Master the Techniques Behind Soft, Luminous Watercolors

Beautiful watercolor paintings begin with understanding form.

In this focused 2-hour Micro Workshop, you'll practice the essential techniques that create depth and dimension in petals, stems, and other organic subjects.

Rather than focusing on a finished painting, we'll strengthen the essential skills behind successful watercolor through a series of guided technique studies.

What You'll Learn

• Control water for smooth, luminous blends.
• Retain clean, glowing highlights.
• Build value gradually without overworking.
• Create curved petals with intentional brushstrokes.
• Paint stems with depth and dimension.
• Understand how light, value, and edge work together to create form.
• Apply these techniques to flowers, leaves, shells, sea glass, fruit, and more.

We'll conclude with a simple flower demonstration, showing how these individual exercises come together in a finished painting.

By the end of class, you'll leave with a collection of technique studies that will become valuable reference guides for future watercolor paintings.

Included with Your Workshop

✔ Live 2-hour workshop

✔ Replay available after class

✔ Reference technique studies

✔ Live Q&A

Curriculum

Lesson 1: Water Control & Retaining Highlights

Learn how to control water, preserve luminous highlights, and create soft, even washes.

Lesson 2: Creating Form with Value

Discover how light, shadow, and value work together to create depth and dimension.

Lesson 3: Curved Petals & Brush Control

Practice brushstrokes that create graceful curves, soft edges, and believable petals.

Lesson 4: Rounded Stems & Applying the Techniques

Paint dimensional stems and see how these same techniques come together in a simple flower demonstration.

Skill Level
Beginner to Intermediate

Meet Your Instructor

Birgit O'Connor is an internationally recognized watercolor artist and instructor known for making watercolor approachable, enjoyable, and inspiring.

For more than 30 years, she has taught thousands of artists how to simplify their subjects, understand light, and paint with greater confidence. Her students appreciate her clear demonstrations, encouraging teaching style, and ability to make even complex techniques easy to understand.

Birgit has taught workshops throughout the United States and Canada, served as faculty for Watercolor Live, and has been a juror for the Transparent Watercolor Society of America. Through her online workshops, books, and videos, she continues to help artists around the world discover a more expressive approach to watercolor.

Her philosophy is simple:
"Don't paint every detail. Learn to see the light, simplify the shapes, and let your brushwork tell the story."

What Students Say:

Thank you Birgit for the wonderful technique course - Kathy

Great webinar once again, Birgit!! Very very valuable practice-even if we’ve done it with you for years. Thank you! Can’t wait to do the rose - Chris Millett

Thank you. Great course. Lots of good practice for the Rose course. - Jane

Thank you so much for the bonus time. I can't wait to try it myself. I am an intermediate painter and I was in your class in April . My take away was not to be so tight and to enjoy myself. This is now being reflected in my current work. Can't thank you enough! - Bonnie Clements

Thank you for the great class, I hope to take the Rose class as well - Susan Webb

Wonderful. Would love to do more! - Pat Izsak

Thank you so much. I’ve learned a lot. Signed up for the brushstroke class. See you at the next workshop. Mary