Watercolour Class: Monet‑Inspired Light & Atmosphere

For Continuing Artists

Claude Monet painted by observing light and atmosphere rather than fine detail. He worked with loose, expressive brushstrokes and layered colour to capture how a scene changed from moment to moment. Instead of outlining forms, he allowed shapes to emerge through overlapping washes, broken colour, and soft edges — letting the eye complete the image. His water scenes, in particular, focus on reflection, movement, and calm rather than exact realism.

In this tutorial, we’ll take inspiration from that approach using wax and masking fluid to preserve light areas, followed by flowing watercolour washes to build depth, colour, and gentle movement in the water. The aim is not precision, but softness, freedom, and trust in the process