A 3-Week Watercolor Course

In this 3-week course, we’ll explore the rich and surprisingly colorful world of black botanicals through watercolor and layered observation. While black may initially appear simple or flat, nature reveals it as incredibly complex. Black is filled with subtle temperature shifts, reflected light, deep chromatic variation, and hidden color relationships. Using dramatic floral and botanical subjects as our inspiration, we’ll investigate how to create luminous, dimensional darks
that feel alive rather than heavy or opaque.

Throughout the course, students will learn how to mix and manipulate rich blacks using triadic color combinations rather than relying solely on tube blacks. We’ll study how black changes in different lighting situations, how reflected color influences shadow passages, and how to maintain depth and atmosphere within dark subjects. Emphasis will be placed on careful observation, color temperature, value structure, and preserving luminosity within layered watercolor washes.

What Students Will Learn

• How to create rich chromatic blacks using triadic mixtures
• Understanding warm vs. cool blacks and subtle temperature shifts
• How black surfaces change in light, shadow, and reflected color
• Developing dimensional form within dark botanical subjects
• Layering watercolor to build depth without losing luminosity
• Controlling value structure and edge variation in low-key paintings
• Strategies for balancing detail and atmosphere within dark compositions

This course is ideal for students looking to deepen their understanding of color mixing, value relationships, and expressive botanical watercolor techniques through a more dramatic and unexpected palette. Photo references will be provided each week.