You’ve been treating watercolor like it’s going to break.
It’s not. And this course is going to prove it.
Watercolor One: Loose On Purpose is a beginner-to-intermediate watercolor course built around one idea — structure first, then let it go. No fussy techniques. No overworked finished paintings. Just the system, applied to water.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
How to read watercolor — water ratio, timing, wet vs. dry paper
How to use a brush as a drawing tool, not just a painting tool
The full Construct to Deconstruct progression system in watercolor
How to reserve whites and build from light to dark
Tonal vs. chromatic painting — two lanes, two completely different results
How to push past comfortable and make intentional messes that teach you more than careful paintings ever will
Who It’s For
Beginners who want to start loose and stay that way
Tight painters who want permission to loosen up
Artists frustrated with overworked, muddy watercolors
Students who’ve completed Drawing Is Everything, Drawing Fundamentals, Values & Color, and Design & Composition.
Anyone who’s been scared of watercolor and ready to stop being scared
What Makes This Different
Most watercolor courses teach you how to paint a finished piece. This one teaches you how to think differently about the medium. You’ll use the same Construct to Deconstruct system from the Deconstruction Lab — build the structure, then push it apart until the looseness is earned, not accidental.
By the end you’ll have a 22×30 master sheet that tells the whole story of the course in one visual. And you’ll understand exactly why “too far” is the most important place you can go.
The Bottom Line
120 minutes. 18 lessons. 4 assignments. One master sheet that proves the system works.
Make it a mess on purpose.
Materials List
Watercolor One: Loose On Purpose
Paints — Holbein
Alizarin Crimson
Cadmium Red Light
Cadmium Yellow
Yellow Ochre
Ultramarine Blue
Cobalt Blue
Neutral Tint
Burnt Sienna
Brushes
Medium pointed round
Sword brush
Palette
John Pike palette (or any large well palette)
Paper
140lb cold press — full sheets recommended
Everything Else
Two water reservoirs (one clean, one dirty)
Paper towels or an old rag
This course is part of the Deconstruction Lab ecosystem.
Watercolor One builds directly on the system taught in the foundation courses. Before diving in, here's what's recommended:
Highly Recommended
Drawing Is Everything — the core philosophy and progression system. Referenced throughout this course.
Values & Color — value structure and the tonal vs. chromatic system are used extensively in every section.
Design & Composition - Pre-painting decisions. The blueprint. What goes where and why.
New to art or drawing?
Drawing Fundamentals — start here before anything else. Covers observation, line, mark making, and structural drawing from the ground up.
The Deconstruction Lab
A complete foundation pathway
Drawing Is Everything - The philosophy. Everything builds on top of this. You don't have a drawing problem. You have a thinking problem.
Drawing Fundamentals - Structure is the permission slip. This is where you build it.
Values & Color - Most painting problems aren't color problems. They're value problems. This fixes that.
Design & Composition - Most painting problems aren't paint problems. They're composition decisions you never made.
Watercolor One: Loose On Purpose - Watercolor isn't fragile. This course proves it. (You Are Here)
Acrylic One - Most acrylic courses teach you how to finish a painting. This one teaches you how to think with paint.
Mixed Media One (Coming Soon)