4 Ways To Watercolor on Cards: Workshop Recap

On June 9th, I hosted a watercolor workshop focused on 4 ways to watercolor. You will see that some incredibly talented people attended. Their amazing work is shared (in no particular order) throughout this article which is quite long, so be sure to read all the way to the end.

4 Ways to Watercolor Workshop Overview

The workshop was designed for crafters with any level of experience. It was online but the format was intentionally focused on being as similar as an in-person workshop as possible. Participants could ask questions and make comments whenever they wanted to during the workshop. And they were also able to share their projects visually with the rest of the group.

The workshop began by introducing ourselves to each other, sharing where we are located, and what our objectives or intents were for the workshop. In total, there were eleven of us in attendance from all around the world.

Several people mentioned that they were participating in the workshop because they were terrified of watercolors. And, they were reassured that the workshop should work towards making watercolors fun to use.

After the intros, we jumped right in and got started. Everyone had completed the pre-work that they had been given to do prior to the workshop. So we started by doing a little bit of blending over the images on each of the four heat embossed card panels.

4 Ways To Watercolor Techniques

A list of supplies required for each technique had been provided to the attendees prior to the workshop so that they could stage them before we got started.

Then during the workshop, I explained how to use each of the techniques: painting with re-inkers and water, woodless watercolor pencils, watercolor brush markers wet-on-dry method, and watercolor brush markers wet-on-wet method.

I also demonstrated how to use and clean a watercolor brush marker. And how to keep it from ruining your project.

And, we talked about what to do if you have too much or too little water on your project.

For each technique, the participants were given time to practice the technique and then they shared what they had done with the rest of the group before moving on to the next step.

The Most Popular Technique

Once everyone had time to try out each of the techniques we took a little anonymous poll asking which technique they liked the most. And, they were not limited to just one answer, they could choose one, any combination, or all four if they wanted to.

Watercolor Brush Markers Wet-On-Wet was the clear favorite.

The results are so fun because there had been a discussion about how Wet-On-Wet was the most difficult technique while we were practicing it. And yes, Watercolor Brush Markers Wet-On-Wet, the most difficult technique is their favorite!

Bonus Color Matching Techniques

The goal was to try to finish two cards during the workshop. And I had two bonus techniques up my sleeve to share having to do with adding some matching color to finish the cards with.

I demonstrated both of the color techniques and everyone practiced it. And then we assembled our cards.

OK, But Why Hold a Workshop?

I had two reasons for holding the workshop. I absolutely love to teach and help people. There is nothing like it! And, it is especially rewarding to see what people are able to do as a result of what you have taught them.

Secondly, conducting a workshop is the final project in Altenew’s Educator Certification Program (AECP). AECP is a wonderful program that not only teaches a plethora of techniques and tricks for card making but also nudges you to learn how to create and maintain a blog and to use social media to promote it. If you are interested, you can check it out here: AECP.

My AECP journey started about a year ago just after having discovered Altenew and falling in love with their products. When I learned of the AECP program it was a no-brainer for me. I love the products and their high quality in everything they do. And I thought I could brush up on my techniques so I applied to the program.

The AECP Program

The program consists of three levels: ten classes and a final project for the first and second levels each. And then a choice of five more classes for the third level with a final project to deliver a workshop.

The classes are just amazing. I have not only brushed up on my techniques I’ve learned a lot of brand new ones! And I’ve also learned how to use all sorts of tools and media as well. In addition I’ve picked up tons of tricks on how to do things better or easier. And now, as I look through all of the projects I’ve created for those classes I can see how the quality of my work has significantly improved. And I owe it all to the AECP program.

It has been a wonderful, amazing journey!

Preparation for the 4 Ways to Watercolor Workshop

Professionally, I am a project manager, otherwise known as a planner. I apply planning to everything I do both at work and at home. I do so because good planning ensures successful implementation. And so it goes without saying that I did a lot of planning for my workshop.

In this section I share what and how I planned for my so that you can use it as a guide if you are thinking about delivering a workshop but don’t know how to plan for it.

I first broke down what needed to be done into the following manageable chunks of work.

1. Video Conferencing Platform

As I mentioned in the workshop overview, it was important to me to provide an interactive environment. The intent of doing so was to make it as close to being in-person as possible in a virtual environment.

And, I wanted to provide the participants with the capability to ask questions or make comments real time when they needed answers. Rather than waiting me to find them in a chat.

I researched many platforms and Zoom is what I ended up with. It was the only one that offered a more personal environment that I was looking for.

2. “Production Studio”

Being that we are in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was given a choice on how I would deliver my two-hour workshop. The choices were to hold a “physical” workshop in person or to conduct it online. I chose the latter.

Just the Basics

I have a newish MacBook Air (laptop). It has been working fine with Zoom meetings and research indicates that this type of laptop is ok for video conferencing so that is what we will use.

