About the course
Waves and Sunset Light
Waves are constantly changing - even the smallest movement of water creates a different pattern of light, reflections, and color. In this series, we’ll explore how to convey the structure and rhythm of waves in watercolor, from small, calm waves to more dynamic movement, while keeping them proportional to the boat and the overall composition.
Across four lessons, we’ll work with a warm red-orange sunset palette and explore how evening light interacts with water, creating bright glints, soft reflections, and delicate accents. We’ll gradually make the subjects more complex, learning to combine different types of waves with reflections and, in the final lesson, the subtle effect of light shining through the sails.
In real time, with detailed explanations
Each wash is shown from the first brushstroke to the last, with a full explanation of the technique, the paper’s level of wetness, and the amount of pigment on the brush.
Learn to see and analyse
Understanding waves is about more than simply copying their shapes. Each lesson will help you see how the rhythm, scale, and movement of water work together, while the warm sunset light adds another layer of colour and atmosphere. These skills can then be applied to your own seascapes and different water scenes.
Lifetime access
Unlimited access at your own pace: come back to any lesson whenever you need. Rewatch them later and you may notice new details in both the technique and the process.
What you will learn
Six habits that make water look wet
- How to keep the sea transparent all the way to the final layer
- How to create a clean horizon that enhances depth, and soft, blurred edges
- How to preserve the white of the paper for foam, splashes and highlights
- How to show the difference between rocks underwater and on dry land
- A warm–cool palette — from shallow water to depth, including the colours of underwater reflections and shadows
- How to know when a wash is finished — and when to stop
The programme
Four lessons, one coast
About four hours of painting in total. The lessons follow one another, but each is a finished painting on its own.
Lesson 01
Waves and glints at sunset
1 hour 3 min
We will try to capture not only the complex volume and form of the waves with all their subtle nuances, but also the highlights with the characteristic warm red-orange glow that appears at sunset.
Lesson 02
A yacht at sunset. Calm waves
45 min
We continue exploring sunsets. In this lesson, we will have another opportunity to practice painting calm waves, but this time they will be much smaller in scale, so that they are proportional to the yacht and to the size of our A4 format.
We will also paint backlighting — a lighting effect where the subject is positioned directly in front of the light source.
Lesson 03
Waves and glints. Dynamics
58 min
In one of the previous lessons, we focused on capturing the movement and form of calm waves in a close-up view. In this lesson, we will build on those skills, but make the task slightly more challenging by working with more dynamic waves.
We will still work with the same characteristic warm red-orange light, with reflections, highlights, and a soft warm glow.
Lesson 04
Sailing yacht at sunset. Dynamics
51 min
In this lesson, we will combine the larger, more dynamic movement of the waves with a beautiful effect of light shining through the sails.
Enroll in the watercolor course
One payment, lifetime access. The lessons stay in your account and can be watched as many times as you like.
Waves and Glints at Sunset
Watch at your own pace, forever.
$45
one-time payment, lifetime access
- All four lessons in full length
- Materials and palette list
- Watch on any device
Waves and Glints at Sunset - with Personal Feedback
The same four lessons, and I look at your paintings.
$65
one-time payment, lifetime access
- Everything from the course
- My written critique of your work
- Answers to your questions
Secure checkout · instant access · write to me if anything goes wrong
What is included
Everything You Need to Paint Water
Four full lessons
About four and a half hours of painting in real time, in 4K
Materials list
The exact pigments, paper and brushes I use, with a workable substitute for every item on the list.
Reference photos
The photographs the four paintings were made from, in printable resolution.
Pencil drawings
Ready pencil drawings to trace, if you would rather spend the evening on the paint than on the drawing.
Lifetime access
Buy once and watch whenever you like — the lessons do not expire and do not disappear.
Answers from me
Send your work or a question and I will answer personally — that is the part the videos cannot do.
Before you start
Questions students ask
I have never painted in watercolour. Is this course for me?
Yes, this course is suitable for beginners too. We work on small, manageable formats, and I explain each step in detail, including why I make certain decisions and what to pay attention to at each stage.
What materials do I need?
Cotton paper, pigments and brushes. The full list comes with the course, and every item on it has a cheaper substitute that works.
How long do I have access?
Forever. The lessons stay in your account, and you can watch them as many times as you like, at whatever pace suits you.
Worried that something might be skipped in the lesson and you won’t understand how it was done?
Nothing is sped up or skipped. I explain when we need to let a wash dry completely before moving on to the next stage. And if something doesn’t go as planned, I show you how to fix it along the way.
Will I be able to keep up with your pace? Is there a pencil sketching stage?
Yes. Every lesson includes a pencil sketching stage. Everyone works at a different pace, so I try to keep a calm, steady rhythm. You can pause the lesson at any point and finish the step before continuing.
Can I watch on a phone or a tablet?
Yes. The player works on any device, and you can pause and rewind as often as you need — most students paint with the lesson running beside them.
Who teaches it
Anastasiia Petriaeva
I am a practicing watercolour artist and the author of video courses translated into several languages. I graduated with honours from the Academy of Architecture and Art.
The coast is my own subject, not a teaching exercise: most of the paintings in my shop started as water, stone and light on some northern shore.
Other courses
If it is not your subject yet
The same way of working, other motifs: clouds, reflections, city rain. Every course is full-length and stays yours after purchase.
Waves and Glints at Sunset
Start with the first wash
Four lessons, one coast, and paper that finally lets the light through.
