Watercolor on the Move: Practical Plein Air

Watercolor on the Move: Practical Plein Air

Weekend Workshop | This program is completed

All Levels

8/14/2021-8/15/2021

9:30 AM-4:30 PM PDT on Sun Sat

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$335.00

$301.50

$10.00

Why do people want to paint landscapes? What does a painting do that a photograph can’t? Why is watercolor such a frequent medium for these paintings? We’ll examine possible reasons, I will demonstrate some of my answers, and together we will practice some of the skills that underlie the discipline. If the weather and virus restrictions cooperate, we will begin from exercises done outdoors to the most difficult and rewarding practice of all – painting outdoors from life. If it’s too inclement, we’ll discuss ways of working indoors from sketches and photos that keep the results bold, fresh and lively.

The workshop is planned to take place at Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, “one of North America’s 10 best botanical gardens.” See https://bloedelreserve.org for more information. Participants should be prepared to walk with their gear as far as 1/2 mile, so backpacks or rolling carts are a good idea.

  • By registering for an in-person program at Gage Academy of Art, you agree that you have received full COVID-19 vaccination. Gage recommends the use of face coverings when indoors at the facility. Non-vaccinated students can enroll in any of the on-line programs Gage offers.
  • Required Supplies
  • Paper: I like 140 lb archival (100% cotton or rag) watercolor papers with a cold press or rough finish, such as Arches, Fabriano, Saunders-Waterford, Kilimanjaro. I’ve been known to paint on gessoed or synthetic paper too but I keep coming back to traditional watercolor papers as offering the most flexibility. We can work with whatever you have, so long as it is 100% cotton. I rarely work larger than quarter sheet outdoors: 11” x 15.” And we’ll do some exercises on smaller pieces first.
  • Brushes: A minimum basic set of a #8 round, a one-inch flat, and a rigger or other fine pointing brush if you are purchasing new; or whatever you are used to and already have. Watercolor brushes are traditionally much softer than acrylic or oil brushes. If this is your first experience with watercolor, don’t buy expensive red sable brushes right away. Even though many people swear by them, I’m hard on equipment and find soft synthetics to be just fine.
  • Paints: Again, a basic set of colors for experimenting with. “Professional” or artists” watercolors in tubes are almost always more intense than the sets that come in pans; I use only tube colors. But bring what you have if you already have watercolors; it’s not a requirement to go out and get all new paints.
  • Here is my basic color set; I try to have both a cool and warm version of each basic color, as well as a good mix of transparent/opaque/staining pigments. You can actually paint a landscape with a minimal set of a warm and cool version of each primary:
  • -yellow: quinacridone gold (warm)/ aureolin (cool);
  • -red: cadmium red (warm)/alizarin crimson (cool), and
  • -blue: ultramarine (warm)/phthalo blue (cool).
  • Every manufacturer’s paints are different; I mix them up a lot. I generally like Daniel Smith, Schminke, Holbein and Winsor & Newton. I’ve developed a personal addiction to some particular hues, but again, bring what you have.
  • Yellows: Aureolin (transparent) Cadmium Yellow (opaque) Quinacrodone Gold (stain) Raw Sienna (more opaque than transparent)*
  • Reds, Pinks, and Oranges: Permanent Alizarin Crimson or Carmine(stain) Ruby Red, Opera?, Oranges Quinacrodone Magenta (stain) Potters Pink (transparent) Cadmium Red (opaque) Permanent Orange (opaque) Quinacrodone Sienna (stain) Rose Madder (transparent)
  • Blues: Indigo/Phthalo Blue (stain) Ultramarine (opaque), Cerulean Blue (opaque) Manganese Blue Hue (transparent) Royal, Indanthrone or Schminke’s Delft Blue (stains) Cobalt Blue (opaque)
  • Greens: Phthalo Green (stain) Viridian (transparent) Sap Green or Serpentine Green (stain), Hookers Green or Terre Verte (transparent)
  • Earth Pigments Raw Umber (opaque) Burnt Sienna (most are transparent, but Dan Smith’s is opaque)
  • I don’t use much black myself; I usually mix blacks and greys from two complements. I find an opaque white and a few other colors, such as Dan Smith’s Cascade Green and Permanent Orange, Windsor & Newton’s Lavender, handy and interesting but not essential.
  • Depending on what kind of paints you have, a palette for squeezing out and storing gobs of paint from the tubes, that way you don’t have to carry them around for every trip. The lightweight plastic ones with divided buckets around the sides are perfectly fine, like Mijello Martin’s “Airtight Watercolor 18-Well Palette.”
  • 1-2 water containers for painting with, I usually have 1-2 liters. I have (2) Talenti ice cream jars for putting the water in that fit my plein air easel tray. A small spray bottle is nice for juicing up your dried gobs and wet paint effects.
  • A notebook for notes and value sketches
  • Pencils for making preliminary drawings. I use a good old 2B most of the time
  • Pencil sharpener
  • Kneaded or white vinyl eraser
  • A board to paint on that’s just a bit larger than your paper. I don’t stretch the paper, I use bulldog clips to hold it on to the board. I special watercolor boards that fit on my plein air easel and pieces of gator board or foam core covered with adhesive mylar when I’m not bringing an easel.
  • Clean up and wiping/painting rags. I like to cut up old T shirts. I throw them in the washer with my dark laundry when they get too dirty and have used some for years.
  • We will be painting outside (“plein air”), so have clothes for the weather forecast. Layering is always a good practice.
  • Portable easel if you have one. I will have one because it will be easier to see my demonstrations without crowding. I also think I paint better standing at one; mine works with a camera tripod. However it is not a requirement; on many trips I sit on the ground on a foam pad or a low folding chair. Some people also bring a folding stool or chair if they don’t like to stand but be sure it’s low enough you can still set your palette and water on the ground where you can reach them easily.
  • A camera is handy but not a requirement
  • You may find this article helpful: https://suzeart.wordpress.com/2020/05/27/plein-air-peut-etre.