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Transform your watercolour skills and bring your imagination to life!

Discover the magic of watercolour illustration and unlock your creative potential in this transformative 6-week journey. This course provides step-by-step guidance to master watercolour, design and paint picture book characters, and bring storytelling scenes to life — all inspired by the enchanting world of Alice in Wonderland. 

Whether you’re aiming to start a career, enhance your portfolio, or simply enjoy creating beautiful, professional-quality illustrations, this course will guide you from concept to painting a watercolour masterpiece — equipping you with the skills, confidence, and a portfolio piece to open new doors in your illustration journey.

  • Watercolour techniques: colour theory, mixing, undertones, painting skin tones, and building a strong technical foundation.
  • Character design and painting: explore caricature, proportions, shapes, and silhouettes inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Create a portfolio of characters including Alice, the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat, and the Mad Hatter.
  • Composition and storytelling: develop skills to plan, thumbnail, and layout scenes, culminating in a storytelling illustration.
  • Final portfolio piece: plan, sketch, and paint a final, portfolio-worthy watercolour scene of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, demonstrating your new skills from concept to completion.
  • Understand the true creative process of an illustrator, from idea to artwork.
  • Build confidence in character design, thumbnails, and layouts to bring your vision to life with watercolour.
  • Enjoy the tactile joy of hands-on painting without AI — pure, fun artistry.
  • Feel proud and inspired as you create beautiful works you'll love to showcase, with enduring skills.

Week 1: Mastering Fundamentals 

  • Start Date: October 6, 2025
  • Live Session with Nina: October 9, 2025
  • Learn the core techniques of watercolour, including supplies, brush handling, colour mixing, washes, and basic colour theory.

Week 2: Creating Alice 

  • Start Date: October 13, 2025
  • Live Session with Nina: October 16, 2025
  • Focus on mixing skin tones as we design and paint your unique version of Alice.

Week 3: Character Design 

  • Start Date: October 20, 2025
  • Live Session with Nina: October 23, 2025
  • Master caricature design and groups of characters, focusing on proportions, shapes, silhouettes, and group dynamics.

Week 4: Design a Set of Wonderland Playing Cards 

  • Start Date: October 27, 2025
  • Live Session with Nina: October 30, 2025
  • Paint your own set of playing cards using your characters from the previous week.

Week 5: Scene Design 

  • Start Date: November 3, 2025
  • Live Session with Nina: November 6, 2025
  • Plan and design a layout for a picture book scene of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.

Week 6: Bringing It All Together 

  • Start Date: November 10, 2025
  • Paint your final, portfolio-worthy watercolour scene of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, showcasing everything you’ve learned.

Live Showcase: November 13, 2025

 

“I just wanted to dive in and learn more about how watercolour works and the process… It’s one of the best courses I’ve ever done.” – Kat Thomson

Click the video above to hear about Kat’s experience in the Watercolour Wonder course.

Investing in this course offers incredible value—delivering expert guidance and a portfolio of professional work for a fraction of the cost of a university degree that can take years and thousands of dollars. It’s a smart investment in your talent, your time, and your future as an illustrator. Valuing your craft means prioritising your growth today, building skills that open doors to commissions, recognition, and a sustainable creative career. This is your chance to make it happen—without overextending your time or finances.

Hi, I’m Nina Rycroft!

A picture book illustrator and the host of the Watercolour Wonder. My journey in watercolour started with my first published book in 2000, a passion that has only grown over the years. With over two decades of experience under my belt, I’m excited to share what I’ve learned with you.

I’m proud to have illustrated more than a dozen published picture books, including titles like Boom Bah! by Phil Cummings, No More Kisses by Margaret Wild, Dinosaurs Love Cheese and Good Dog Hank by Jackie French, and Pooka (YABBA Award Winner 2013). For more about Nina.

My experiences as a self-taught illustrator have been instrumental in shaping my teaching.  I go beyond just teaching technical skills; my mission is to inspire, support, and empower you to discover and embrace your unique artistic voice. 

This course is exactly what I wish I had when I started—learning watercolour while designing characters and illustrations for picture books felt like a distant dream. Now, I’m thrilled to offer you the chance to dive in and explore your own creativity!

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