In order to deliver a virtual cardmaking workshop, you have to be connected to the internet. Preferably high-speed internet (A minimum of 10 megabits per second, Mbps,) to deliver the best quality audio and video when you are “live”.

This presented a problem for me because I’m located in a rural area where traditional high-speed internet is not available and I was only getting a little more than 5 Mbps. My only option was to go with satellite internet which is quite expensive. But the results are a significant improvement in speed, between 25 and 50Mbps, so I guess it’s worth it.

The next challenge is how to capture what you want to demonstrate. I had created a couple of flat-lay (overhead shot of your work surface) videos using my I-phone and an Arkon phone holder but I also wanted to do front facing shots.

More Than The Basics

I kind of liked the idea of teaching and creating videos, so I used the workshop as an excuse to set up a proper studio. I bought a couple of top-notch cameras (a camcorder and a mirrorless camera) and the rigs to set up shots from front-facing and flat-lay. And I bought a switcher to be able to switch from one to the other and a good microphone. A list of what I got can be found at the bottom of this article.

There was a lot of trial and error to get the right gadgets and cables to get my studio working. This isn’t something that is easy for someone who is not a techy. I won’t go through what I ended up in this article, but watch the Tools and Supplies category in this blog for an article on them or leave a comment.

Studio Proficiency

Getting all of the components to work together as they should is kind of twitchy for someone who wasn’t familiar with any of them. I spent a many hours reviewing YouTube videos to get things just the way I thought they should be.

Once everything was set up I had to learn how to use it all. After doing so and practicing on my own until I was happy with my results, then I wanted to try out a live meeting with someone else.

I began to practice holding interactive workshops on Zoom with my nephew, Jens (Those practice sessions led us to create our Kids Making Cards series of articles and videos geared at teaching kids).

3. Project Selection for the 4 Ways to Watercolor Workshop

Throughout this article I provide what are called an affiliate links. If you purchase something by following one of these links I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I appreciate your support of my blog.

Project selection for the workshop was easy. Two of the AECP classes were life-changing for me: Easy Ink Blending Techniques Online Class and Creative Coloring with Erum – Advanced Techniques Online Class. If you haven’t attended them yet, I highly recommend them!

I have played a lot with the techniques from each of the classes and made them my own. And that is what I wanted to share in my workshop.

4. Watercolor Techniques

The next step was to decide what we’d do with those techniques. I went to my favorite Altenew stamp, from the Build-A-Flower Coneflower stamp and die set and heat embossed it with Pure White Crisp embossing powder on four quarter (4 1/2″ x 6″) pieces of Canson XL watercolor cardstock.

I wanted to use the “halo” background effect that I had learned from the Easy Ink Blending Techniques class and had come to love. And, I used two colors, Cosmic Berry and Emerald of water based inks to blend the backgrounds of each card panel.

Then I just started playing around with the watercolor techniques that I had come to love. And I ended up with going with the four techniques used in the practice panels shown below.

5. 4 Ways to Watercolor Workshop Lesson Plan/Outline

Once I had decided on the techniques that I would teach, I developed an outline that I would use as my lesson plan. I didn’t want the workshop to be too formal, but there were some major topics that I wanted to cover.

Objectives

I defined my objectives for the workshop before I did anything else. There were just three:

1. Attendees would learn 4 watercolor techniques
2. Attendees would have fun during the workshop
3. Make the workshop as close to an “in-person” workshop as possible

Outline

Once I had my objectives, I established an outline to deliver them. And then I decided how much time I wanted to spend on each topic:

• Introductions, Objectives, & Housekeeping – 10 minutes. I wanted to share what I intended for the attendees to get out of the workshop. And, I wanted to meet everyone, learn where they were from, and what they want to get out of it. I also wanted to give them a heads up that they would have a little time right before we start to do their pre-work if they hadn’t done so. And, I had done some research on trouble shooting technical issues with Zoom for them so that they would know what to do should they have trouble. And, I wanted to tell them that I was recording the workshop and make it available to them to access.
• Card Panel Prep – 10 minutes. This is where I taught how to do the blended background that we would use for all of the techniques.
• Techniques – 20 minutes for each technique. This included a demonstration, time for them to try it out and then share what they had done. I launched the poll after the majority of the participants had indicated that they were finished and ready to move on.
• Make Cards – 10 minutes. This is where I taught the two bonus color matching techniques and then we assembled the cards.
• Closing – 10 minutes. I wanted to check in with the participants to determine if the got what they came for. Then we did the giveaway and I used a call for action to sign up for my newsletters and watch for my posts. And finally, to sign off.

6. Marketing and Event Planning

I had taught classes at work before but had never delivered a workshop on my own. So I researched how to plan and market one. The research helped me to decide on how I needed to manage events and the registration for them. And that there were tools that I could use on my website to make it easier and more professional.

I decided on the tools that I wanted to use on my website, installed them and then set about learning how to use them.

There is a lot of great advice on the internet on how to market a workshop. I found a bunch of articles, picked the methods that were the best suited for me and my workshop.

