Watercolor Rainbow Art - for Beginners

A beginners watercolor class that teaches you the basics of watercolor painting through a very simple and therapeutic project - painting rainbows. Rainbows have become a symbol of hope and community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Artist, Anne Bollman began painting them a few months into quarantine as a form of art therapy and to send as gifts to loved ones she'd been missing. She ended up creating this class so that anybody at any experience level could enjoy the benefits of this project too. 
In this class you will learn about the supplies and tools needed to complete the project, how to prepare and lay out your piece. You'll design your unique rainbow art piece by mixing watercolors to create your own color palette. You'll select a phrase to include that is meaningful to you. Anne will then walk you through her step by step process to paint the piece, including advice on painting techniques and color and compositional considerations. A bonus video is also included for those who want to learn how to scan and digitize their finished artwork using Photoshop. 
CLASS OUTLINE
Preparation
Supply Overview (see PDF supply list)
Layout Pencil Guide Lines (see PDF of layout reference)
Design
Select a Phrase
Mix Paint to Come Up with 4 Color Palette
Create Tonal Reference Swatches of Each Color
Painting
Paint the Rainbows
Vary Colors, Tones, Width, Line Weights
Try Bleeding 2 Colors, "Erasing" Mistakes, Adding Texture with Paper Towel

Paint the Text
Sketch Out Your Text on a Plain Piece of Paper
Practice Painting the Text on Scrap Paper
Paint the Text on Your Piece

Erase the Pencil Lines
Wait for Paint to Completely Dry OR Use a Hair Dryer
Erase all Pencil Lines

BONUS: Digitizing
Set Up a New Document in Photoshop
Scan Your Artwork
If Scanned in Two Pieces, Use Photoshop to Seamlessly Stitch The Scans Together

Light & Color Corrections in Photoshop
Cutting Artwork Out from Background
Placing & Centering Artwork into New Document