Outdoor Landscape Painting
Location: Scottsdale Location
Room: TBA
Feb 9-12, 2010
Meets 9:00 AM-4:00 PM
on Tue Wed Th Fri
Tuition: $685.00
Level: INT – ADV
Status: This program is completed
“Plein Aire” is not a style or technique – it is simply painting outside. Artists must paint from life to accurately record light and color effects. Oberg will teach efficient ways to capture light effects on the landscape in small two-hour “alla prima” paintings. By learning to structure your approach in a logical way, and seeing only what you need, you will become more successful outside. Oberg will demonstrate and give individual critiques as students work. There will be one day of lecture and three days of painting on location near Scottsdale. Be prepared for long sunny days, possibly uncomfortable conditions, and rough roads with no services. This workshop is not for the faint of heart! Participants must have plein aire painting experience. Portable easel and transportation required. Drivers of low clearance compact cars may need to carpool.
- Pre-requisite: Basic Plein Aire class (i.e., "Introduction to Outdoor Landscape Painting" with Amery Bohling)
Instructor -- Ralph Oberg
RALPH OBERG is a Signature member of Plein Air Painters of America and the Northwest Rendezvous Group. His award-winning wildlife and landscape paintings hang in collections including a large landscape in the House Chambers of the Colorado State Capital. His works have been featured in museum shows from The International Center for Wildlife Art in Britain to the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, California. Oberg is represented by Trailside Galleries, Scottsdale, AZ and Jackson, WY, and other galleries in Wyoming, Georgia, and Colorado.
Website: www.ralphoberg.com
- You must have a system to firmly hold your panel for energetic painting. Flimsy and light weight easels may be troublesome. The classic folding French Easel is often a popular choice, the half-box size is big enough and easier to carry. A Pochade Box on a heavy Tripod (such as the Open Box M ) is another good alternative. You may have devised a workable system already. I believe it is best to stand up when painting outdoors as it gives you more freedom of expressive movement. Try out your system and get the bugs worked out prior to the workshop so you can concentrate on painting and not on your equipment!
- Good quality hog bristle brushes are your most important tools. Have a selection of Flats, Filberts and Brights. Brights are short & square cut, Flats are long & square (and what I use most often), and Filberts are long & rounded. Have a couple of each in sizes from 4 through 8. A single #2 flat will suffice for drawing in and detailing. I do have a small sable for occasional details but do not use it very often. 99% of this work should be done with relatively large ( #4 - #6 ) size brushes. A small painting knife is useful for variety if it suits your style.
- Your paint should be of good quality and you must have sufficient quantities so that you will feel free to use it like a "king" and not be too stingy with it. I know it’s not cheap, but you can't scrimp here. If you can afford to not use student grades you will be pleased with the pigment power and lack of oil separation, there’s more bang for the buck in quality paints. Have a Brush cleaner can with a tight fitting lid and sufficient odorless paint thinner. I use no other mediums out of doors.
- The choice of colors on the palette are as varied as the number of painters, it seems. You will eventually design a selection that best suits you. Some masters use only a primary palette, (White, Red, Yellow and Blue). This requires a strong background in color theory and mixing, but leads to great harmony as well. Since painting outdoors is hard enough already I like to have a wider range of colors which more quickly produce the mixes I require. The following palette is primarily that suggested by Aspevig:
- Titanium White (in 120 ml tubes)
- Buy these colors in 37ml tubes, unless you want the economy of the 120ml.: Viridian ( a cool, transparent green); Sap Green ( warm, transparent dark and rich); Cobalt Blue (Clyde recommends a "pale" made by Holbein, a good sky blue in the west.); Ultramarine Blue ( dark, strong and semi transparent); Alizarin Crimson (powerful, cool and transparent); Cadmiun Red Light (opaque); Cadmium Orange ; Cadmium Yellow (Med); Cadmium Yellow Pale (optional); Cadmium Lemon (the lightest color next to white); Yellow Ochre; Burnt Sienna; Mauve Blue (this is a cool purple by Winsor-Newton that I have added to my palette and find almost indespensible.
- I suggest you do not use any black, it is very difficult to use without killing your colors, and dark and colorful shadows are possible with the above colors.
- You will need a palette. French easels include a folding hand held wooden palette which is satisfactory. I like a slightly larger surface to mix on and I also like the ease with which glass scrapes clean, so I have a glass sufaced palette in a box that closes to protect the wet paint when not in use. Paper palettes are troublesome in the wind, and also in the fact that the bright white surface makes it difficult to see your mixes. I have a grey board under my glass palette. I prefer not to hand hold my palette so I can use my off hand to hold my cleaning towels. Therefore my palette is secured to the tray of my easel with a bungee cord. Tripod mounted pochade boxes (such as Open Box M) have their own built in palettes as well. I glassed it also.
- You will need at least one or two rolls of paper towels per day. Have some plastic grocery bags to put the dirty ones in. The heavy metallic pigments in some of our colors are not good for your health. Please take care to not put paint covered hands in your eyes or mouth. Liquid Dish Detergent is very good for cleanup. Latex gloves are an option some prefer.
- Now you need something to paint on. Stretched canvases are nice if you like the "bounce". However, they must be backed with a cardboard stapled to the stretchers to prevent sunlight shining through and also the accidental damage of poking from behind. Generally, I don't use these outdoors except when attempting a work larger than 14 x 18. Up to that size I use primarily a panel with canvas mounted to it Most of my outdoor sketches are smaller than 16 x 20. You must not try to do too much at first when every thing is changing and your experience is limited. Use 8 x 10, 9 x 12, 10 x 12, 11 x 14 or 12 x 16 at the most. It’s better to do a good small sketch than a larger, bad or unfinished one. You can buy the prepared painting panels such as Fredrix, and they are serviceable. I prefer a higher quality linen canvas mounted with “miracle muck” to 1/8” to 1/4” plywood. (such as those available from SourceTek). The expense in time and money to prepare my own or purchase quality panels is worth it from my viewpoint. However, I have had to trash many panels with unsuccessful sketches on them that I didn't wipe off soon enough. So, from the student level and with the expectation of only doing "studies" with little commercial value you may not wish go to the time of preparing your own or expense of purchasing higher quality panels. Have a selection of sizes to suit the motif you choose, plan to use at least 2 per day. A Wet Box or means to protect your wet panels in the car will save much automotive distress!
- A small sketchbook and a soft lead pencil will be handy for preliminary thumbnails sketches. A wide brimmed Hat and an easel mounted Umbrella will protect you from sunburn and shade your eyes and panel so you can more easily see your work. Wear neutral colored shirts, a brightly colored shirt or Umbrella will cast a reflected glow on your work in bright sunlight. Wear sturdy shoes or boots and long pants so you can wander the fields comfortably. Bring some bug repellent and sunscreen! A jacket or raincoat for changing weather. Pliers or a Leatherman Tool will be helpful if you back into a cactus. A pack sack or carry bag for the loose items will increase your mobility. Make it as quick and as easy as possible to get to your site, set up and begin painting. A lunch and some water and you're ready for a great day!