Painting Workshop Day 1

Reference Material

All references should be printed in color and grey scale. Use your grey scale print more than your color. Gail is adding images on her web site or use from her facebook photos. Ideally the image will be cropped to proportions of your canvas size. Artoilcolor.com has an image cropping tool. If you prefer to work from your ipad, this crop tool will be helpful. Class grants permission to use and sell your work from her reference but should not be used in juried art shows.

Paint/Medium

Only Gamsol will be used in studio. Refrain from using any stinky paint; some cheaper brands (Chroma) are terribly smelly.

Day 1 – Canvas 1, Goal: use of 2 pure single pigments to gesture draw in washes of lights and darks.

Canvas to be small: ~11x14. Swooshy gesture drawing using Quin Magenta (PR122) and Indian Yellow (PY83 | PY110 | PY153 there are three pigment options for this yellow that will be discussed). Subject matter for smaller canvas should be a detail such as an eye, foot etc. or unstructured object such as an iris. Brush size 6 or larger in filbert and/or flat brush should be used. Notice how the yellow can push the magenta. Use yellow for your lights and magenta for your darks. Keep it thin and washy. This should not take long. Let rest until Day 2.

Day 1 – Canvas 2, Goal: start drawing and mixing one color.

Small canvas 11x14 (beginner/intermediate) or 16x20 (advanced). Your size 6 brush is warmed up so we will start drawing. (16x20 needs a larger brush) Using the two colors already on your palette, add phthalo green (PG7). When mixing your purple brown start with magenta and green; stop to view the delicious purple! Notice how dark it can be. To make brown just add the Indian yellow. It becomes a crisp golden chestnut for your drawing color. We are looking to place generous strokes down in drawing, not fine lines. As you are drawing you need the option to change your mind. Larger shapes allow your eye to see faster. If you don’t like it, wipe down with a paper towel and start over.

Day 1 – Canvas 3, Goal: No mud here!

Time allowing, let’s all doodle and eye. Small canvas, 11x14 with the above three colors and add white. Now that you have a hint at to the possibilities, add titanium white (PW6). Start the canvas as you just did in your drawing. Once you feel comfortable that the drawing is laid out, add white. Keep a large brush and don’t worry about matching the colors. Use the range you have to grasp value but allow chroma to go as the palette pulls you. Give the paint a voice in your decisions rather than try to force the paint to be something it isn’t.