Natural landscapes from an aerial perspective with Nicholas Tobias
Material: watercolor
Number of paintings: 8
Course duration: 19 hours
Access: unlimited
What the course is about
This course is a comprehensive guide to painting realistic and atmospheric landscapes in watercolour - with a special focus on scenes viewed from a bird’s-eye perspective.
You’ll follow a structured path, starting with foundational exercises and gradually moving toward more advanced paintings that capture depth, mood, and light with confidence and clarity.
Who will find this course useful
Designed for advanced beginners to intermediate-level artists, this course is perfect for those who want to strengthen their understanding of watercolour and explore the unique challenges and beauty of aerial landscapes.
You'll learn to paint using the same professional techniques used by experienced artists - helping you elevate your work and develop a more expressive and refined painting style.
Course program
Unit 1. Preparation
Lesson 1
Greetings
Basic course overview and introduction to your teacher.
Lesson 2
Materials
Overview of the essential materials you'll need to get started with the course.
Lesson 3
Pencil sketching errors
Common mistakes in pencil sketching and how to avoid them before moving on to painting.
Unit 2. Composition
Lesson 4
«Cypriot countryside»
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
In this lesson, we’ll be painting a peaceful rural scene inspired by the quiet, sunlit landscapes of Cyprus. It’s a beautiful place with soft rolling hills, distant mountains, and warm golden fields.
You will learn to:
- understand and apply the rule of thirds for better composition;
- identify and paint background, middleground, and foreground;
- break down complex scenes into simple shapes and lines for easier sketching and painting.
Lesson 5
«The plains of Cyprus»
Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes
In this lesson we’ll escape to the golden plains of Cyprus, where the breeze whispers through tall grasses and the sunlight dances across the land.
You will learn to:
- choose what to paint;
- create a focal point;
- consider objectives when creating one;
- develop a convincing narrative, using storytelling tricks.
Unit 3. Tone
Lesson 6
«View from the Glastonbury Tor»
Duration: 2 hours
This lesson is a journey to the mystical heights of Glastonbury Tor, where ancient hills roll into the distance and the sky stretches wide above the land.
You will learn to:
- use tone in aerial views to separate foreground, middleground, and background;
- create the perception of depth;
- place contrasts in tone.
Lesson 7
«In the heart of Cyprus»
Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes
A step-by-step landscape painting of the Troodos Mountains in Cyprus, capturing light, shadow, and atmosphere from a bird’s-eye view.
You will learn to:
- loosen up our washes;
- work with more pigment and more water;
- contrast the most dynamic contrasts;
- let the washes produce their own effects.
Lesson 8
Overview of artworks
An overview of the teacher's artworks to give you insight into their style, approach, and artistic vision.
Unit 4. Colour
Lesson 9
«The English Countryside»
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Explore warm and cool colors in watercolor by painting a peaceful English countryside, learning how color temperature creates depth and atmosphere.
You will learn to:
- understand the difference between warm and cool colors and how they affect mood and depth;
- use warm colors to bring elements forward and cool colors to push elements back;
- learn basic color mixing to adjust temperature and create harmony
- practice layering techniques to enhance depth through temperature contrast;
- apply these principles to create balanced and dynamic watercolor compositions.
Lesson 10
«Harmony in Wintertime France»
Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes
A serene winter scene from Auron, France, where subtle hues and gentle contrasts create a quiet harmony on paper.
You will learn to:
- understand the concept of color harmony and why it's essential for a cohesive painting;
- learn to work with a limited (reduced) color palette to create balance and unity;
- explore how simplifying your palette can enhance color mixing skills and creativity;
- use strategic color choices to guide the viewer's attention and highlight focal points;
- develop a more intentional and thoughtful approach to color in watercolor painting.
Lesson 11
«A Mountain Scene from Cyprus»
Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes
A tranquil glimpse of Kakopetria, Cyprus - where sunlit rooftops meet rugged mountain textures beneath a soft Mediterranean sky.
You will learn to:
- define what edges are in watercolor painting;
- control and place edges effectively;
- strengthen the focal point using strategic edges;
- apply these concepts in a mountain landscape.
Lesson 12
«A Winter Journey to Auron»
Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes
A quiet winter journey to Auron, where snow-dusted peaks, hushed chalets, and soft alpine light unfold in delicate washes of watercolor.
