Description
Plein-air painting classes will be held outside in the gardens. We are going to meet on the weekly basis in the Boxerwood Nature Center to do oil painting studies from observation. Each class will start with a lecture near the lodge and/or a demo after which participants will choose their place to paint in the gardens. Each class will focus on various painting problems and techniques. During painting time, I will provide individual critiques and suggestions for every student. Some days, we will have a group talk and critiques to learn from each- other and exchange ideas and observations.
Plein-air painting is a lot of fun, but can be physically strenuous. It might be useful to bring a small folding chair, or to choose a spot to paint with a bench nearby. It’s a good idea to bring a nutritious snack and a bottle of water.
Materials:
- Easel: plein-air easel, French easel, or New Wave box and a tripod
- Palette: painting palette (preferably wooden or glass with a lid)
- Paint brushes: filbert, round and flat sizes 2 through 10. I like to use flat and filbert brushes, but one or two small size 2, 4 round brushes can be useful too, flexible palette knife for color mixing
- Towels: paper towel, or fabric rugs to clean brushes (Viva paper towels, or shop towels are the best)
- Protective gloves (nitrile)
- Qu-tips
- Trash bags, or recycled grocery plastic bags to collect oily towels
- Jars: two oil painting jars or small recycled empty glass jars with the lids for paint thinner and painting medium
- Brush cleaning: Master brush cleaner, or olive oil bar soap
- Sketches: a small sketchbook, a box or vine charcoal, a viewfinder and a kneaded eraser
- Medium: linseed or walnut oil, Gamsol
- Oil paint: titanium white, ivory black, viridian green, phthalo blue, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson, cad red medium, cad yellow medium, cad lemon yellow, burnt sienna, raw sienna, yellow ochre
- Substrate: combination of 9” x 12”, 14”x 16”, 10” x 10” 12” x 12” oil painting panels, stretched canvas, Arches oil painting paper, or wooden primed panels
- A bag, a toolbox, a plein-air rolling tote, or a backpack to carry art supplies
- Sun hat, a long sleeve shirt, comfortable shoes or boots, long pants, tick and mosquito repellent, sun block
My favorite brands: Blue Ridge Oil paint, Trekell brushes, Blick, Jerry’s Artarama
