2 October 2026 | 9:30 am – 12:30 pm | 14 students — ASBA Conference
This half-day workshop focuses on watercolour techniques used to create depth, texture, and clarity in botanical painting. Işık Güner will demonstrate her approach to layering watercolour, building form through transparent washes, controlled pigment placement, and the use of strong tonal contrast. Participants will explore methods for suggesting surface texture and fine detail while maintaining freshness and precision in the paint layers. The session offers insight into technical decision-making and process, supporting artists who wish to strengthen depth and confidence in their botanical watercolour practice.
This half-day workshop offers an in-depth look into Işık Güner's watercolour painting process, focusing on how transparent layers can be used to build depth, texture, and strong tonal contrast in botanical illustration. Through guided demonstration and discussion, participants will observe how successive washes interact, how pigment strength is controlled, and how light and dark relationships are carefully developed to describe form and space.
The session will explore strategies for creating surface texture, defining fine details without overworking, and maintaining clarity while working in multiple layers. Particular attention will be given to understanding when to add detail and when to pause, allowing earlier layers to remain visible and active within the painting. Emphasis will also be placed on the role of contrast in enhancing depth and directing the viewer's eye.
In this workshop, Işık Güner will demonstrate her watercolour technique step by step, sharing the analytical and disciplined approach she uses when building a botanical painting. Participants will gain insight into how observation, planning, and controlled layering work together — learning not just the technical steps, but the underlying decision-making process that supports accuracy, clarity, and expressive depth.
Date: 2 October 2026
Time: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Location: ASBA Conference, Denver
Capacity: 14 students