Below is the material list for Richards summer class
Oil Painting on Location / Going Small, Simple and Beautiful
June,18,19,20 10:30-4:30
The Old Art Building, Leland …Old Art Building
Please feel free to email him for any questions… e-mail
Working on location in Leland and the Sleeping Bear National Lake shore this class will emphasize working poetically small using as simple and portable a set up as possible.
Each day we will start with discussing what makes the landscape in front of us unique and how an artist best captures the feeling of place. Using sketch books we will spend time doing small drawings which help solidify ideas and teach us to look closer at what we are seeing. The rest of the time will be spent working up as many small paintings in oil as time allows. Discussion about art and being an artists and historical references will be stressed. A National Park vehicle pass will be needed to paint on the days we go into the park.For information on how to get a park pass visit their website at…Sleeping Bear Some light walking in soft sand may be included. The first day of the class we will meet at the Old Art Building and be will be painting in Leland. Materials and work can be stored at the Old Art Building over night for the duration of the class.
Materials list
Paring down materials to take out into the field is really a matter of what you can get by with. In days past painters would take a cigar box as a pallet and a half a dozen brushes and a tiny tin jar of thinner and they were in business. We will be experimenting with some new ideas and techniques but the emphasis on small will save your back a little bit. Most places we will be painting at will be close to your car but may involve some walking.
You can be as high tech or as simple as you can stand in regards to equipment. You can use a light easel or even a french easel or you can work on a box on the ground.
Paint
I recommend and use the following oil paint brands. Utretch (www.utrecht.com) is a good moderately priced paint. Holbien is a great paint line. Their paint is consistently blended to a easily workable thickness and their color saturation is good. Williamsburgs has beautiful earth tones and excellent color saturation though their paint can be more stiff than what you may be use to.
While I don’t personally use it, Winsor Newton has consistent colors and is widely available.I would not recommend any lesser quality brands or “student series” lines of paint. Cheap paint is too difficult to work with and the results will disappoint and frustrate you.
This class is about going smaller with less. I have pared down the colors need to 11 basic colors. We will talk more about color mixing in class.
37-40 mil tubes (one of each)
Cadmium Yellow Lemon,Cadmium Red Medium,Quinacridone Red,Cobalt Blue
Pthalo Blue,Pthalo Green,Burnt Sienna,Yellow Ochre,Naples Yellow Light,Ivory Black
150 mil tube
Titanium White
Brushes
A variety of natural white bristle brushes(6-12). I prefer Filberts and Rounds. Nothing smaller than size 4 .
A sample selection would include-
1-#4 Filbert
2=#6 Filbert
2-#8 Filbert
1-#4 Round
1-#6Round
2-#8Round
Several cheap white bristle brushes from the hardware store1/2” -1”. Also known as chip brushes. Usually available under a dollar.
Misc.
Two small lidded jars that seal tightly. One for thinner one for what will be your medium mixture. Plastic 15oz. Helmans Mayonnaise Jars are perfect. Something like a 1 gallon plastic milk jug for pouring your used thinner into every night.
1liter of ODORLESS Paint Thinner( Utrecht #14114) Gamblin Gamsol Odorless paint thinner may be locally available. Do not just buy regular paint thinner at the hardware store.
1 pint of Stand Oil or Winsor Newton Liquin
Cotton Rags. At least a dozen. Sam’s Club sells great white cotton terry cloth rags if you can stand to go there. Cut up old towels. Do NOT use paper towels.
A bunch of old plastic bag(the kind they give out at the grocery store) for putting used rags in.
Palette
I like the Masterson Sta-wet Palette, which is really a water color palette but it provides you with a lid to seal up your paint with and gives you a working surface to mix colors on. You can improvise and use a lot of different things. Get a piece of 1/4 glass, or a varnished piece of 1/4 plywood( at least 12×16) and make a simple lidded box to put it in.Anything. But this is what I DON”T want you to use.1) disposable paper palettes. You end up putting your expensive paint on the paper, they slide all over making mess and then what do you do to close up at the end of the day and get back to your car? 2) any type of commercial palette that gives 24 different little slots to put your paint in and only 3 square inches to mix colors on. They are totally useless. You don’t need much space to line up your paint on. You need flat, working space to mix your colors on!
Small Canvas
The idea for the class is that we will do 4-6(maybe more if you work fast) paintings each day. If you like to work on panels rather than canvases Utrecht sells Gessoboard( flat pre-gessoed hard board panels(the uncradeled ones). Or Cheap Joes sells their own brand of canvas cover panels which are pretty nice. Cardboard backed canvas cover panels are fine as long as you keep them small( no larger than 9×12 they tend to warp). The panels come in some great small sizes( 6”x6”, 5”x7”). If you are using small stretched canvases don’t get anything larger than 12”x12”.
Get a variety of shapes between these sizes- 6”x6”, 8”x8” 8”x10”,9”x12”,12”x12”.
You can also choose to work on paper if you want. Paper is great to transport, is economical( big sheets get cut down to many smaller ones) and has a nice unique surface to paint on. You will need to purchase 260lb or 300 lb water color paper and give the paper a couple coats of gesso. You can cut the paper into smaller sizes but leave a unpainted edge. For example if you want an image that is 5×7 cut your paper to 7×9 inches. That way you have a nice border that you can use to push pin the paper to a plywood surface to work on. Again, this is a option you may want to experiment with.
Sketchbook
Bring a spiral bound sketchbook with 70lb or heavier paper. Also a soft lead pencil
Easel
You will need a small light weight easel. A french easel is fine if you have one.
My set up is small light weight easel and then I use a over turned milk crate as a table for my palette. You can bring a small folding stool to sit if on if you like but use a stool, not a chair with arms and a beer can holder. You’ll be actively painting, not watching the sun go down with a cocktail!
You will need something to transport your daily quota of panels, sketchbook, brushes, jar of medium, jar of thinner, 3-4 rags, palette, extra paint etc. I like a old milk crate (you can use it as a table) or use a canvas type tote bag.
Also you may want to think about sunscreen,a hat with a visor and water to drink. We will break for lunch and talk art but we will not be near a store to buy your lunch so be sure to bring your own.
If you have any guestions about any of this please contact me at info@parkekooyman.com