Naturalist Illustration Techniques: Whales in Watercolor

Meet Antonia Reyes, naturalist illustrator and teacher for this course. She shares her creative journey in natural illustration and how whales became her favorite subject to illustrate. Hear about her professional background and her sources of inspiration.

Start your creative journey by learning about orcas, blue whales and humpback whales in both an artistic and environmental context. Get inspired by creating a reference board with visual elements such as anatomical forms, colors, and details.

Get an overview of the materials needed as Antonia guides you through the different uses of your art supplies. Discover Antonia’s techniques by exploring color mixing, creating undertones, gradients and pigment spots. She also covers experimental watercolor techniques such as adding sea salt and masking fluid to create texture. Learn how to make an accurate preliminary sketch through drawing techniques focused on anatomy, shape and proportion.

Apply everything learned throughout the course by starting your first illustration: the orca whale. Hear Antonia’s tips for creating a 3-dimensional effect and adding detail with different brushstrokes. Next, illustrate a blue whale while focusing on their key feature: their grooves. Discover how to recreate patterns using masking fluid. Create the final illustration of the humpback whale and see how to add unique textures with sea salt.