Explore an exciting and different approach to pastels and mixed media. This four-day course will focus on methods to achieve vibrant and expressive mark-making in landscape painting whilst using soft pastel as the primary medium in a mixed media process.
Your tutor will guide you to discover the limitless and varied mark-making opportunities possible within the methods she uses. You will begin by sketching in the beautiful grounds of West Dean Gardens before returning to the studio to achieve energetic work as an interpretation of the sketches, words and information you have gathered. You will work on mount board using gesso, acrylic paint and (chalk) pastel. If the weather is bad, you will work from sketches or photographs, so please bring what you have, just in case.
There will be regular demonstrations, with an emphasis on individual guidance to help you to improve your personal experience and understanding of layered painting and optical colour mixing.
By the end of the course, you will have gained an understanding of this mixed media process and how to incorporate it into your painting methods.
Arrival Day - this is the first date listed above
Courses start early evening. Residential students to arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm.
6.45pm: Welcome, followed by dinner (included).
8 - 9pm: First teaching session, attendance is essential.
Daily timetable
Classes 9.15 - 5pm, lunch is included.
From 6.30pm: Dinner (included for residential students).
Evening working - students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with their tutor's permission and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed.
Last day
Classes 9.15am - 3pm, lunch is included.
Residential students are to vacate their rooms by 10am please.
(This timetable is for courses of more than one day in length. The tutor may make slight variations)
Included
- Some magnolia emulsion paint, clear gesso, ink and a piece of white mountboard to get you started.
What students need to bring
- Bring any reference material you might like to work from in case of poor weather (sketchbook studies, printed photos)
- Overalls or apron
- Newspaper and tape to cover finished work for transportation at course end
- Selection of brushes – importantly, to include some decorator’s brushes: 1 inch and 1.5 inch, the more wrecked and tired the better!
- Sketchbook and pencils
- Willow charcoal
- Spray fixative
- A selection of acrylic paints – to include Paynes Grey
- Waterproof Indian Ink (some provided)
- Pastels (not oil) - to include a selection of soft pastels, such as Unison or Jacksons Art own make, AND also the harder type of Conté à Paris pastel crayons (available in sets of 12 bright colours)
- Paint palette with several deep wells
Available to buy
- Available from shop:
- General art materials, including white smooth mountboard, sketchbooks, pencils and charcoal, a good selection of acrylic paints, including Paynes Grey, waterproof black Indian ink, soft pastels, paint palette with several large wells, paint brushes, decorator’s brushes: 1 to 1.5 inches wide, spray fixative
Additional information
Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes).