You will learn to:
- minimize brush strokes for a cleaner, more expressive result;
- choose which brushes to use for different effects in a winter landscape;
- develop a personal visual language in your painting;
- create dynamic and confident brush marks.
Conclusion
A reflective closing to our watercolor journey - a moment to pause, look back on the landscapes we’ve painted, and the paths we’ve taken with brush in hand.
Nicholas
Tobias
I am a self taught artist
I have been teaching watercolour since 2022- I have trained and worked as an urban designer. I still produce watercolour visualisations for architecture projects in London
- I have been nominated for young artist of the year (2024) at the TALP Open, a British watercolour competition
- I am a self taught artist who has learnt through experience
- I have twice received the top 200 award at the International Watercolour Masters annual competition (2021, 2024), out of over 3500 entries
- I have exhibited at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours annual exhibition on three occasions, twice alongside King Charles
- I am passionate about conveying atmosphere and mood
InstructorsWorks
Teachersworks
Course materials
Brushes:
- one flat brush;
- one large brush;
- two medium;
- one small synthetic brush for detail.
Paper:
- 100% cotton good quality watercolour paper
Other items:
- spray bottle, masking tape and tissue
Paints:
- The three primaries along with a warm dark and a cool dark;
- Also a turquoise colour and a green colour;
- Cobalt Blue;
- Quinacridone Rose;
- New Gamboge;
- Sepia;
- Paynes Grey;
- Cobalt Turquoise Light;
- Sap Green.
Prices
- 13 lessons: theory + practice + overview or teacher’s artworks + pencil sketching errors
- 8 impressive bird’s-eye view paintings
- Machine translated subtitles: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Polish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Chinese, Indonesian
- Course Unfreeze
- The opportunity to watch the analysis of other participants' artworks
- Access to course materials without time limits
- Review of your artworks and answers to questions in the comments for 60 days from the start of the course
- Personal one-hour online consultation with a course expert
- +20 bonus dollars! Can be used when purchasing a course at the next workshop. Valid for 3 months
- 13 lessons: theory + practice + overview or teacher’s artworks + pencil sketching errors
- 8 impressive bird’s-eye view paintings
- Machine translated subtitles: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Polish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Chinese, Indonesian
- Course Unfreeze
- The opportunity to watch the analysis of other participants' artworks
- Access to course materials without time limits
- Review of your artworks and answers to questions in the comments for 60 days from the start of the course
- Personal one-hour online consultation with a course expert
- +20 bonus dollars! Can be used when purchasing a course at the next workshop. Valid for 3 months
- 13 lessons: theory + practice + overview or teacher’s artworks + pencil sketching errors
- 8 impressive bird’s-eye view paintings
- Machine translated subtitles: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Polish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Chinese, Indonesian
- Course Unfreeze
- The opportunity to watch the analysis of other participants' artworks
- Access to course materials without time limits
- Review of your artworks and answers to questions in the comments for 60 days from the start of the course
- Personal one-hour online consultation with a course expert
- +20 bonus dollars! Can be used when purchasing a course at the next workshop. Valid for 3 months
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- I can't draw at all. Should I take the course?
-
Of course you should! The course is designed so that it starts with simple paintings and then progresses to more complex ones, allowing you to smoothly integrate into the process and achieve high results!
The course will also be beneficial for experienced artists. You will further refine your technique and enhance your visual understanding.
- How is the feedback organized?
-
At the end of the lesson, you will upload a photo of your work. The teacher will have the opportunity to leave textual, graphic (annotations on the drawing), as well as audio comments on your work.
At the bottom of each lesson, there will be a comment section where you can ask any questions related to the learning process.
- How long will the training take?
-
If you have a plan without feedback, it will depend on your personal pace at which you complete the lessons.
With plans that include feedback, we actively conduct lessons for two months from the moment you "unfreeze" the course.
Overall, I recommend taking the course at a relaxed pace. Enjoy the process more!
- I am 67 years old, will I be able to learn to draw such illustrations in the course?
-
It's never too late to learn to draw. In our school, 30% of students are over 50 years old. They enjoy drawing, developing their skills, creative thinking, and rejuvenating their spirit and mind!
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