Online Art School «Artefacto»
NEW ONLINE COURSE
by PRASAD BEAVEN
Design Before Detail: Mastering Composition
You've learned the techniques — now learn the thinking. Discover the Yin-Yang principle of composition that transforms cluttered scenes into balanced, expressive paintings. A course for artists ready to move from copying to creating.
LIFETIME ACCESS |
NEW ONLINE COURSE
by PRASAD BEAVEN
Design Before Detail: Mastering Composition
You've learned the techniques — now learn the thinking. Discover the Yin-Yang principle of composition that transforms cluttered scenes into balanced, expressive paintings. A course for artists ready to move from copying to creating.
LIFETIME ACCESS |
If you’ve learned the basics of watercolor but your paintings still feel a little busy, flat, or hard to control, this course is your turning point. You will enjoy an inspiring, design-first journey that will help you transform everyday references – streets, cafés, trees, courtyards – into paintings that feel calm, balanced, and beautifully intentional.
Guided by Prasad Beaven, you’ll learn the “thinking” behind strong composition. Using the YinYang and notan approach, you’ll practice seeing shapes instead of objects, building clear value structure, and using negative space to create breathing room. You’ll explore how to simplify without losing character, how to lead the viewer’s eye, and how a quieter design can make your brushwork feel freer and more expressive.
By the end, you’ll complete 5 watercolor paintings and gain a repeatable framework you can use in any subject. Join us, and start painting with clarity, confidence, and joyful restraint.
This course is for you if you:
Want to paint with more clarity, freedom, and confidence
Feel their paintings look cluttered or flat and want a simple way to create balance, breathing room, and a clear focal point
Struggle to simplify a reference and need to learn how to see shapes, edit boldly, and decide what to leave out
Wish to move from “copying” to composing, using value sketches, notan (light/dark) thinking, and visual hierarchy.
Prasad about the course...
Course Table of Contents (total 5 h)
Introduction
Learn more about your instructor Prasad Beaven and see how the course will be organized.
Module 1. Introduction to Negative Space & Balance
In this module, you’ll paint a simple street scene and discover how negative space creates balance and calm in your work. You’ll practice seeing shapes instead of objects and learn to edit small distractions for a clearer focal point. By the end, you’ll feel more confident simplifying any scene – and amazed at how powerful “less” can be in watercolor.
Module 2. Creating Visual Hierarchy in Urban Scenes
In this module, you’ll work with a vibrant street setting and learn how to create a clear center of interest. You’ll explore how roads, edges, and light contrasts can gently lead the eye, while unnecessary details fade into the background.
You’ll discover the freedom of simplifying a complex reference and see how thoughtful choices make your painting feel calm, balanced, and confidently composed.
Module 3. Expressive Simplicity in Nature
In this module, you’ll paint trees against an open sky and learn how to simplify nature with confidence. Instead of focusing on tiny details, you’ll shape foliage into clear, flowing washes and use small gaps of light to create depth and atmosphere. You’ll see how a few well-placed accents can bring life to your scene without overworking it.
Module 4. Combining Architecture & Nature
In this module, you’ll paint a charming Chinese courtyard framed by trees and learn how to bring buildings and nature together in one balanced composition. You’ll practice combining flowing washes for foliage with confident lines for architecture – so curves and straight edges feel harmonious rather than competing.
You’ll explore how to simplify busy areas, adjust symmetry for a more dynamic feel, and focus on the true heart of the scene.
Module 5. From Reference to Design
In this lesson, you’ll paint a glowing park scene with a single tree and discover how to turn one simple reference into several beautiful design possibilities. You’ll create quick value sketches to explore different shadow directions, canopy shapes, and light patterns before committing to your painting. You’ll learn that there isn’t one “correct” composition – only creative choices.
What results you will achieve at the course
01
Master a design-first approach to composition, making your paintings harmonious and visually strong
02
Develop the confidence to simplify any scene, clearly deciding what to include and what to leave out
03
Create clear visual hierarchy in your work, guiding the viewer’s eye exactly where you want it to go
04
Loosen and energize your brushwork, painting with freshness, expression, and purposeful strokes
05
Apply one powerful framework to multiple subjects, from urban cafés to sunlit parks
06
Learn to think like a confident artist, gaining a repeatable process that supports your creative growth long after the course ends
Meet your instructor:
Prasad Beaven
- Prasad is a practicing artist mainly interested in the medium of watercolor and ink
- His childhood spent in the foothills of the Himalayas has made a big impression on his character and interests
- Greatly inspired by Nature, he seeks to discover and express its many moods
- A recent graduate of the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, Prasad was exposed to a range of art forms and cultures including Indian Miniature, Persian painting, Geometry, Icon painting, and Chinese Landscape painting
- This rich and diverse experience has helped instill within him a deep appreciation for traditional as well as contemporary art
- Through this course Prasad had the opportunity to meet Prince Charles, and they discussed their shared interest in watercolor
- Prasad also won the Ciclitira Prize, through which his works will be hung in the prestigious Saatchi Gallery
We offer different plans
Standard
Learn at your own pace with full course access
5 lessons (total 5h)
- 5 completed paintings
- Recorded video lessons with 24/7 access
- LIFETIME access to course materials
- Access to the Students’ chat
- Bonus: 30 ArtiCoins
- Bonus: Module: Understanding Colour Theory in Watercolour
Premium
Learn with personalized written feedback from professional curator
- 5 completed paintings
- Recorded video lessons with 24/7 access
- LIFETIME access to course materials
