Erika Lancaster- Artist + Online Art Teacher
  • HOME
  • BLOG + FREEBIES
  • YOUTUBE
  • PATREON
  • COURSES
  • MY ART TOOLS
  • GALLERY
  • Online Art Mentorship


My full courses and tutorials can be found in a variety of places online. 

On Gumroad, I sell individual courses and classes. ​

My membership on Patreon is a live, breathing community that I constantly create new exclusive content for and have direct interaction with students in every day. 

Via Skillshare, I share full courses on specific topics that you can enjoy alongside tons of others created by professional artists and creatives. 


​
Picture


​


Available Courses


​
Picture


​Watercolor 101

Getting started with any new painting medium can be intimidating and overwhelming for anyone.  The vast sea of information out there can make things even more confusing and can take us down rabbit holes that make us waste time we could be spending actually moving our skills forward.

This course includes everything you need to know as a beginner getting started with watercolor, in one neat package. All of the must-know topics and must-do exercises are included, which will provide a solid foundation to jump off from. 

​Not to mention, you won't spend money on supplies that you don't really need as a beginner watercolor artist. 


✱ What You'll Learn:
Must-have watercolor painting supplies
The characteristics that set watercolors apart from other painting mediums
Everything you need to know about watercolor paint formats
Everything you need to know about watercolor paper types
Everything you need to know about watercolor brushes
The main brush strokes to practice
The 3 basic watercolor washes to practice
Must-know techniques
How to transfer your pencil sketches onto watercolor paper

Stretching watercolor paper

Picture
Picture
Picture
Enjoy this course on Skillshare and access an entire *free* month of thousands of creative classes.

​


​
Picture

Stack of Pancakes Realistic Watercolor Food Illustration

If you're an intermediate watercolor artist who loves painting food, or you're interested in learning techniques to improve the level of realism in your work, this class is for you! 


✱ What you'll learn:

How to choose and mix colors for realistic results
How to layer watercolor without overworking
How to use masking fluid to protect highlights 
How to create the illusion of transparent syrup
How to ensure paint will stay wet for soft gradients/effects
My secrets for arriving at high levels of realism while maintaining painterly qualities
How to paint whites in watercolor
How to use glazing to intensify colors​
​

Picture
Enjoy this course on Skillshare and access an entire *free* month of thousands of creative classes.
​

​


​
Picture


​Ink and Watercolor Wash Flowers

​Do you love the look of loose line and wash flowers, but are unsure about how or where to start? Want to be able to easily draw flowers and create beautiful pen and watercolor pieces from scratch?

This beginner-friendly course is perfect for artists who're just getting started with developing their drawing and watercolor skills, as well as for intermediate artists looking to jump into the line and wash world. 


✱ What You'll Learn:
My 3-Step process for loose pen and watercolor florals
How to use reference photos to inform your work
How to simplify flowers into basic shapes in order to draw them successfully 
Must-know information and tips for success on: drawing with pen and ink, painting with watercolor, and combining pen with watercolor
How to plan colors for your final pieces
Composition tips for beginners for creating interesting, well-balanced artwork



Picture
Picture
Enjoy this course on Skillshare and access an entire *free* month of thousands of creative classes.

​


​
Picture

​Watercolor Landscapes for Beginners


Just getting started on your journey with watercolor and interested in learning how to paint landscapes? Or perhaps you're a bit more advanced and are looking to improve your techniques or your process for painting nature scenes?

If you're in either camp, this course is for you!

✱ What You'll Learn:

My simple process for painting great-looking watercolor landscapes 
How to choose colors and prepare color mixtures for a smoother painting process and better results
How I combine wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques in one same piece
How to layer watercolor effectively (without overworking your painting)
How to actually use Aerial Perspective to create a believable sense of open space and depth in a nature scene painting
My process for creating preliminary pencil sketches for watercolor paintings
Much more!​
​
Picture
Picture
Enjoy this course on Skillshare and access an entire *free* month of thousands of creative classes.

