3 Day Plein Air Workshop

3 Day Plein Air Workshop
Susan McCullough
October 5, 6, and 7
Class times – 8:30-4:30

The price of the class is $120.00

This workshop will focus on Plein Air - painting in the field. We will be painting at Rock Creek, along the river, and a possibly a third location- La Garita?- (maybe). We will concentrate on correct values as well as brushwork and working towards getting a good start – composition.

Please e-mail me if you are interested in the class- I would like to keep the class rather small so that there will be personal instruction but I would like to have at least 5 or 6 sign up in order to justify having the class.

It is helpful for students to have painted in the field before taking this class . I will be posting a suggested supply list on this blog as well as other information.

E-mail address- artgirl59@gmail.com
www.susanmccullough.com
www.susanmccullough.blogspot.com


Susan McCullough Plein Air Painting workshop- October 5, 6, and 7th


Materials list

The choices of colors on the palette are as varied as the number of painters. You will eventually design a selection that best suits you. Some masters use only a primary palette consisting of white, red, yellow and blue. This requires a strong background in color mixing and theory but also leads to great harmony in painting. Since painting outdoors is hard enough already I like to have a wider range of colors which more quickly produce the mixes I require. This palette is suggested by Clyde Aspevig. It works well as there is a warm and cool variety of each color which facilitates great choices when mixing colors. Your paint should be of good quality and you must have sufficient quantities so that you will feel free to use it like royalty and not be too stingy with it. Student grade paints contain much less pigment and much more fillers than professional paints so think about that when buying paint- you really do get what you pay for.
Oil Paint
Sap Green- warm green, transparent and rich
Viridian Green- cool transparent green
Ultramarine blue- dark, strong, transparent and warmer blue
Cobalt blue- a cool blue great for western skies
Cadmium red light- warm and opaque red
Alizarin crimson- cool red and transparent
Cadmium yellow medium- warm rich yellow
Cadmium lemon yellow- cool yellow and the lightest color next to white
Titanium white- a necessity- very opaque

A few extras—
Yellow ochre- a good earthy color
Transparent oxide red OR burnt sienna- the red is more transparent than the sienna-
Cadmium Orange
Mauve (blue Shade) this is a beautiful purple that is great for mountain colors, shadows, etc.

Realize that these are not required colors for you to use- they are just the colors that I use in the field.

It is good to have odorless paint thinner to use in the studio and the field. The top brands to use are Turpenoid and Gamsol. Gamsol is my favorite as it has no oily residue as Turpenoid sometimes does.

Good hog bristle brushes in sizes 4, 6, and 8 (flats or brights) are good for field painting as well as a painting knife for impasto passages. A couple of smaller brushes for drawing and detailing such as a number 2 might be good. Have a good brush cleaner can with a tight fitting lid – holbein makes a good brush cleaner can with a good lid that doesn’t leak.

An outdoor easel – especially a non-flimsy easel for the windy days. I use to have an easel that wiggled in the wind and it made my painting on windy days a misery. I have a Soltek easel that I love but any French easel or pochade box with a tripod will work well.

You will need a roll or two of paper towels for each day and some plastic grocery bags to put the dirty one in. Latex gloves are good to keep paint from absorbing into the skin.

Bring smaller sized panels to paint on- sizes 6x8 to 12x16 at the very largest. You can use gesso covered panels or canvas glued to panels. We will probably go through two panels a day.

Bring a hat, sunscreen, bug repellant, and a lunch. Brings lots of water because we will be out all day and I don’t want anyone fainting from dehydration.

If you have one, an easel mounted umbrella will protect you from sunburn and you have a greater choice of selection when choosing your painting spot. Sometimes it is hard to pick a good composition when hiding behind a tree.

Bring a small sketchbook with a pencil for preliminary studies.

Wear neutral colored shirts as a brightly colored shirt or umbrella will cast a reflected glow on your work in bright sunlight. Wear sturdy boots or shoes and take a jacket or raincoat for inclement weather.

Well, that about does it- you should be ahead of the group if you know how to use your supplies to the best of your ability.