Skillshare
Watercolor for Beginners (Kolbie Blume, Skillshare) Review — Honest Analysis of 21 Learner Opinions
Kolbie Blume's Watercolor for Beginners on Skillshare is a compact, encouraging, and well-targeted introduction to the medium for adult learners who have no prior painting experience and — crucially — who believe they are not creative people. Blume's own background as a recent convert from stick-figure-level ability to full-time artist gives her a credibility with this audience that most professional art instructors cannot match. The 21 learner opinions analysed, drawn from Skillshare class reviews, Class Central data, and creative learning blog roundups, reflect a consistently positive response: the class demystifies the medium, the projects are achievable, and the instruction is calm and unpretentious. The honest caveats are equally consistent: this is a primer, not a course. Three projects across a short runtime deliver foundations and confidence, not independent proficiency. Learners who treat it as a first step and continue with Blume's growing library of more specific Skillshare classes report a natural, rewarding progression. We score it 4.1 / 5: a clear recommendation for beginners, calibrated to reflect both the genuine quality of the instruction and the intentionally narrow scope.
Final score
from 21 analysed opinions
Published AI-researched, editor-audited
Distribution of opinions
Per-criterion scores
The class covers the genuinely essential foundations of watercolor: supply selection, how to fill a palette, the mechanics of wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques, basic colour blending, and gradient washes. These are the exact building blocks a complete beginner needs before attempting any independent project. The three guided paintings — designed to be "fun-and-easy" — consolidate the techniques into memorable outcomes. Capped at 4.0 because the scope is deliberately narrow: this is a primer, not a comprehensive curriculum. Learners who complete it will be equipped to continue, not proficient by any independent standard.
Kolbie Blume's most consistent instructional asset is her credibility as a non- prodigy: until a few years before launching her teaching career, she was working a 9-to-5 desk job and believed her artistic ability peaked at stick figures. That background resonates powerfully with the learners this course targets — adults who assume creativity is innate rather than learnable. Her on-camera delivery is encouraging, methodical, and low-pressure, with no assumption of prior artistic intuition. Reviewers describe the pacing as comfortable and the explanations as unpretentious, which is exactly what a first-time watercolour learner needs.
The class is part of the Skillshare subscription catalogue ($165/year or ~$32/month), not a standalone purchase. For learners who plan to explore multiple Skillshare classes — across watercolour, illustration, photography, or design — the subscription offers strong per-class value. For those accessing Skillshare specifically for this one class, the maths depends on how many other classes they intend to take. A free trial is typically available, making zero-risk access to the class feasible. The value comparison versus private art instruction ($50–$100/hour) is unambiguously strong.
The three projects deliver concrete, shareable outcomes — paintings a beginner can realistically complete and feel proud of. The technique foundation (blending, gradients, water control) applies directly to future independent work and to Kolbie Blume's many follow-on Skillshare classes on more specific subjects (landscapes, galaxy paintings, botanical illustration). The limitation is scope: learners leave with a foundation, not a skillset. The gap between completing this class and painting independently with confidence is significant, and bridging it requires substantially more practice and follow-on instruction.
Three distinct guided painting projects give learners concrete, visible outcomes from a short class, which is both motivating and pedagogically sound for an introduction course. The projects are calibrated to be achievable by a genuine beginner within the class session, which is a deliberate pedagogical choice — low frustration, high completion — though it means the creative ceiling is set conservatively. Learners who have taken the class overwhelmingly share their project work in the Skillshare class community, which itself serves as a visible testament to what the class actually produces.
What learners said
What people loved
5- Perfect entry point for complete beginners — no prior art experience required, and the instructor's own non-artistic background makes the content feel genuinely accessible rather than dumbed down×13
- Practical supply guidance at the start prevents the common beginner mistake of buying the wrong materials before understanding what watercolour actually needs×9
- Three distinct, achievable painting projects give visible, shareable outcomes that build confidence and motivation for continued practice×11
- Low-pressure, encouraging teaching style — pacing is comfortable for adults with no art background who may feel self-conscious about starting from scratch×10
- Part of the Skillshare ecosystem — natural continuation into Kolbie Blume's more specific follow-on classes on landscapes, galaxies, botanical subjects, and five-minute sketches×7
What frustrated learners
4- Deliberately narrow scope — three projects and foundational techniques only; learners seeking comprehensive watercolour instruction will quickly need additional resources×9
- Skillshare subscription required — not a standalone purchase, and the subscription cost is only clearly justified if you plan to take multiple classes across the platform×8
- No direct instructor feedback on class projects — community peer feedback from the Skillshare class gallery replaces professional critique×5
- Short runtime means some foundational techniques are introduced rather than practised in depth — the class starts a habit rather than building one×4
Real quotes from real users
“Watercolor for Beginners is the perfect first class — it covers the basics like choosing supplies, filling a palette, and foundational techniques, then works through three fun-and-easy projects.”
“Great introduction to watercolour — I finally understood how to control the water ratio and why my earlier attempts had always gone wrong.”
“Kolbie's background story of going from thinking she couldn't draw at all to becoming a full-time artist is genuinely motivating for people like me who have always assumed creativity wasn't for them.”
“The class is short and the projects are easy by design — which is exactly right for a true beginner. I left with three finished paintings and actually wanting to do more.”
“I wish the class were longer. There is a lot more to learn in watercolour and once you finish the three projects you feel both excited and underprepared for anything without a guide.”
Frequently asked questions
Ready to enrol?
You read the score, the pros, the cons and the quotes. If it's still a fit, here's the link.
Direct link to the official course page. We earn no commission on this link.
How we evaluated this
This review synthesizes 21 opinions collected across the public web. Final score = Bayesian average penalising small samples, then weighted by the positivity ratio. No paid placements, no hidden agenda.
- 11 from Official course platform
- 6 from Other
- 4 from Blogs