​


​
Picture

​Line and Wash Pub Facade (Urban Sketching for Beginners)

Looking to get started with urban sketching or drawing/painting building facades? Have you already started with this type of art, but want to learn strategies, techniques, and tips to help you achieve great results more consistently? Confused as to how artists use reference photos, while changing the composition and bringing themselves into their art?


If you answered 'yes' to any of these, this course is for you. 


✱ What you'll learn:
Essential questions to ask and things to look for in reference photos (or scenes you have in front of you in real life) so that you can improve the final composition and bring yourself into your art
Helpful tips to avoid overly describing elements and to arrive at a balanced mixed-media artwork
How to create your preliminary pencil drawing on a separate sketchbook (and why this is so helpful)
How to transfer using tracing paper 
The importance of line weight variation when drawing with pen and ink 
Must-know watercolor painting tips for arriving at loose, fresh results
How to enhance highlights and do splattering with white gouache 
Much more!


Picture
Enjoy this course on Skillshare and access an entire *free* month of thousands of creative classes.

​


​
Picture

Line and Watercolor Wash Sun Conure Parrot

Love the look of line and watercolor wash art, and looking for a beginner-friendly course to help you start on the right foot? Do you enjoy sketching or painting birds, and are looking for a fun course to level up your skills?

This beginner-friendly course is perfect for artists who're just getting started with line and wash, as well as for intermediate artists who're looking to take their techniques with this combination of art mediums to a new level. 

In this course, I take you through my 3-Phase process for creating line and wash artwork (pencil sketch-pen and ink-watercolor washes), and include extra classes with must-know information and exercises for greater success. 

✱ What You'll Learn:
My entire process for creating line and watercolor wash artwork
How to use reference photos to inform your work while bringing yourself and your style into the piece
How to sketch birds freehand with accurate proportions and shapes
How to simplify feathers and sketch them using shapes, lines and marks
Tips on creating well-balanced mixed-media artwork that isn’t overdone



Enjoy this course on Skillshare and access an entire *free* month of thousands of creative classes.

​


​
Picture


Fun Watercolor Summer Fruit

​Just getting started with watercolor and looking for fun projects that'll help you advance basic skills or learn essential tips to help you make faster progress? Or perhaps you're a bit more advanced and are looking for new techniques or fresh ideas for artwork that you can use to create super cute greeting cards, bookmarks, etc. to give away this Summer?

If you're in either camp, this course is for you! 
I've organized the classes in this course so that we're able to work on these illustrations starting with the one I consider to be the easiest, and we make our way toward the most challenging one. I'd recommend working through the classes in this order, especially if you're just getting started with watercolor. 

✱ What You'll Learn:
My 5-step process for quick, vibrant watercolor illustrations that have dimension and "glow"
How to create preliminary sketches for 5 different fruits using a pencil                                              How to combine wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques in one same illustration
How to plan colors and create color mixtures effectively for loose (but realistic) watercolor pieces
Lots of tips on water control, how to steer clear of muddy colors, and how to avoid overworking your watercolor pieces 
                                     

                                                                                         

Picture
Enjoy this course on Skillshare and access an entire *free* month of thousands of creative classes.

​


​
Picture


Everything You Should Know About Color Theory As a Beginner

Having trouble telling whether paint colors are Warm or Cool? Do you struggle with 'muddy' colors and want to feel more confident when creating the mixtures you need? Why is the Color Wheel so important and how is one actually used? What is a Color Scheme and why is it essential to plan colors before starting a new drawing or painting?


This course covers all the basics on Color Theory and the Color Wheel which will help you build a solid foundation to jump off from, and will help you make faster progress as an artist. 

​We'll be working on creating a Split Primary Color Wheel from scratch, which is an incredibly powerful exercise, even for more advanced artists. A mixture of lecture-type and practical classes are included, which cover must-know information, as well as provide hands-on exercises.

✱ What You'll Learn:

Why the Color Wheel is an essential tool for artists and how it is used to create great art What Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Colors are
Tried-and-true Color Schemes used by artists throughout history (with lots of examples)
Why knowing about Analogous and Complementary Colors is essential for color mixing
The importance of understanding Color Temperature and how to tell if colors are Warm or Cool
Why Split Primary Color Wheels are so helpful for beginner and intermediate artists
How to create a Split Primary Color Wheel 
How to explore all possible Secondary Color mixtures with a Split Primary palette



Picture
Picture
Picture
Enjoy this course on Skillshare and access an entire *free* month of thousands of creative classes.

