality results in Procreate.
Building on the techniques from my previous class, Watercolor Botanicals in Procreate, we will dive deeper into advanced methods for cleaning up your artwork. You'll learn step-by-step how to precisely remove paper backgrounds and export your creations as high-quality PNG files, perfect for showcasing online or in your digital portfolio.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
The best tools and techniques in Procreate for removing paper backgrounds.
How to maintain and enhance the watercolor texture in your artwork.
Tips and tricks for seamless PNG exports, ensuring your art looks stunning on any platform.
Whether you're a budding illustrator or an experienced artist, this class will equip you with the skills to take your digital watercolor paintings to the next level. Join me in transforming your creative process and making your art stand out!
If you are not on Skillshare yet, I am giving you a 1 MONTH FREE ACCESS to all the premium classes. Click the link belopw to get 1 Month free. Cancel anytime.
Mastering Watercolors in Procreate - Paint Realistic Botanicals
Have you ever imagined painting realistic botanical illustrations digitally? I never did until I tried it a few months ago. I've been painting with watercolors for about seven years, and botanical illustration is something I am known for. I have worked in the packaging and editorial industries, always painting with traditional watercolors. I never imagined myself using Procreate to create a full illustration.
A few months back, I was traveling and had a deadline. It became necessary for me to rely mostly on my iPad. I created a few custom brushes to achieve the perfect watercolor look and completed the illustrations. When I sent the final illustrations to the client for review, I was surprised to learn that they couldn't tell they were created using a digital tool. Of course, I told them later, but it was an eye-opener for me. After that, I buckled down and created some very cool brushes as needed, and started working 100% on Procreate.
Now, I want to share my tips and techniques with you all. I know many of you are in the same boat, wondering whether to paint with real paints or digital tools. I totally get it. That’s why I created a class with very simple steps for you, where we will paint a beautiful illustration of a strawberry branch. You will also get free bonus brushes, canvas, sketch, and a color palette in the class, so all you need to do is follow along and start painting with me.
Join my class on Skillshare and learn how to master realistic botanical illustrations in Procreate. Whether you're a traditional artist looking to explore digital tools or a digital artist wanting to enhance your skills, this class is perfect for you. Let's paint together and create stunning botanical art!
You will learn:
How to download the Free Resources
Brush Overview
Underpainting
Using Clipping mask
Blending Techniues
How to organize your layers.
Adding details
Finishing touches
If you are not a Skillshare Member yet, GET 1 MONTH FREE and enjoy thousands of classes for free. Cancel Anytime.