with Benedict Lovering

Spend a couple of days painting outdoors in Ramshill woods in East Wiltshire. This area is not open to the public so the calm, quiet of these woods will be just for you, the trees and the creatures that live there. If we are lucky the woodland floor could be a carpet of bluebells . These ancient woodlands lend themselves to works capturing light and atmosphere.

Benedict Lovering will introduce you to gouache, a versatile medium that’s perfect for painting plein air. Gouache has been used for centuries but seems to have taken a back seat in recent years. Learn its secrets and you will find gouache to be a vital addition to your work.

  • with Ben Lovering
  • 16th/17th May 2026
  • £240/2 days including tea, coffee, and a light lunch
  • 10am – 4pm
  • Ramshill, East Winterslow
  • All abilities welcome

Plenty of parking available. Ramshill is in a remote, rural spot along a non-tarmac lane. The calm quiet of the woodland comes with tricky to find access!

Buy Plein Air with Gouache In Ancient Woodland

What to Expect on Plein Air with Gouache In Ancient Woodland

A step-by-step approach will start with composition, several drawings and sketches through to finished paintings. In addition, Benedict will cover: tone, colour mixing and brushwork with plenty of guidance.

Complete beginners are very welcome, as are those of you with some knowledge of gouache. 

Materials

Any 300 gsm hot press watercolour paper. I like Strathmore Toned Tan mixed media paper – https://amzn.eu/d/h8F6utZ

Gouache Paints

Ben recommends using gouache paint from tubes rather than pans. Suitable ranges include Winsor & Newton or Schmincke or others at the upper end. Check to see if Jacksons’ or other good art shops have a sale. If you are buying single tubes, recommended colours are:

  • Van Dyke Brown,
  • Black,
  • Yellow Ochre,
  • Ultramarine,
  • Lemon Yellow,
  • Alizarin Crimson.
  • Cerulean Blue
  • Sap Green
  • Red
  • Titanium White or Permanent White.
  • These sets are also very good and cheap – Daler- Rowney Designers Gouache set –  https://amzn.eu/d/iioBLWA

Brushes and accessories:

  • Please bring a range of sizes of synthetic flat brushes,
  • A small palette or sealed paint pot, for example the Jakar Daisy Shape Porcelain Palette (15cm diameter). Or an airtight Palette – https://amzn.eu/d/jf7daG4
  • Kitchen Roll, Masking tape, A pencil. and a bag for rubbish
  • Please bring a sketch book and drawing materials to take notes as well as to make quick sketches.
  • A plein air set up, ie a French easel or a Porchard box with a tripod. Alternatively a foldable camping chair, ideally with a cupholder for water. 
  • A cup for water. 
  • Please check weather reports and dress accordingly. We will be outside as much as possible.

About Benedict Lovering

Benedict Lovering is a landscape painter, illustrator, and educator. His work celebrates the use of colour, light, and the rhythms of nature. Ben splits his time between teaching, the studio, and being outdoors. He often begins his paintings en plein air. Later, he develops them into larger, expressive oil works.

Ben studied Illustration at Falmouth University, and UAL. Later, he took his practice further at London Fine Art Studios. There, he trained in classical drawing and painting techniques. He focused particularly on plein air work.

Ben’s paintings are rooted in everyday experience, drawing beauty from the familiar and transforming it through observation of atmosphere and light. Alongside his own practice, he teaches and shares his love of painting with others.

www.benedictlovering.com
insta/benedictlovering

About Gouache

Gouache, body color, or opaque watercolor is a water-medium paint. It consists of natural pigment, water, and a binding agent, which is usually gum arabic. Sometimes, it also contains additional inert material. Gouache is designed to be opaque. Gouache has a long history, having been used for at least twelve centuries. 

Gouache color studies are ideal for oil painters.  The fast-drying, opaque, water-based medium helps quickly map out compositions, values, and color relationships before committing to oils. This allows for rapid experimentation with big shapes and structure, quick cleanup, and planning for large oil paintings.

As gouache doesn’t use solvents, its matte-ness and re-workability (unlike oils) offer a different feel. It makes it a great tool to build foundational understanding for oil work. But Gouache offers so much more than just as a quick note taker for oil painting.

If you want to find out more about this course, where to find materials, directions to Ramshill, or where to stay please contact me.

Contact Artdrawpaint