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Watercolor Landscapes from Photo to Art Class

🎨 Watercolor Workshop: Painting from Photos

Instructor: Elvira Rascov
All levels welcome

Join us for a fun and inspiring watercolor workshop where you’ll learn to transform an ordinary photo into a vibrant, expressive painting! Whether you’re new to watercolor or have some experience, this class will help you build confidence with loose painting techniques, color mixing, and sketching for strong compositions.

🖼️ What You’ll Learn:

  • How to use a photo as a starting point for your painting
  • Tips to simplify shapes and focus on light and shadow
  • Techniques for color layering, mixing, and creating texture
  • The importance of value sketches for building a solid foundation
  • Step-by-step guidance through the entire painting process — from choosing a reference, creating a strong composition, sketching, and finally bringing it all to life in watercolor

You’ll have the option to work from a selection of reference images provided, or you’re welcome to bring your own personal photo (please note: only personal photos may be used).

📅 Class Dates & Details:

  • Two Separate Sessions (Register for one or both!)
    • Saturday, October 25
    • Saturday, November 15
  • Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (3 hours)
  • Location:
    Los Gatos Adult Recreation Center
    208 East Main Street
    Los Gatos, CA 95030

Register for class on October 25

SIGN UP

Register for class On November 15

SIGN UP

🧰 Materials to Bring:

  • 9×12″ cold press watercolor paper
  • Basic set of watercolor paints
  • Round watercolor brushes (sizes 4, 6, 10) and a rigger for details
  • Drawing board or clipboard
  • Two water containers
  • Masking tape
  • Paper towels

A detailed supply list will be emailed one week before each class.

Come ready to explore, paint, and grow your watercolor skills in a relaxed, supportive environment. Whether you’re refining your technique or just starting out, you’ll leave with new tools and a beautiful painting to be proud of!

Elvira Rascov, an accomplished Colombian American artist, loves to render nature in watercolors and oils. Elvira has taken her art a notch further, and used these painting techniques to create groovy functional ceramics.
Inspired by her early teachers in Bogotá, Elvira teaches Art throughout the Bay Area, making painting fun and expressive.
When she is not busy capturing the soft California landscapes with its soothing hues of yellows and greens, she is experimenting with cityscapes.

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Watercolor Landscapes from Photo to Art Class- Winter 2026

About this Course

Some watercolor experience is recommended. This class is best suited for continuing watercolor students who are comfortable with basic techniques such as wet-on-wet, layering, and brush control.

In this watercolor workshop students will create a vibrant and expressive painting based on a reference photo. By using watercolor techniques like loose painting, color mixing and value sketching the students will be able to achieve beautiful results.
Students will learn how to use photographs effectively as a starting point for a painting by simplifying shapes and focusing on light and shadow. Also, students will learn composition, value sketching to plan a strong foundation.
There will be step by step guidance where the instructor will guide the students through all the process. Starting from choosing the right photo, creating a composition, a sketch and finally using the watercolor techniques to the final painting.
Students can choose to paint from provided references or use their own photos.
Note: Only personal photos will be used in this workshop.

Class Saturday January 31st, 2026
10 am to 1:00 pm
Los Gatos Adult Recreation Center
208 East Main St. Los Gatos, CA 95030

More information and registration HERE

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