Join Alex Fowler in our Studio, just outside Winchester. If you are intending to stay near by please ask Clare on info@hampshireart.studio for suggestions. Each day there will be a sociable, light lunch for Alex and all the students provided in the studio. If you have any dietary issues please tell us.
If you are unable to get to the studio but want to take part in the course we offer a zoom alternative.
- Tutor, Alex Fowler, NEAC
- 7th – 8th June
- 10.00am to 4.00pm,
- At the Studio, Bransbury, nr Winchester
- £180/2days, to include the model fees
- A light lunch, Tea and coffee will be included
- Suitable for all – will be taught for painting in oils
In addition we will offer a live stream via Zoom, with Alex’s demonstrations and instructions. This will be the full 2 day course. This is not a recording but you will be able to paint along with Alex and the studio students in real time. There will be a Whatsapp link so images can be sent back and forth.
- Via ZOOM
- £90/2 days, to include the model fees
When you go out to paint and things mean only spots of colour to you, you have your painters’ eyes with you.
Charles Hawthorne.
What to expect on this course
On this two day workshop, you will explore how to paint a realistic depiction of the model, in their environment. You will capture a feeling of likeness, space, and the atmosphere of the light, by building the painting out of shapes of colour.
Starting with drawing Alex will help you to break down the subject into its essential elements, and create an effective composition.
When you take up your brushes the focus will shift to colour. You will learn how to construct a painting as if it were a jigsaw puzzle of individual colours shapes. You will discover that by adjusting and fine-tuning the relationships of each shape you can describe what you see effectively, and capture the essence of the perceptual experience.
Painting the figure can be a daunting prospect.
Alex will teach an approach that makes it manageable for all levels of painter. You will learn how to select the essential colours, distinguishing one from another, and how to mix them on the palate in order to do picked the colours we see more effectively.
Over the two days of this course Alex will teach you about the following elements of painting:
- Brush technique, mark making, and paint application
- Colour mixing, and organising the palette
- Design and composition
- Strategies for accurate drawing
- Selecting the most impactful value and colour relationships
- Strategies for detail and edges
The intention is for the students to leave with a deeper understanding of how a painting is built out of colour and the tools to continue the exploration in your own work.
Materials
Here is Alex’s Materials list. We understand that budgets can get in the way and that the outlay on oil painting paraphernalia can be painful initially. If you already have similar items please feel free to bring them. Try to cover what you can from the list. If you have any questions PLEASE ask.
Paints: (If you can, buy Artist’s Quality Paints. It will cost more but it will go further and the range of colour you can achieve will be far greater. Be aware the student paints, where the name is suffixed by the word “hue” as in “cadmium yellow hue”, are made from a different pigment, in this case arylide yellow, and so can operate very differently to the genuine pigment. In this example, the paint is less opaque and has less pigmentation.
If you are on a tight budget and can only get one genuine cadmium go with Cadmium Yellow Pale which is in between Cadmium Yellow and Cadmium Lemon Yellow on the Spectrum.
I recommend the following colours, but you are free to bring others if you like working with them.
- • Titanium White
- • Zinc White
- • Cadmium Lemon Yellow
- • Cadmium Yellow
- • Cadmium Yellow Deep and/or Cadmium Orange (both optional)
- • Cadmium Red Light or Cadmium Red
- • Alizarin Crimson
- • Ultramarine Blue
- • Phthalocyanine Blue or Cerulean or Viridian (see note below*)
- • Quinacridone Rose
- • Cobalt Teal (optional)
- • Burnt Umber (other Earth Colours if you like to use them)
*phthalocyanine is a series 1 colour, so very affordable but very intense so some like to use the more expensive and subtle Cerulean. The cheaper “Hue” version of Cerulean is made from a mix of other pigments (Phthalocyanine, Ultramarine and Whites)
Palette Knife: not too small! Click here for examples: drop handle or flat
Canvases/Boards: 1or 2 canvas/acrylic primed boards (mdf or thin plywood) at least 18” x 26”, in addition: primed paper, a smaller extra canvas, canvas roll or tear off oil painting pad.
Masking Tape
Palette (white is recommended but not essential) – At least A3 There is nothing like too small a palette to hinder your painting.
Dipper: x 2 (clip on holder for solvent/medium
Medium: Zest it or low odour solvent and oil painter’s medium (or stand oil for making your own bring an extra small glass jar and Alex will demonstrate.
Empty Jam Jar or small glass bottle
Rags or Kitchen Paper
Drawing Equipment:
- • Pocket Sketchbook
- • 2B Pencils
- • Rubber
- • Ruler (about 30 cm)
Viewfinder: I recommend this one: Viewcatcher (or two 90 degree corners of white or grey card and a bulldog clip)
Brushes – A mix of Filbert and round Hog or a Hog synthetic mix*: Sizes 2, 4, 6, 12. A couple of round brushes that come to a good point are useful too. A couple of Large Brushes are important because they help us keep the painting simple.
I recommend http://www.rosemaryandco.com online but be sure to tick THE LONG HANDLE OPTION.
* the rosemary and co. hog synthetic mix is called the Classic.