Discover the expressive brilliance of John Singer Sargent’s watercolor portraits in this in-depth, online workshop.

Renowned as one of the greatest portrait artists of his time, John Singer Sargent is also celebrated today for his groundbreaking watercolor work. Sargent began learning watercolor techniques from his mother at age thirteen, and over his lifetime he pushed the medium into new territory—creating luminous, dynamic paintings that remain influential to this day.

Despite their apparent ease, watercolor portraits are complex. The medium is both beautiful and unforgiving—unpredictable in its flow, difficult to control, and nearly impossible to correct. Yet Sargent mastered it with spontaneity, clarity, and bold confidence.

In this workshop, you’ll explore Sargent’s portrait techniques through structured, step-by-step demonstrations. Using both his watercolor and oil portraits as reference, Marcelo will guide you through Sargent’s process—from layering and brushwork to tonal values, color mixing, and form simplification.

You’ll learn how to paint with intention while allowing the medium to surprise you—developing your portraits with vitality, spontaneity, and luminosity.

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What You’ll Learn
• How Sargent saw shapes—not details—in the face (triangles, rectangles, etc.)
• How to simplify your process and avoid overworking
• How to control watercolor’s unpredictability and let the medium “paint itself”
• Techniques for tonal values, brushwork, edges, and color relationships
• How to interpret and paint light and shadow effectively
• How Sargent achieved depth and clarity through limited yet powerful choices

Course Outline

Week 1 / Oct 22– The Three Values
Intro to materials and approach. Begin a portrait using just three tonal layers with a single color (e.g., sepia), focusing on structure and planes.

Week 2 / Oct 29 – Wet-on-Wet & Soft Edges
Learn how to create soft transitions and luminous volume using wet-on-wet techniques. Understand how water can sculpt form and atmosphere.

Week 3 / Nov 05 – Skin Tone & Color Mixing
Explore how to mix subtle, believable skin tones using temperature contrasts and blending. Gain control over color transitions and natural harmonies.

Week 4 / Nov 12 – Facial Anatomy & Structure
Simplify facial anatomy through shape recognition and learn how light defines form. Focus on seeing structure over detail.

Week 5 / Nov 19 – Full Palette & Color Theory
Expand into full-color painting. Study light and shadow in varied conditions, and how color is influenced by surroundings.

Week 6 / Nov 26 – Self-Portrait
Final session: Marcelo demonstrates a self-portrait using Sargent’s principles. Students may follow along with their own self-portrait or work from a provided photo.

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About the Instructor

Marcelo Daldoce is a Philadelphia-based artist known for his expressive watercolor portraits. In this course, he shares an intimate, hands-on breakdown of Sargent’s portrait techniques. Each session includes a live demonstration, lecture, and interactive Q&A. Marcelo’s clear instruction and passion for watercolor will guide you in building your own confident, luminous portraits.

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All levels welcome. Whether you’re new to watercolor or looking to deepen your portrait skills, this course offers insights and techniques that will elevate your artistic practice.