​



Picture

​Watercolor Ice Skates Still Life

Whether you're looking to practice foundational watercolor techniques such as wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, and layering, or you're searching for a fun, winter-themed project to work on, this course is for you!



✱ What you'll learn:

How to do pre-wetting effectively for soft, large washes
How to paint white objects with watercolor
How to use the splattering technique for beautiful visual textures
How to layer watercolor while avoiding overworking areas
A great color combination for vibrant grays

Much more!



​



Picture

​Watercolor Animals: Realistic Dog Portrait

Love animals and watercolor, but find this type of subject intimidating to paint? Do you really want to paint animals, but have no idea where to start or how to create a strategy to work through? Or maybe you’ve already painted a few animals, but always end up underwhelmed with your results?

If you answered 'yes' to any of these, and you've been painting with watercolor consistently for some time, this course is for you. 

✱ What You'll Learn:

What to pay attention to in reference photos to arrive at better results when painting animals
How to use masking fluid to protect important highlight shapes in eyes and noses
My simple but effective technique for painting fur
How to paint believable dog eyes
How to layer watercolor while avoiding overworking a painting
How to use white gouache to paint whiskers
How to do splattering for visual texture and interest in backgrounds



Enjoy this course on Skillshare and access an entire *free* month of thousands of creative classes.

​


​
Picture

Watercolor Mallard Duck in Lake

Whether you've always wanted to paint birds with watercolor and have been waiting for a great tutorial to follow, or you've already started but are looking to learn new techniques, this course is for you! 



✱ What you'll learn:

How to choose paint colors for realistic results
How to paint lively bird eyes
A quick and effective way to paint feathers 
Must-know tips on painting white feathers 
How to paint water and reflections on water
How to do pre-wetting effectively and why this technique is so helpful when painting larger areas
How to use white gouache to enhance highlights 
How to use the splattering technique to add visual texture (with water and gouache)
Much more!

​




​
Picture

Watercolor Pencil Still Life 

Whether you're just getting started with watercolor pencils or you've been using this medium for some time, but are struggling to develop higher levels of realism, this course is for you!

By the end, you'll have completed a still-life painting using watercolor pencils and you'll have learned essential skills to take with you for greater success with any watercolor pencil piece you may choose to work on in the future. 

This class is for all levels. 


✱ What You'll Learn:

How to pick the right colors that will help you develop higher levels of realism
Must-know information on Value/Tone that you need to know for realistic art
How to plan for highlight areas and keep them protected throughout the painting process
Why white is not necessary when using watercolor pencils (or watercolor paint)
How to bring in "alternative" shadow colors for interest and integration
How to layer watercolor pencils while avoiding overworking and flattening out your art
Must-know tips on water control
How to create gradients with watercolor pencils
How to combine watercolor pencils and traditional watercolor paint in one same piece


​
Enjoy this course on Skillshare and access an entire *free* month of thousands of creative classes.

​



Picture

​Watercolor Mushrooms with Bokeh Effect Background

Whether you're just starting on your journey with watercolor and you'd like to practice essential techniques, or you're looking for a fall-inspired project to work on, this course is for you! 

✱ What you'll learn:
Essential tips for a successful preliminary pencil sketch
How to create a beautiful bokeh effect for a magical, ethereal look
Must-know masking fluid tips for success
How to effectively use the pre-wetting technique to create soft wet-on-wet effects
How to tilt your board and use gravity to help you create soft gradients in initial washes
How to create dimension through layering/glazing
How to use the splattering technique with watercolor and gouache for visual texture







Find my free tutorial videos over on YouTube.



Picture
Picture
       
​  
Website Disclaimer              Privacy Policy              ​Terms and Conditions
©  2025  Erika Lancaster.  All rights reserved.
  • HOME
  • BLOG + FREEBIES
  • YOUTUBE
  • PATREON
  • COURSES
  • MY ART TOOLS
  • GALLERY
  • Online Art Mentorship