This course is designed to help you make use of colour theory and observation to create oil paintings which have a rich sense of light. Throughout this course, you will aim to:

• Grasp the essentials of colour theory and learn to apply them to create rich luminous effects in your oil paintings.
• Explore both colour mixing on the palette and optical colour mixing techniques to broaden your use and understanding of oil colour.
• Understand how to structure your compositions, using value and saturation to build a sense of light and atmosphere.
• Explore the relationships between hue, value and saturation in oil painting.
• Practise mixing paints and experiment with layering for optical mixing effects.
• Develop the ability to plan and execute paintings that convincingly depict light and depth.

By the end of the course you will know how to confidently analyse and apply colour theory to your own work, create oil paintings / studies that demonstrate control of colour mixing and structure as well as use optical mixing techniques to enhance the luminosity of your compositions.

A basic familiarity with drawing and a willingness to experiment are recommended. Prior experience with painting is helpful but not required—enthusiasm and curiosity are most important. On the first evening, you will dive straight in by creating a small tonal painting, focusing on values and light without the complexity of colour.

Please bring five simple objects (can be fruit and veg) and a few pieces of cloth that you might want to include in a still life.

Included

Some general materials, such as canvas and primer for the group.

What students need to bring

Please bring:

• Five simple objects (can be fruit and veg) and a few pieces of cloth that you might want to include in a still life.
• Oil paints (Winton will be fine for this course and cheaper)
• Winsor and Newton artists oils: Titanium white, Winsor lemon, Winsor yellow, yellow ochre, Winsor red, permanent alizarin crimson, French ultramarine, Winsor blue green shade or Prussian blue, raw or burnt umber, ivory black
• Winsor and Newton Winton (student) oils: Titanium white, cadmium lemon (hue), cadmium yellow pale hue, yellow ochre, cadmium red (hue), permanent alizarin crimson, French ultramarine, Pthalo blue/Prussian blue, raw or burnt umber, ivory black
• A selection of brushes including long flat and filbert hog and a few finer synthetics. Recommended brand for hog is pro arte series A or B for sythetics Rosemary brushes Ivory range
• Dippers, a pallete either flat or tear off no smaller than 40cm in length, paint rags, a metal palette knife

Available to buy

A good variety of art and craft materials are available to buy in the Gardens Gatehouse Shop.

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes).

Arrival day - first date of course
Residential students can arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm for registration  
Student welcome, followed by dinner: 6.45pm (dinner included)
Teaching session: 8pm-9pm (attendance is essential)

Daily timetable
Course teaching: 9.15am-5pm  
Morning session: 9.15am-12.45pm including coffee/tea break  
Lunch break: 12.45pm-2pm (lunch included)  
Afternoon session: 2pm-5pm including coffee/tea break  
Teaching finishes: 5pm    
Evening working: students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with permission from the tutor and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed.

Departure day - last date of course
Course teaching: 9.15am-3pm (lunch included)  
Teaching finishes: 3pm  

Residential students will need to check out of rooms by 10am.
Please note, the tutor may make slight variations to the daily timetable as required.

Terms & Conditions