Once I had my marketing plan defined, then I set out to implement it. I used social media to “advertise” the workshop. I shared the event that I had created on my website with my Facebook friends and on a couple of the Facebook groups that I belong to. And I created “ads” that I posted on Pinterest and Instagram.

7. Email Campaigns

The last thing I did to prepare for my workshop was to come up with a communications plan. It is important to make sure that the people who registered for the 4 ways to watercolor workshop actually attend it.

I have have struggled myself with remembering when and where workshops are that I have signed up for. And then I miss them. So I developed a number of email campaigns:

• Right after someone registered – an email was sent by the event management app to welcome them. And then I sent one that provided a list of supplies that they would need – the intent was to give them enough time to order things they didn’t already have – and the pre-work that they should do.
• Three weeks before the workshop – reminder of the workshop with the supplies list.
• Two weeks before the workshop – reminder of the pre-work.
• Four days before the workshop – reminder of the pre-work, suggestion to stage their supplies prior to the workshop, and the link and password to gain access to the zoom meeting.
• One hour before the workshop – reminder that the workshop is in an hour with technical trouble shooting hints.
• Right after the workshop – Thank you email.
• Within one week after workshop – links to public post and post with recording that is only available to those who attended.

What I Learned From Preparing For And Delivering The 4 Ways to Watercolor Workshop

• At the time that this article is being published Zoom is the best platform for interactive workshops.
• Just because you have good results while practicing, don’t assume that you will during the workshop – For example, video quality for dozens of practice sessions on Zoom were perfect, but there were some blurry spots during the workshop for the viewers at times.
• You have better attendance when you remind people about your workshop
• Crafters are the best! (I actually already knew that but just sayin’)
• Always expect the worst will happen, and then if it does you’re ready for it.
• Always expect something will go wrong with your technology and prepare with how to deal with it.
• Keep a steady watch on your email, especially within 24 hours of your workshop. For example, I scheduled an email 4 days prior to the workshop that was to deliver the link to the meeting and the password. But I received a couple of emails the night before the workshop that said they had never received it. As a result, I sent personal emails to each attendee with the link and the password.
• Have all supplies staged at arms length.
• Good preparation makes for smooth sailing.

Thank You!

Vickie Davis

I want to give a shout-out to Vickie Davis who won the watercolor prize, a 12-pan watercolor paint set from Altenew. She said that she already had Altenew’s 36-pan set. So she offered her gift to ten-year-old Jens, a “budding crafter”, who attended the 4 Ways to Watercolor workshop.

That was such a nice thing to do! Thanks again Vickie!!

Erum Tasneem and Virginia Lu

These ladies, Erum and Virginia, have been my AECP advisors.

Erum, you have been with me right from the start of my AECP journey. You’ve been so helpful along the way with your kind and complementary words of advice. And, I wouldn’t be where I am without your help. And, like I mentioned earlier your class has been one of the most meaningful to me. Thank you for everything you do for the card making community.

Virginia, I have only known you since I began working on my final project. But, you’ve been so helpful and very responsive to every one of my questions. Thank you for making my workshop a positive experience.

4 Ways To Watercolor Participants

Thank you for attending and participating in my workshop! Please let me know if I can return the favor!

Your sweet emails, and lovely posts have a special place in my heart, and I really appreciate that you took the time to send them.

It has been so fun to see the photos of your work and I am so proud of what you have accomplished as a result of our workshop. Especially for those of you that the workshop took out of your comfort zone! And, I hope that watercoloring is a little less scary and a lot more fun than it was before the workshop.

4 Ways to Watercolor Workshop Recap Summary

The entire process from planning all the way through this recap has been a real joy.

It has been a lot of work, but that work that has paid off.

Judging from the photos, postings and responses that I’ve received from those who attended the workshop it is clear that we met all three of our objectives. The pictures of the workshop projects through this article clearly show that the attendees have not only learned the techniques, but they have rocked them!

It’s kind of hard to tell if people are having fun in a virtual environment, but everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. And several have not only expressed that they did but have indicated that they would be interested in future workshops that I might give.

Like any time you get together with people that you don’t know, there are some that are more comfortable speaking up than others. But people asked questions and conversations during the workshop. And the further we moved through the workshop the more that people began to warm up and talk with each other.

So keep an eye out here on this website for more workshops in the future. And, good luck to all of you who plan to deliver your own workshops.

Studio Supplies

• Camcorder: Canon XA40
• Mirrorless Camera: Sony ZV1-E10
• Switcher: Blackmagic Atem MiniPro
• Microphone: Blue Yeticaster Professional Bundle
• Pop Filter: Auphonix
• Elgato Ring Light
• Elgato Solid Arm Auxiliary Holding Arm
• Impact 6″ Baby pin Wall plate
• Impact Rapid Baby to 3/8″ Male Threaded Adapter
• Monfotto 244RC