Enjoy the fun of painting “en plein air” — painting directly from nature on location using gouache (opaque watercolor). Gouache is a fun and easy to use water based medium that dries quickly to a beautiful mat finish. Unlike transparent watercolor, gouache allows for painting light colors over dark, providing greater freedom in how a painting is created and making it more forgiving than transparent watercolor.

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Topics will 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; gouache paint handling; layering and adjusting the thickness of the paint; 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.

Materials:

• gouache paint in the following 5 colors: Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Yellow Light (or Pale), Perelyne Maroon (or Alizarin Crimson), Burnt Sienna, Permanent White (Titanium White); (recommended brands: Winsor and Newton Designers Gouache, Holbein, M. Graham, Daniel Smith) (preferably NOT “jelly gouache” or “Himi Gouache” unless you already have some)

• short handled synthetic brushes suitable for acrylic or mixed media (those listed as made from “Golden Taklon” are good): 1/2 flat (ideally 2 of these), 1/4” flat (two of these), 1/8” flat, #2 round; 

• watercolor paper  9x12” or 8x10", ideally hot press, cold press also OK, at least 140lb/300gsm or heavier; or watercolor sketchbook with similar paper

• water jar for cleaning brushes (plastic peanut butter jar, for example);

• small water jar for clean water; 

• spray mister (atomizer) for keeping paint wet on the palette; 

• watercolor or acrylic palette with generous mixing area (a small Masterson “Sta-wet Palette” can be advantageous); 

• a few paper towels; 

• something to hold your palette and paper like a pochade box, field easel, or drawing board leaned against an extra folding chair; you can also work in your lap in a watercolor sketchbook if you prefer, and use a small folding table for your materials

• plus whatever you need for 3 hours outdoors — folding chair, sunscreen, drinking water, hat, etc. (we will be in the shade) 

Class will initially meet in front of the museum on the Kentmere Parkway median.

Whether you are a beginner to way beyond, jump into the fun of making pastel marks reflecting the elements of nature. Pastel painting the elements this summer of water, earth, sky, and a bit of metal (architecture and sculpture) in and around the Museum grounds. Using the long summer evenings to take some photos / sketches in and around the museum then creating your painting in studio. Either explore the museum grounds, or bring your own landscape or seascape photos taken from favorite places, trips, your summer fun memories.

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Instructor demos will give you tips, the how tos and take you into the steps in seeing the composition, light source, values, and mark making in showing the movement of water, sky, paths in nature, the blooms of trees and flowers. Group and one on one guidance given per level of your experience.

Painting in studio, we will use provided, your present moment photos of the museum grounds, and your own summer memory of favorite sea, landscape, and “place” source photos. Each week builds your pastel know–how confidence, by creating from nature’s elements your expression of the long days of summer sizzle, and cool shady moments.

Have some mark making fun, ignite your artistic passion using the crystalline beauty of soft pastels.

Class Supply List – SUMMER: Pastel painting: Create from the Summer Elements, from land, sea and into the cloudscapes!

 PASTELS: Variety of both hard and soft. It will be important to have at least 5 soft pastels in each hue plus a soft white pastel (Basic Hues:  Primary: blue, red, yellow, Secondary: green, purple, orange ranging from very light to very dark, in both warm and cool. (Ex: reds ranging from lightest pink to deep red, in warm and cool reds.) Brands I use are for soft: Mount Vision, Extra Soft: Art Spectrum, Sennelier…and very soft: Schmincke. Harder pastels I like are Rembrandt for wider painting, NuPastel or Prismacolor ,  or Conte sticks for line and underpainting (NuPastel sticks are now discontinued…can buy sets. (Foundation colors for hard sticks: Violet, Dark Green /or darkest purple or green you can find)

Special colors / pastels: One stick each (find at Blick Art)
Sennelier Paris Dark blue 463 and dark green 179
Art Spectrum Extra Soft Flinders Violet Blue

 *FOR BEGINNERS / PASTELS (economy start to build from): Mungyo Gallery Standard Soft Pastels Box Set, 32 Half Sticks, Assorted Colors

 PAPER: sanded, please, in neutral colors (white, cream, or light grey), sizes: purchase a package of UArt 400 size 9x12 grit pastel paper. You will be using the paper in various sizes which we will be cutting to size from  9x12, (8x10, 5x7 and original size of 9x12). My suggestion is UART 400 Grade cream to begin (will be exploring Multi Media Pastel Board (Jerry’s Artorama sells this paper) 8x10 Pastel Board as well), we will likely be using more or less in 8 weeks, this will start your class, give you some early options.

 *A LINK FOR PAPER: a pack of 400 grit UArt beige paper from Blick.:

https://www.dickblick.com/items/uart-sanded-pastel-paper-pad-400-grit-9-x-12-10-sheets-beige/

 Blick or Jerry’s Artarama have good supplies. Blick has more supplies than Jerry’s for pastels! And, google Dakota Art for just about any item....they take a bit more time to deliver than Blick or Jerry’s.

Table Easel (inexpensive metal folding easel is fine) Will discuss standing easels during class

Small dish size towel to put pastels on

Backing boards. (At least 2 @ 12x16 and 2 @ 14 x 18 is a good size, gator board or foam core)

Sketchbook. (At least 6x9 journal size or 8 x 10 preferred), soft pencils, eraser, and at least 3  grey value wide tip felt markers (Grey scale (warm or cold) one dark: #8-9, one medium: #5, one light: #2-3…or more if you wish), one fine tip permanent black sharpie marker

Color wheel

Masking tape (neutral color: tan, white or black. No blue or green tape, please)

Isopropyl alcohol (70%) and Latour Sennelier Soft Pastel fixative

Glassine paper to safely keep your masterpieces

Container with lid for your water or Isopropyl alcohol use and paper towels or rags for clean-up, hand wipes

For watercolor underpainting:
An inexpensive watercolor set with its own lid palette (prefer large pans not small paint pans)
Brush: A medium flat #10 or wider size man made bristle brush (no sable brushes!)

Scissors and 18in ruler

Your ipad or electronic device for photo and use for source reference. Large portfolio bag or container to carry all…can have wheels, carry bag or back pack