Imagine the Possibilities
HOMEMADE is a year-long journey inspired by cozy childhood memories and travels to colorful, storied places. You’ll learn to recreate the charm of vintage dollhouses using traditional drawing and watercolor techniques, bringing each miniature home to life with a 'lived-in' look that balances timeless details and fresh, modern touches. Equipped with a trusty mechanical pencil and curated watercolor palettes, you'll capture the warmth and nostalgia of cozy, personality-filled spaces. Over the year, you’ll complete four unique dollhouses—each crafted over three months, from architectural exteriors to a lovingly detailed Signature Room that tells its own story.
What to Expect
Your Homemade adventure begins with immediate access to a Welcome PDF, packed with essential tools, supplies, and organizational tips to keep you inspired. Throughout the course, you’ll create four unique dollhouses, each with its own style: The Refined Farmhouse, The Vintage Bungalow, The Repurposed Victorian, and The Mid-Century Modern Adobe. Each project unfolds over a three-month cycle, with lessons released on the first Friday of each month.
Monthly Assignments & Tutorials
- One In-Depth Assignment per Month: Focus on a single, thoughtfully paced project each month to allow for detailed, relaxed work.
- Start-to-Finish Guidance: Comprehensive video tutorials cover each step of drawing and painting both the exterior and a detailed Signature Room.
Project Breakdown by Month
- Month 1: Mood Board Creation: Establish a curated color palette and explore patterns and textures to set the tone for each dollhouse.
- Month 2: Detailed Exterior Illustration: Use your mood board to bring the exterior to life with intricate linework and layered details.
- Month 3: Signature Room Interior: Complete a cozy, character-rich room, adding warmth and texture from your mood board.
New Technique
- Intentional Flat Illustration: Learn an approachable technique to add subtle dimension without complex perspective, making your artwork visually rich yet accessible.
As you move through each project phase, periodic Choose Your Adventure emails will provide creative visuals keep you inspired. By course end, you’ll have a comprehensive workbook filled with stories, sketches, and reference illustrations—a lasting resource to support your creative growth long after the course ends.
Unlock a New Skill
With a background in graphic design and fine art, I create illustrations that tell hidden stories. In this course, we’ll use a danielle-ish style called Intentional Flat Illustration—a blend of flat design and watercolor illustration—to bring your dollhouses to life without the complexities of perspective drawing.
Intentional Flat Illustration combines the depth of traditional illustration with the simplicity of flat design. Adding gentle shadows and highlights gives your artwork dimension without requiring advanced perspective techniques. It’s an approachable style for creating engaging, lifelike scenes that feel both vibrant and nostalgic.
Introducing Choose Your Adventure
Throughout the live course, you’ll receive mini bursts of inspiration based on the choices our community makes. Each “Choose Your Adventure” moment adds a fresh spark to keep you engaged and inspired as we move through the course together!
Here’s how it works: during the live course, you’ll have the chance to vote on inspiring themes, and the theme with the most votes will be featured in an exclusive one-page PDF, filled with Danielle-inspired creativity, delivered directly to your inbox. Each of these simple, creative boosts is designed to spark fresh ideas and add an extra layer of inspiration to the course.
The Mini Adventure is available only for those following along from start to finish while the course runs live in 2025. It’s your chance to shape the experience and enjoy exclusive, interactive content as a part of my classroom community. I can’t wait to see where our mini adventures take us!
LESSON AND SUPPLY LIST SNEAK PEEK
Most of the supplies I use are artist-grade and are a more significant investment than student-grade. I highly encourage you to use what you have and take notes while watching the videos for the first time. Then, invest in the supplies that will truly enhance your own art.
XO, Danielle
I know how exciting it is to get caught up in a creative project and want to have all the supplies you need. However, it's important to remember that not everything might be readily available or affordable. Take a moment to see if you already have something that will work just as well. If not, then consider investing in new supplies.
ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES
Investing in artist-grade supplies makes a significant difference. They offer precision, vibrant colors, and durability, ensuring you can bring your best to each project.
- Watercolor Brushes: A variety of brushes, including rounds from 0-8, ovals, and triangles (Silver Ltd. Black Velvet and Ruby Satin).
- Watercolor Paper: 12 sheets of 9X12 Cold Press 140# watercolor paper (Arches).
- .2 mm HB Mechanical Pencil (Pentel Orentz) and/or .3 mm HB Mechanical Pencil (Pilot AirBlanc).
- White Vinyl Erasers (Acruit Vanish 4-in-1 and Tombow Mono Zero).
