Autumn 2024

DATES: weekly sessions: To be confirmed

TIMES: To be confirmed

FEE: TBC  *Booking in advance is essential

VENUE: TBC

Please EMAIL Mark to enquire about this course

This course is for beginners and improvers who wish to learn improve and develop the skills and techniques of oil painting. Some previous drawing experience would be useful but is not essential.

In this instructive course you will learn the fundamental principles and craft of oil painting by working primarily from direct observation. This is the best way to learn about light, form, tone and colour, and technique. Working from still life subjects, essential advice will be given on materials, painting methods, accurate observation, composition and tone and colour to enable you to develop your own expressive and harmonious paintings. Structured, practical projects will help you learn specific principles. During the course Mark will also demonstrate various different painting techniques and use master paintings as teaching examples to discuss particular points.

For those with some previous oil painting experience more challenging projects will be offered. Artists who already have some confidence in their painting skills will have the opportunity to develop subjects and ideas along with other painters. Working mainly from observation, the sessions will be based around still life subjects and personal topics.

Between the sessions, simple optional painting projects will be offered for you to do at home to practice principles learned in class.

Topics will include: Improving your drawing skills:seeing shapes and proportions, Composition. Methods and Materials, Light and shade, Colour mixing: theory and practice, Painting from observation, Studying a master painting, Optional homework projects, Demonstrations and reviews,Developing harmonious colour and expressive painting techniques.

Materials

Please note that you should allow a cost of at least £50 for purchasing your own materials for the course.

IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER: In the first session advice will be given about what painting materials to buy so you will need only an A3 (Winsor & Newton medium surface) sketch book, 2B and 4B pencils, charcoal, and a notebook for making notes for the first session.

Oil Paints: titanium white, cadmium yellow pale, yellow ochre, cadmium red, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue,  prussian blue, burnt sienna, raw umber, viridian
Brushes: hog bristle, preferably square ended (long “flats”): one number 10, two of no.8, two of no.6, one number 4.
Supports: Primed painting boards (eg. Daler boards), approx 10×12” to 16”x 12” sort of size
Sundries: a large mixing palette (approx 11”x 16”, melamine, or a disposable palette), palette knife, old rags, low-odour solvent and dipper with lid, refined linseed oil and small jar/dipper, old/protective clothing

Booking conditions:

*Booking conditions: Places are limited to 12 students per workshop. Allocation will take place on a first come first served basis, subject to receipt of full non-transferable and non-refundable payment. Nottingham Art Studio reserves the right to withdraw the course. In this eventuality, you will be notified and fully refunded. No refunds can be given for any sessions not attended.