- Access to the Students’ chat
- Individual feedback on all 5 paintings + 1 creative task from a professional curator within 75 days
- Certificate of Completion
- Bonus: 40 ArtiCoins
- Bonus: Module: Understanding Colour Theory in Watercolour
Only 30 places are available
Elite
Learn directly from Prasad in 3 live group sessions
- 5 completed paintings
- Recorded video lessons with 24/7 access
- LIFETIME access to course materials
- Access to the Students’ chat
- Certificate of Completion
- Extra learning: 3 exclusive NEW live Zoom sessions with Prasad Beaven
- Bonus: 50 ArtiCoins
- Bonus: Module: Understanding Colour Theory in Watercolour
Only 20 places are available
Standard
Learn at your own pace with full course access
5 lessons (total 5h)
- 5 completed paintings
- Recorded video lessons with 24/7 access
- LIFETIME access to course materials
- Access to the Students’ chat
- Bonus: 30 ArtiCoins
- Bonus: Module: Understanding Colour Theory in Watercolour
Premium
Learn with personalized written feedback from professional curator
- 5 completed paintings
- Recorded video lessons with 24/7 access
- LIFETIME access to course materials
- Access to the Students’ chat
- Individual feedback on all 5 paintings + 1 creative task from a professional curator within 75 days
- Certificate of Completion
- Bonus: 40 ArtiCoins
- Bonus: Module: Understanding Colour Theory in Watercolour
Only 30 places are available
Elite
Learn directly from Prasad in 3 live group sessions
- 5 completed paintings
- Recorded video lessons with 24/7 access
- LIFETIME access to course materials
- Access to the Students’ chat
- Certificate of Completion
- Extra learning: 3 exclusive NEW live Zoom sessions with Prasad Beaven
- Bonus: 50 ArtiCoins
- Bonus: Module: Understanding Colour Theory in Watercolour
Only 20 places are available
Bonus Module "Understanding Colour Theory in Watercolour"
For all plans
This module is dedicated to the fundamentals of color value and saturation. You will see the seven forms of color and their application in painting and understand how to create a functional color wheel for better color choices.
The module will help you build a strong foundation in color theory, allowing you to make confident decisions in your future watercolor projects.
4 video lessons, 1 h
Colour Wheel Creation
In this lesson, you will do a practical exercise in building a colour wheel to help you navigate colour mixing and relationships.
Colour Course & 7 Forms of Colour
Here we focus on theoretical and practical exercises that will help you improve your understanding of colour harmonies and interactions.
Colour Value
The lesson is devoted to mastering color value – a key aspect for understanding depth and contrast in a painting.
Creating Soft Red, Blue, and Yellow
In this lesson, you will find interesting examples of unexpected colour interactions, such as mixing purple and yellow to create a soft red.
3 exclusive NEW live Zoom sessions with Prasad Beaven
For Elite plan
Session 1.
Seeing Shapes in Action
This live session focuses on reinforcing the core foundation of the course – seeing shapes instead of objects.
Together with Prasad, you will revisit key ideas from Lessons 1–2 through a short concept recap or demo, followed by a guided review of participants’ work.
The session helps clarify common mistakes, strengthen understanding of Notan and shape balance, and align perception with intention.
Session 2. Editing & Bold Decisions
This session addresses the most challenging stage of the process – deciding what to leave out. After a short concept recap or demo, Prasad will review participants’ work from Lessons 3–4 and explore how editing, simplification, and hierarchy can dramatically strengthen a painting.
The focus is on understanding why certain elements should be removed or emphasized, and how bold decisions lead to clearer, more powerful results.
Session 3. From Reference to Personal Voice
The final live session brings everything together – reflecting on progress (reviewing works from lesson 5) and looking ahead.
Students will see how the same reference can lead to very different solutions when fundamentals are truly understood.
The session highlights individual growth and offers direction for continued development beyond the course.
You have no risks – we support you!
No risk for you*
In case after 1–2 lessons of the coursе you realize that is not for you, YOU WILL GET YOUR MONEY BACK!
*within 14 days after payment
Freeze
For Premium plan – If the start date is not convenient, we freeze the course
(1 time free of charge)
Freedom & Mobility
Make your own schedule and go through the lessons at a comfortable pace – whenever and wherever you like
Certificate of completion (for Premium and Elite Plans)
Upon completion of the course for the students of Premium and Elite plans we issue a certificate. The certificate could be used as a proof of your qualification's upgrade at work (if it is related to arts) and for your private affairs as a recognition of your mastery in painting.
Your curator for this course
Olga Karlsson
Watercolor artist, Sweden
- Olga is a practicing artist interested in the medium of watercolor and acrylic.
- After graduating from the St Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering she has been working as an architect in St Petersburg and has founded a school of aesthetic education for children.
- Olga came to Sweden in 1993, she is a self employed, manages an art courses in Karlstad and all over Sweden (online).
- Olga participated in national and international exhibitions and competitions such as IWS Fabriano Acquarello (2019, 2022), IWS Bulgaria (2019) , IWS Malajsia (2021).
HERE YOU MAY FIND OLGA'S WORKS
How is your learning process organized?
BEFORE COURSE
Full course program
List of course materials
Friendly community of beginner and professional artists
AT COURSE
Recorded video lessons
Watch lessons at your own pace
Closed students' chat
Feedback from curator
AFTER COURSE
Certificate of completion
Own portfolio
Skills and knowledge practiced
Part of our art community
Which materials do you need for the course?
- Flat brush
- Round brush
- Mop brush
- Bristle brush/fan brush
- Rigger
- Palette knife
- Water spray
Frequently asked questions
Contact us
For customer care:
info@artefactoschool.online
Our working hours:
Monday — Friday
7 am — 6 pm Central European Time (CET)
Artefacto Learning Platform Limited
This site is owned and operated by ARTEFACTO LEARNING PLATFORM LIMITED
