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Alex Hillkurtz Watercolor – Intermediate

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About the Course

Master the expressive power of watercolor through foundational brush control, advanced color techniques, and confident mark-making. This intermediate course bridges technical precision with artistic expression, covering a range of subjects that include geometric shape practice, complex subjects such as architecture, figures, and water effects. Students will develop proficiency in light-shadow relationships, pigment mixing, and creating three-dimensional form while building the confidence to paint with both control and spontaneity.

WHAT YOU GET

6

6 Recorded Live Classes

Reference Images

Sample Paintings

Library

Curated reference

Homework

6 Assignments

COMMUNITY & ACCESS

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Materials List

This is a list of suggested materials. If you don’t have, or can’t find, anything on this list, don’t worry—we can do a lot with a minimum amount of materials. I’ve included my personal choices for each item in parenthesis, but I don’t want you to feel obligated to rush out and buy high-end materials. There are certainly less expensive options.

Pencil – 4B, 6B
Brushes
- One Round – (I use Escoda Perla 10, Van Gogh "191" 8)
- One Flat – (I use Raphaél "915" 18 or 12)
- One Mop – (I use Raphaél "le 803" petit gris 8, 5 or 3, Escoda Ultimo 14)
Ink Pen
- Any ink pen with waterproof ink.
- Sakura Pigma Micron 05, 03, or 01
- Faber-Castell Ecco Pigment fine liner 05, 03, or 01
- Fountain pen with waterproof ink (I use a Faber-Castell Guilloche fountain pen with refillable cartridges that I fill with Noodlers Polar Black ink)
Paper
- A basic sketchbook (approx. 22×28 cm) suitable for thumbnail sketches as well as watercolor exercises, so a slightly heavier paper that can handle washes. (I use Strathmore 400 Series watercolor sketchbooks.)
- 100% cotton watercolor paper, approx. 30×40 cm. I like Canson Héritage and Arches cold pressed. I like using paper in blocks so I don’t need to stretch or mount it on anything. But if you’d rather use loose sheets, that’s fine as well.
Paint
I use Daniel Smith and Rembrandt paints, but most brands are suitable for what we’ll be doing. Here’s my palette:
- Cobalt Blue
- Ultramarine Blue
- Cerulean Chromium
- Burnt Sienna (English Red if using Rembrandt paints)
- Pyrrol Scarlet – a warm red, similar to W&N "Scarlet Lake", Sennelier "Red", Schmincke "Vermillion", Da Vinci "Permanent Red"
- Indian Red – a very opaque, granulating, and earthy red. Also made by DaVinci and W&N.
- Raw Sienna
- Raw Umber
- Yellow Ochre
- Quinacridone Sienna – Old Holland "Quinacridone Red Orange", Schmincke "Quinacridone Gold Hue", W&N "Transparent Yellow" mixed with a little W&N "Burnt Sienna"
- Quinacridone Red
- Cobalt Yellow
Miscellaneous
- Paper towel
- Eraser
- Masking tape
- Water bottle
- Water container (plastic cup)

About Your Instructor

Alex Hillkurtz

From the bustling studios of Hollywood to the quiet cobblestone streets of Paris, Alex Hillkurtz has lived the artist's dream.

His journey from renowned storyboard artist for films like "Argo" and "Almost Famous" to watercolor master in the City of Light is one of passion, dedication, and artistic evolution. Now teaching from his charming Paris studio, Alex combines his cinematic eye for composition with the timeless techniques of European watercolor masters. His approach captures not just the architecture of Paris, but its soul - the way morning light dances on ancient stones, the romantic shadows of café awnings, the gentle flow of the Seine. "Paris taught me that watercolor isn't just about technique - it's about capturing a feeling, a moment in time. Every brushstroke should tell a story." - Alex Hillkurtz Through his courses, Alex shares not just technical skills, but the romantic vision that makes watercolor painting so enchanting. Whether you're sketching your first Parisian café or mastering advanced architectural techniques, Alex guides you with the patience of a master and the heart of a dreamer.