with Michael Weller
Starting this Thursday via ZOOM we are pleased to introduce one of our new, specialist tutors, Michael Weller. Michael will encourage those of you with some experience of oil painting (some, or lots of experience) to approach your work as he does, in a considered and fresh fashion.
From small beginnings follow Michael Weller through different areas of painting, all from life, and all at home. Each day you will be painting subjects you know intimately. Rediscover, reinterpret and enjoy the thrill of your everyday objects and settings.
- Tutor, Michael Weller
- 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th November and 2nd December
- 10.00 – 12.00 via ZOOM, then return from 4.00pm for a one to one crit.
- Dedicated Whatsapp group for the course
- The course will be recorded so you can rewatch as you paint – whenever that is…
- Suitable for anyone with some experience of painting with oils
- £200/course
- The WhatsApp group, and access to the recordings, will stop a week after the last class
What to Expect on ‘Oil Painting from Life, at Home’
Each class will begin with a demonstration by Michael, describing how to manage the subject of the day. He likes to treat these early sketches as colour studies. Students will have time after the demonstration to work on their own piece. The class reconvenes at about 4.00 for a one-to-one crit.
The five weeks will unfold as follows:
- First week will be a Still Life. A few objects, possibly three pieces of fruit. You will paint on a board, or canvas, that is just big enough to hold all three pieces. You will paint the objects life-size.
- Second week is a view of the room, as a landscape. This is an introduction to painting sight-size, the size we see NOT the size it is.
- Third week is a self-portrait using a mirror. You will paint the head life size.
- Week four, you will paint yourself in your room. This will be sight sized, using a mirror
- For the final week you will paint from the inside looking out, with a still life in the foreground. This will be sight sized.
By the end of these five weeks you will have done a lot of painting and drawing, being aware of different approaches to measuring and colour mixing. Your mixing and measuring will be cleaner, clearer and more confident.
with Michael Weller
Materials
Oil paint
This is a fairly limited number of colours but get 60ml tubes or bigger, and at least twice as much white. Michael uses Jacksons Artists Colours. Affordable, good quality.
- Titanium white (warm white is nicer but more expensive),
- lemon yellow (or cadmium yellow light),
- Alizarin crimson (rose madder is nicer, but dearer) and
- cobalt blue.
And The Rest
Low-odour oil-paint solvent. A small jar for the oil solvent. Zest-It or Sansador are fine.
Brushes. Good to have some bigger brushes.
Michael likes long filbert brushes, household brushes and sometimes hands and fingers.
Canvases/panels/painting surface. 13 x 18cm for week one, still life.
25 x 30cm for the other weeks. If you have a surface that you like to work on, stick with that.
Palette or mixing surface. Paper tearaway palette is great. Wooden palette fine.
Kitchen paper or rags. A plastic bag for rubbish.
Plastic disposable gloves are great.
Apron is good. Don’t be like Michael (!) and not wear an apron.
Some hand gel to wash your paint-covered hands.
Easel – for your board or canvas.