L’ARTISTE – OWEN LABBÉ
Owen Labbé is a Montreal-based artist who moves between two worlds. By day, he’s a concept artist and former art director in animation; his visual development work has shaped feature films for studios like DNEG, Mikros, and L’Atelier Animation.
Outside the studio, he’s a member of the Urban Sketchers and joined the teaching faculty of the 14th International Urban Sketchers Symposium in Toulouse last summer — sketching on the spot, in ink and watercolour, wherever the opportunity arises.
It’s this dual background, between studio precision and sketchbook instinct, that shapes his teaching.
WATERCOLOR BASICS | FULL DAY
Saturday November 7th 2026 from 10AM to 5PM
Les ateliers Au Pif – 814-7 rue de Saint-Jovite (Petit Hameau)
Matériel inclus
NOVEMBER 7
WATERCOLOR BASICS:
225 $ + tx
NOVEMBER 8
URBAN SKETCHING/TRAVEL JOURNAL:
225 $ + tx
NOVEMBER 7 + 8
WATERCOLOR BASICS
+
URBAN SKETCHING/TRAVEL JOURNAL
360$ + tx (90$ OFF)
WATERCOLOUR — THE BASICS
Morning — Discovering and Understanding Watercolor
We’ll begin by discovering the materials and essential principles of watercolor: the different types of paper, brushes, pigments, and above all the role of water.
Through several simple exercises, you’ll learn to control the amount of water and pigment on your brush and paper.
We’ll experiment with fundamental watercolor techniques:
- Flat wash and graded wash
- Painting on dry paper and on wet paper
- Creating soft transitions
- Layering without reactivating the paint
- Understanding drying time and knowing when to intervene
The goal is above all to understand how watercolor behaves and to gradually build confidence.
Before Lunch — Understanding and Mixing Colors
Next, we’ll explore the basics of color in watercolor.
Starting from a limited palette, you’ll learn to create a wide variety of colors without needing dozens of tubes.
We’ll cover in particular how to:
- Mix colors
- Create more or less saturated colors
- Understand warm and cool colors
- Create colored shadows
- Avoid dull or “muddy” mixes
You’ll create your own small color chart that can later serve as a reference.
Afternoon — Creating a Watercolor Painting from Start to Finish
We’ll then put into practice everything learned in the morning through a complete painting done step by step.
Owen will begin with a demonstration to show how to observe and simplify a subject before painting.
We’ll cover together:
- How to prepare a simple sketch
- Identifying the main areas of light and shadow
- Choosing a limited palette
- Starting with the large masses
- Progressively building up colors and contrasts
- Adding final details without overloading the painting
Participants will then create their own watercolor painting, with individual guidance and feedback throughout the exercise.
To Finish — Feedback and a Small Exhibition
We’ll end the day by looking at the various paintings created.
This will be an opportunity to discuss together what worked, the difficulties encountered, and ideas to explore for continuing to practice at home.
The goal: to leave with a finished watercolor painting, but above all with a simple, clear method for continuing to paint independently.
No refunds will be granted for classes, except in the case of cancellation on our part.
No make-up session is planned in the event of absence, as most of our classes are full.