Color is not the finishing touch. It is the moment your work either looks real or it doesn't.

In this industry, the difference between a rock formation that reads as painted concrete and one that stops people in their tracks comes down entirely to how it is colored. The right wash, the right gradation, the right understanding of how nature actually builds color over time through mineral deposits, erosion, and decades of sun exposure. These are not finishing details. They are the whole conversation.

Most people never get taught this part. They learn to sculpt, they learn to form, and then they guess at color and wonder why something that looked great in progress feels flat when it is done. This workshop exists to close that gap.

I have spent more than 30 years coloring naturalistic environments for zoos, theme parks, resorts, and scenic installations around the world. This three-day workshop is my opportunity to put everything I know directly into your hands.

A Special Thank You to Our Workshop Sponsors

This workshop is made possible in part by the generous support of our sponsors, who believe the same thing we do: that professional-grade tools and knowledge should be available to anyone serious about this craft, at any level.

Roseburrough Tool Company : Tools and equipment provider

Quikspray Inc. : Tools and equipment provider

What You Will Learn

This is a hands-on, immersive three days covering the full spectrum of coloring techniques used in professional scenic and decorative concrete work. Not theory. Actual practice, on actual surfaces, with real feedback along the way.

Color Gradation A single gradation can communicate age, history, and drama all at once. We will explore how shifting color tells the story of a surface over time, and how to design and execute gradations that feel completely natural rather than painted on.

Washes The most powerful move is often the one nobody notices. A well-applied wash unifies a surface, softens areas that are fighting for attention, and adds a quiet depth that makes the whole piece feel alive. We will practice wash techniques across a variety of surfaces and learn when to use them and when to leave well enough alone.

Rustication This is concrete. Color is what convinces you it is metal, that something new is decades old, that a man-made surface has been weathering in the elements for years. Rust and aging effects are among the most requested finishes in themed environments and one of the most satisfying techniques to get right.

Naturalistic Differences Nature is never uniform. Every rock in a rubble pile has its own history. We will explore how to give individual elements their own character while keeping the overall composition cohesive and believable, which is one of the hardest things to teach and one of the most valuable things to learn.

Color Palettes and Mixing How to build a palette from natural references, mix consistently across a large surface, and adjust on the fly when the light changes, the material behaves differently than expected, or the client walks onto the job site with new opinions.

Paint Viscosities and Application Brush, roller, spray, and everything in between. Different viscosities produce dramatically different results and knowing which tool to reach for in which situation is a skill most people develop slowly through trial and error. We will work through each approach directly and talk through the decision-making behind them.

Masking and Displacement How to create clean edges, protect finished areas, and use displacement methods to achieve texture effects through color alone. Techniques that look complicated from the outside but become intuitive once you have done them with your own hands.

Integral vs. Topical Color The industry offers more options than ever for how color enters a project. We will look at both approaches, discuss when each makes sense, and explore how combining them strategically can produce results that neither achieves on its own.

Who This Workshop Is For

This one is for everyone.

If you have never touched decorative concrete before but you have a backyard project in your head that you cannot stop thinking about, you belong in this room. If you have been doing scenic and decorative work professionally for years and you know your coloring is the one thing holding your projects back from the next level, you belong in this room too.

Past students have come from all over the map. Decorative concrete contractors, scenic artists, theme park fabricators, landscape designers, pool and spa professionals, and backyard hobbyists who just wanted to build something that looked real. What they all had in common was that they left with techniques they could use the following week on an actual project.

If you care about making your work look genuinely real, the rest works itself out.

Workshop Details

Dates: June 25-27, 2026

Daily Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM each day

Location: South River Mill · 200 West 12th Street - Waynesboro, VA

About the venue: South River Mill is a converted historic mill in Waynesboro, Virginia, now home to a working community of creatives, craftspeople, and makers. The space is wide open, which means we can work at a real scale rather than a tabletop. There is an on-site spray booth for full spray application demos and hands-on practice in a proper environment. It is exactly the kind of place where you want to spend three days getting your hands dirty.

Class Size: Six students. That is it, and that is by design. This is not a lecture with a slideshow and a handout. It is a working session, and that means every person in the room gets direct attention throughout all three days. Questions get answered in real time. Problems get solved on the spot. You will not leave with notes you have to figure out later. You will leave with the muscle memory of having actually done it.

Tuition: $1,500 per person

(Group discounts are available for two or more participants… contact me directly to discuss.)

What's Included:

Three full days of hands-on instruction, all materials, paints, and supplies, and a hot BBQ lunch cooked fresh on site every day. Chicken, burgers, hotdogs, the whole deal.

Tools and equipment are generously provided by our sponsors Roseburrough Tool Company and Quikspray Inc., so bring nothing but yourself and your enthusiasm. If you have a favorite tool you like working with, throw it in the bag. Otherwise you are completely covered.

Reserve Your Spot

Six spots. One deposit. That is all it takes to lock in your place.

A $750 deposit secures your seat and covers half of the total tuition. The remaining $750 is due before the workshop begins. With the date coming up fast and the class intentionally small, spots will not last long.

Please note that deposits are non-refundable. Given how close we are to the date and the preparation that goes into each session, this policy protects everyone involved and I appreciate your understanding.

Once your deposit is in, I will reach out personally to confirm your spot, answer any questions, and make sure you know exactly what to expect before you walk through the door.

Nearby accommodations:

• Wingate by Wyndham - 20 Windigrove Drive Waynesboro, VA - Ph. 540.932.7170

• Residence Inn by Marriott - 44 Windigrove Drive Waynesboro, VA - Ph. 540.943.7426        

• Comfort Inn by Choice - 15 Windigrove Drive Waynesboro, VA - Ph. 540.447.5065

• Holiday Inn express - 108 Chicurel Ln Waynesboro, VA - Ph 540.221.4258 ext 5003

• Super 8 by Worldwide - 1102 Red top Orchard rd Waynesboro, VA - Ph. 540.943.3888

Questions?

Not sure if this workshop is the right fit for where you are? Ask me directly. There are no wrong questions and no skill level too beginner to belong here. I am happy to talk through what we cover, what to expect, and whether this is the right next step for you.

Email: rlw@carve-right.com

Phone: +1 (714) 318-3994

I look forward to meeting each of you and sharing what I love about this craft. See you in Waynesboro.

Richard