SHIMMERING FACES:
ACHIEVING REALISM WITH WATERCOLORS
35 video lessons to begin painting shimmering, realistic watercolor portraits
Does the idea of capturing beautiful human portraits, painted with precision and lifelike detail, excite you?
A lot of aspiring artists worry that they’re not “good enough” or don’t have the right skills to paint realistic faces. The details can feel tricky, and things like proportions and shading quickly get overwhelming. These fears can keep them from fully diving into their creativity and trying out new things, and may get in the way of discovering that extra something that will make our art really stand out.
I created this course because I know firsthand how frustrating it can be to want to paint something beautiful and realistic but feel stuck or unsure of your abilities. This is the kind of course I would have loved to study back then—something that breaks down the process step by step and makes everything feel more approachable. My goal is to make the process of painting faces feel manageable and fun, while also giving artists the tools to bring their own unique style to life with metallic watercolors.
I break everything down into simple, step-by-step lessons, so even if you’ve been struggling with proportions or shading, you’ll feel confident and capable by the end.
Plus, the metallic details add that extra touch of magic to make your work shine, literally and creatively!
Hi, I’m Elsi
I'm an artist with a deep love for watercolor painting, especially when it comes to capturing the beauty of faces and expressions. My journey with watercolor portraits started out of a desire to create art that felt alive and full of emotion. Over the years, I've developed my own style, combining realistic portraits with playful, sparkling details that make each piece unique.
My journey started with a fascination for how light and shadow play on the human face, and how those elements can be captured in a delicate medium like watercolor. I was inspired by the challenge of bringing life to my subjects, and that inspiration only grew as I explored new techniques and materials. The addition of metallic watercolors to my work opened up a whole new way of adding depth and character, and I wanted to share that joy with others through my course.
COURSE CONTENT
The course consists of 6 modules that are made up of 35 video lessons for a total of 5+ hours of content. It also includes 13 reference images and 4 templates to learn from, practice, and paint along with. We start with the very basics, understanding supplies, transferring the sketch, understanding colours & values and mixing specific tones, and practicing essential facial features with a series of exercises, before painting our full, realistic compositions of eyes and faces.
In this video, I want to guide you through the different sections of the course and show you what you will be learning, in a step-by-step process created to make you easily understand and replicate every action. You can pause and replay the videos as much as you want.
START LEARNING WITH $100 OFFIN MY COURSE YOU WILL LEARN
MODULES 1-3:
Introduction &
Basics of (Water)colors
Modules 1, 2, and 3 are all about laying a strong foundation for your watercolour journey. We start off with an overview of the course structure and some opening words on how best to follow the course to make the most of the exciting journey ahead as we dive into creating realistic watercolor portraits with sparkling metallic details.
Module 2 covers the essential tools, materials, and foundational watercolor techniques you'll need to start painting realistic portraits with confidence. You’ll solidify your understanding of the medium in module 3, as we learn how to mix and apply colors effectively, master shading, and create realistic skin tones using the right values for depth and dimension.
MODULE 4:
Practicing Facial Features
This module focuses on practicing individual facial features — eyes, noses, and lips — with step-by-step exercises and references to help you master each element and lay a confident foundation, before combining them into full, coherent portraits.
MODULES 5&6:
Painting detailed,
realistic compositions
Modules 5 & 6 are dedicated to a comprehensive, start-to-finish approach, combining all that you have learned so far to create beautiful, detailed compositions.
Where in module 5 you'll dive into the techniques for painting lifelike, expressive eyes, focusing on capturing detail, depth, and the sparkle that brings them to life, the 6th and final module guides you through the process of painting complete, realistic faces by combining all the techniques you've learned, from facial features to shading and adding metallic details for a unique finish.
COURSE STRUCTURE
In this video, I want to show you what the course and its lessons look like. I recommend watching the sessions in order, as the course offers a sequential and logical learning path. Remember that you can always go back and watch the lessons as often as needed.
All videos are in FULL HD, and you can adjust the speed, sound, and quality.
Doesn't that sound amazing?
SIGN UP NOW WITH $100 OFFTHE COURSE FEATURES
3 EXCLUSIVE BONUSES:
MIXING MEDIA WITH WATERCOLOURS
Explore how to combine watercolors with other media like pencils and pastels, adding texture and depth to enhance your portraits in creative ways.
$57
FREE
CORRECTING/FIXING MISTAKES
Learn practical techniques for correcting common watercolor mistakes, so you can confidently recover and refine your artwork without feeling stuck.
$47
FREE
HOW TO CAPTURE THE SPARKLE
Tips & tricks for photographing and filming your metallic watercolor paintings, ensuring the sparkle and details shine through beautifully in your online showcases.
$67
FREE
INCLUDED IN MY COURSE FEES:
Fundamentals & Materials
We will look together at the materials, basic techniques, and knowledge needed to begin this journey. Approaching a new technique means first learning how best to use the tools at your disposal.
Practical exercises
Theory is important, but what makes you a true artist is practice... Lots of practice! You'll find lots of exercises to get started with and from which to get inspiration. I will show you some tricks that will make your portraits truly unique and masterpieces.
Lifetime Access
Once you register for the course, you will have lifetime access and you can watch it whenever you want! This will enable you to better learn even the most difficult notions. You don't have a deadline, you can follow the course even for 5 minutes a day!
Flexibility
This is one of the course's great strengths: being able to watch the videos wherever you want, whenever you want, and as many times as you want. The course is available from any device so you can watch the course from the comfort of your home or take a single lesson on the train!
Community of artists
As soon as you sign up for the course, you will join a group of people who, like you, share this passion and are following the same course as you. This means you'll be able to exchange ideas, tips or ask questions because you'll be surrounded by people who love art the same way you do!
My daily support
On this journey, you will never be alone! You can write to me and you will receive my feedback as soon as possible, so you will always feel supported. Sometimes, approaching painting is not easy. But don't worry: I will be there to help you, step by step!
⚡️ GET ACCESS TO ALL THE CONTENT WITH THE DISCOUNT OF THE YEAR ⚡️
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:
The portraits Elsi made of our little dogs Nina and Renley are magical, the colours and details on them are so beautiful. And it was such a pleasure interacting with her. Thank you for these very special memories to hang on our wall.
___Dom
Wow. Watercolors are challenging enough to work with but then to add in metallics - that takes some real skill. Your work is gorgeous. What an honour it would be to watch you paint in person, amazing. Thank you Elsi, for sharing your art.
___Sarah
Wow, the BEST use of shimmer watercolors I have seen till date. Just amazing.
___Rimsha
BLACK FRIDAY FLASH OFFER
🎁 SAVE $100 NOW! 🎁
USE CODE: BLACKFRIDAY
Take advantage of this unique offer, which will guide you from your first steps in watercolor painting to creating your own, shimmering, realistic portraits! Enjoy full access to the course with a single one-time payment.
Remember to use the CODE BLACKFRIDAY at checkout for the discount to be applied!
My Guarantee to Every Student
If you are not satisfied with the course for any reason, you have the right to obtain a full refund within the first 14 days. This is my guarantee to you, I want all my students to be satisfied. Also, this means that there is no risk as well! Give it a try and experience the program first-hand!
