Watercolor Landscapes from Photo to Art Fall 2026 Class
Instructor: Elvira Rascov
I’m excited to bring back one of my most popular watercolor workshops—Watercolor Landscapes: From Photo to Art! This fall, the workshop has been expanded into a two-day class, giving you even more time to explore the watercolor process and develop your painting skills.
If you’ve ever wanted to transform an ordinary photograph into a beautiful, expressive watercolor painting, this class is for you. Whether you’re relatively new to watercolor or already have some experience, you’ll learn practical techniques that will help you paint with greater confidence while developing your own artistic style. Some previous watercolor experience is recommended.
What You’ll Learn
Throughout this hands-on workshop, you’ll discover how to:
- Use a photograph as the foundation for a watercolor painting.
- Simplify complex landscapes by identifying light and shadow.
- Create luminous color through layering, mixing, and texture.
- Understand the importance of value sketches for building strong compositions.
- Follow the complete painting process—from selecting a reference photo and planning your composition to sketching and completing an expressive watercolor painting.
Choose from a variety of reference photos provided during class, or bring your own personal photograph to paint from. (Please note that only personal photos may be used.)
Class Details
Dates: Saturday, September 5 & September 12
Time: 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Location:
Los Gatos Adult Recreation Center
208 East Main Street
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Registration Opens: August 7th, 2026
✨ Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged!
Materials to Bring
Please bring the following supplies:
- 9″ × 12″ cold press watercolor paper
- Basic watercolor paint set
- Round watercolor brushes (sizes 4, 6, and 10)
- Rigger brush for fine details
- Drawing board or clipboard
- Two water containers
- Masking tape
- Paper towels
A detailed supply list will be emailed one week before class.
Who Should Attend?
This workshop is ideal for watercolor painters with a little previous experience who are ready to build confidence and strengthen their skills in a supportive, relaxed environment.
Rather than focusing on completing a finished painting during class, we’ll concentrate on learning a repeatable process that will help you create stronger compositions, better understand color and value, and paint more expressive landscapes from your own photographs.
I look forward to sharing this creative journey with you and helping you discover new ways to bring your landscape photos to life with watercolor. I hope you’ll join me this fall!
Classes Location
Los Gatos Adult Recreation Center
208 East Main Street
Los Gatos, CA 95030