Location: Kentmere Parkway median in front of the museum
Enjoy the fun of painting “en plein air”—painting directly from nature on location using the medium of your choice. Instructor Charley Parker will demonstrate in water mixable oil, but he is also experienced in traditional oil, gouache, acrylic, ink and watercolor.
Topics include: finding a landscape subject and creating a composition; starting a painting; understanding value and edges; creating textures to suggest foliage, tree trunks, grasses, and other surfaces; brush handling; paint mixing; understanding the color characteristics of hue, value and chroma; and mixing a wide range of colors from a simple, limited palette. The class will include demonstration by the instructor as well as individual instruction at each student’s level of experience.
Join us for relaxed summer mornings of painting in nature in beautiful surroundings.
Supply List: (for water mixable oil)
Surface - Canvas panels, gessoed hardboard panels (for example: “Gessobord”), stretched canvas, or “oil paper” (for example: “Arches Oil Paper”) - 2 at either 8″×10″ or 9″×12″ (larger if you like, but use larger brushes)
Brushes - Synthetic brushes are best for water-mixable oil. There are many good brands; one is the Princeton 6300 line of synthetic oil painting brushes. Sizes: 1/2″ flat, 1/2″ angle, 1/4″ flat (ideally two), 1/8″ #4 flat, #2 round
Palette - Melamine, wood, or glass palette or a pad of disposable palette paper.
Painting/palette knife - Recommended: rounded elongated diamond shape, roughly 1 1/2″ long
Containers - Thinner and medium cups, one for each, or a dual cup
Water jar - for cleaning brushes
Wet panel carrier - cardboard box or plastic bin for carrying wet panels or canvas
Paints, thinners & mediums - Winsor and Newton’s Artisan water mixable oil is not recommended because it’s student grade (though their thinner and medium are fine). You can use it if you have it, but the investment in artist grade paints is worth it.
Colors - A limited palette of five colors is recommended. You can bring other colors if you like, but the instructor will be teaching color mixing in these colors (the two brands are slightly different).
Royal Talens Cobra water mixable oil (not labeled “Study,” which is their student- grade version)
Ultramarine Blue
Cadmium Yellow
Madder Lake
Burnt Sienna
Titanium White
Plus: Royal Talens Cobra Water Mixable Solvent-Free Paint Thinner, Royal Talens Cobra Painting Medium (not fast drying). Winsor and Newton versions also okay.
Holbein Duo Aqua water mixable oil (or W&N Artisan)
Alizarin Crimson
Plus: Winsor & Newton Artisan Water Mixable Oil Paint Thinner, Holbein Aqua Duo Medium (not fast drying) Winsor and Newton versions also okay.
Instructor’s assessment: Royal Talens Cobra is less expensive and has a nice flowing consistency out of the tube. Holbein Duo Aqua is stiffer in consistency but highly pigmented. Both are good artist-quality paints. W&N Artisan, which is student grade, tends to be a bit gummy and is less pigmented.
Paints for other mediums (gouache, watercolor, acrylic):
Recommended palette:
Cadmium Yellow Light
Additional Materials for Plein Air Painting
Seating and painting support - a folding chair or stool and a portable easel or lapboard (a second chair to lean your drawing board against or a folding table could substiture for an easel).
Sun protection - We will be in the shade while painting, both for comfort and to keep from painting too darkly in the intense light of the sun, but you may want to also consider other forms of sun exposure protection such as ahat andsunblock.
Other outdoor concerns – Bring drinks, snacks, or anything else you might want or need for spending a few hours outside.