- Traditional White Gouache (Winsor Newton Permanent White Gouache in tube format).
- White Ink Marker (Uni Posca 1 mm).
- Artist Tape (Various Widths): Keep 1/4, 1/2, 1, and 2-inch widths on hand.
- Clear Grid Straight and Right-Angle Rulers: Sewing rulers work best!
- Mixing Palette/Clear Jar/Paper Towels: A white porcelain dish is ideal for mixing.
OPTIONAL SUPPLIES
- Craft Dryer: Perfect if you want to avoid waiting for layers to dry. This is a studio must for me! Note: Not to be confused with an embossing gun, which can overheat your paper and fingers. (Ranger)
- Light Box: Useful for creating duplicates or adjusting details in illustrations. While a bright window can work, the light box (even this older model) works well on 140# watercolor paper, providing clarity for intricate designs. (HUION LB4 - 12.6x9 inch)
OPTIONAL COURSE ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEM
- 1.5-Inch 3-Ring Binder with Clear Cover
- 5-tab Divider Set
- 4-8.5x11 Clear Sheet Protectors
- 9x12 Art Portfolio for finished pieces
Please note that the supplies used in this course may not be available where you live or may have been discontinued based on the original course release date. If you’re having trouble finding a specific supply, you can try searching for art supply substitutions online.
CURRENCY. This course is priced in USD. REFUND POLICY. Because you have immediate access to the content of this course, I am unable to offer a refund. QUESTIONS? Send an email to [email protected]. Please allow 48 hours for response.
ABOUT THE COVER ART
The cover art (sales page and welcome packet) offers a preview of ideas and techniques you’ll discover in the course. While there are no specific instructions or project videos for recreating it, it’s designed to inspire and showcase what’s in store. By the end, you’ll have the skills to create something just as exciting in your own signature style.
EARLYBIRD BONUS! Sign up before the course officially opens on Friday, January 3, 2024 to receive exclusive cover line art coloring pages—both exterior and interior—to spark your creativity from day one!
Build Your Craft
Committing to a year-long class is like laying the foundation for something truly lasting. Imagine building your skills layer by layer, exploring every detail and technique at a relaxed, easy pace—no rush, just you and your art taking shape over time. With each month, you’ll see real progress, tackling bigger projects and building confidence that sticks. A year in this course isn’t just about learning—it’s about crafting something enduring in both your skills and your creative spirit, creating a depth that shorter classes simply can’t match.
FAQ'S
Is this course suitable for all levels? Yes! All levels are welcome. I teach to the middle—beginners may need to practice more, while advanced artists can use the content to enhance their own style.
What is included? Scroll up to the Course Curriculum for details. Each course includes video lessons and coordinating PDF handout packets.
Do I need high-speed internet? Yes, a good internet connection is required for streaming and downloading videos.
How long do I have access to this course? You will have access for as long as I continue to offer it and it remains technically viable. If a course is retired due to outdated content, platform changes, or my own retirement, I will provide at least 90 days' notice via email and in the Welcome lesson of the course.
To ensure you receive these updates, check that you are opted in to course emails:
- Log into my Teachable school.
- Click your profile icon (top right).
- Select Edit Profile > Email Notifications.
- Ensure Course Updates is checked.
I strongly recommend downloading all available course materials when you sign up. Once a course is removed, I can no longer provide access.
Should I buy all the art supplies used in this course? I suggest watching the videos and reviewing the handouts before purchasing supplies. If you love working with watercolor, I recommend investing in artist-grade paint, paper, and brushes.
Can I cancel my payment plan No. A payment plan is not a subscription that can be canceled at any time—it is an agreement to pay in installments until the full balance is completed.
What is your refund policy? Due to the nature of digital content, all course purchases are final and non-refundable. Please review course details before enrolling.
Can I share my work from this course on social media? Yes! I love seeing your creations—tag me on Instagram @danielledonaldsonartist or Pinterest @danielledonaldsonartist and use #danielledonaldsoninspired so I can celebrate your work. For inspiration, updates, and announcements, Instagram and Pinterest are the best places to connect. I do not provide course support via social media. For questions, please email [email protected].
For inspiration, updates, and announcements, Instagram and Pinterest are the best places to connect. I do not provide course support via social media. For questions, please email [email protected].
Can I share course materials, supply lists, or videos with others? No. All course content—including videos, PDFs, and supply lists—is for your personal use only and may not be shared, copied, or distributed. I appreciate your respect for my work and the time I put into creating these courses.