Painting the Landscape & Figure

Learn to create dramatic paintings with impressionistic brushwork. The emphasis will be on composition and value to create visual interest and lead the eye through the painting. Learn to place the figure in your landscape scenes. This will be a fun and inspirational workshop!

Day One: Landscape Fundamentals

Covers the key elements needed for a successful landscape painting; design, value, color and brushwork. Students will learn how to have a strategy to capture the scene before them with a simplified design and correct color relationships.

Day Two: Figure Fundamentals

Learn to draw the essence of the figure with simple shapes which suggest the figure rather than render in detail. The focus is on painting people in an environment; such as a beach or cafe and designing the figure ground relationship. You ’ll also learn to mix value and temperature as a unit using clean color to create the illusion of light on form. Plan on doing a lot of sketches in charcoal, monochrome and color studies.

Weather permitting we can work outdoors on day 3 from a live model.

Supply List & Travel Tips

Limited Palette: Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow light, Cadmium Red Light, Ivory Black, Transparent Oxide Red or Brown, Viridian, Ultramarine Blue, Alizarin Crimson. 

Optional Colors: Naples Yellow Light, Cadmium Yellow Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Orange, Cad Yellow Medium, Quinacridone Pink, Pthalo Blue.

Canvas: Painting panels or Ampersand gesso board. Buy a variety of standard sizes; 6x8, 8x10, 9x12

Brushes: Bristle brushes - flats, rounds and filberts, variety of sizes. I like Silver Brand or Rosemary long synthetic bristle filberts. Smaller brushes for detail. Isabey or Series 274 Masters Choice (mongoose) from Rosemary & Co. Very versatile for blending, washes and detail.  

Drawing Materials: Sketch Book 8x10 or smaller, Faber Castell graphite pencils #2900 6B, vine charcoal, black Sharpie pointed marker.

Mineral Spirits: Gamsol or Turpenoid odorless mineral spirits

Painting Medium: Winsor Newton Liquin Gel Medium or any oil medium.

Additional Supplies: Viva towels, brush cleaner (Murphy’s Oil Soap, Turp Natural, Baby Oil) small trash bags, small containers to hold medium & spirits.

Carry Bag: Travel bag with wheels or backpack so you can bring all of your gear on location easily.

Portable Easel: a french easel is fine but I recommend the Strada Mini: 

https://www.stradaeasel.com/collections/strada-easels/products/strada-easel

Optional: 

Wet Paint Carrier: Raymar or Panel Pak

Palette Saver: http://finearttech.com/FineArtTech/Paint-Saver_Palette.html