This course will examine ways that painters can imbue objects in their work with a sense of weight, mass, and volume. We will investigate concepts and approaches that move us away from depicting flimsy, flat objects and toward describing substantial volumetric forms. Theory and methods for structuring the value, color, and transitions within and outside the painted forms themselves will be discussed and demonstrated. We will also analyze and compare simple weighty forms to more complex breakdowns of an object. We will look at scenarios where our answers are revealed through focused observation as well as when we may need to stray from observed reality in order to strengthen a painted form.