Creating Form: Understanding Shape, Light & Value in Watercolor

Technique Workshop

Understanding shape is the foundation of every successful watercolor painting.

Whether you're painting flowers, architecture, landscapes, or still life, the ability to see light, simplify values, and create convincing form will transform the way you paint.

In this technique-focused workshop, you'll begin with simple exercises before progressing to a rounded pot, an adobe building, and finally an expressive architectural painting. Each lesson builds on the previous one, helping you develop stronger observation skills and greater confidence.

Rather than copying every detail, you'll learn to paint what matters most—light, shape, and value.

What You'll Learn

By the end of this workshop you'll understand how to:

• Observe and simplify complex subjects into clear shapes
• Create the illusion of three-dimensional form using light and value
• Paint convincing rounded and angular forms
• Strengthen your understanding of cast shadows and reflected light
• Control hard and soft edges to create depth
• Apply these principles to architecture and other watercolor subjects

Why This Workshop Is Different

Instead of focusing on one specific subject, you'll develop skills that can be applied to nearly every painting you create.

You'll learn how to:

• Recognize the largest value shapes
• Simplify before adding detail
• Understand how light reveals form
• Create depth through thoughtful value relationships
• Paint with greater confidence and intention

These are fundamental watercolor skills you'll use again and again.

During the Workshop You'll

• Begin with a simple box exercise to understand light and value
• Paint a rounded pot to explore reflected light and curved form
• Apply those principles to an adobe building using planes of light
• Complete a finished architectural painting using everything you've learned

Each exercise builds naturally toward the final demonstration.

Included

✔ Live online workshop

✔ Lifetime replay access

✔ Downloadable workbook

✔ Line drawings

✔ Reference photographs

Perfect For

This workshop is designed for watercolor artists who want to:

✔ Create stronger three-dimensional form

✔ Better understand light and value

✔ Improve observation skills

✔ Paint with greater confidence

✔ Apply these concepts to any watercolor subject

Suitable for adventurous beginners through experienced watercolor painters.

My Teaching Philosophy

One of the things I love most about watercolor is that it encourages us to simplify.

Rather than painting every detail, we'll focus on understanding the larger shapes, preserving the light, and allowing expressive brushwork to tell the story.

We're not learning to paint a pot or a building.

We're learning how to see light, shape, and form.

Date: Sept 5

Workshop Details

Live Online Workshop (Pacific Time): 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM PT

Other time zones:

• 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
• 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM CT
• 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM MT

Approximately 3 hours

Lifetime replay included

Technique-focused instruction

Downloadable workbook, line drawings, and reference photos

Meet Your Instructor

For over 30 years, I've had the privilege of teaching watercolor artists around the world through workshops, online courses, and international art events. My passion has always been helping artists move beyond simply copying a reference photo to truly understanding light, design, and the expressive qualities of watercolor.

As a faculty member for Watercolor Live and a former juror for the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, I've worked with thousands of artists at every stage of their creative journey. Again and again, I've discovered that stronger paintings don't come from painting more details—they come from learning to see differently.

My teaching emphasizes observation, simplification, and confident brushwork. Rather than focusing on perfection, I encourage students to understand the larger shapes, preserve the light, and enjoy the unique beauty that watercolor offers.

Whether you're just beginning or have been painting for years, my goal is to help you build confidence, strengthen your skills, and create paintings that feel fresh, expressive, and uniquely your own.

I look forward to painting with you!

Birgit O'Connor