Ref: SWE40327
Study the fundamentals of landscape painting through composition, tonal values and colour. Focus on how to capture the essence of a landscape, working in your preferred medium to increase confidence in your painting.
Learn the essential elements for achieving a representational likeness of your chosen landscape in your painting. These include draughtsmanship and understanding of composition, tonal values and use of colour. As well as these important aspects, you will be encouraged to develop your own personal style. You will be working outside on location in the grounds of the College. You will be drawing and painting outdoors, so please bring appropriate clothing and footwear. In the event of inclement weather, you will make drawings outdoors and use these to create paintings in the studio.
In the first evening session, your tutor will show and talk about his work, introduce the course and illustrate his introduction with work from various sources.
You will select your preferred painting medium, such as oils, pastels, acrylics, coloured pencils, etc. Your tutor will demonstrate and explain techniques and methods to help you plan and build a lively landscape painting. You will also learn how to use light, shadow and colour to enhance composition and drama in your work. As your painting develops, advice will be given on an individual basis through discussion and demonstration.
By the end of the course, you will have increased confidence in painting with your preferred medium, and gained knowledge on composition, light, shadow and colour. You will have completed one or two small landscape studies and one small landscape painting.
It is advised that you have at least a basic understanding of the medium or mediums you choose to use.
Working with oil paints:
Working with watercolours or acylic paints:
Working with colour dry media, such as pastels, pencils:
Colours: Paynes Grey, Titanium White, Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Yellow Light, Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson, Cerulean Blue, Sap Green, Lemon Yellow, Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber, Raw Sienna
*If you work on stretched paper (water based media), the tutor recommends that you prepare three sheets before the course and bring them with you. Alternatively, you can buy suitable paper from the shop that doesn’t require stretching.
Please ensure that you bring/purchase the appropriate materials for your chosen medium.
Available from shop:
Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio. This includes stout covered footwear, i.e. no open-toes or sandals, and safety boots, if specified.
Portable easels and chairs will be provided and boards to work on during the course.
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.
Andrew Fitchett is a practicing painter working in oils and West Dean tutor since 2006. Since his career in Advertising where he ran creative courses Andrew paints and teaches from his studio in East Sussex. Andrew's work is in private collections across Europe.
Residential option available. Find out accommodation costs and how to book here.
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