Blue Still life painting.

The Limited Palette: A Good Place to Start

Class | Available

2107 Westlake Ave Seattle, WA 98121 United States
Drawing and Painting Studio #107
All Levels
5/13/2025-6/10/2025
1:30 PM-4:30 PM PST on Tue
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$390.00
$351.00

The Limited Palette: A Good Place to Start

Class | Available

Instruction Medium: Oil

THE LIMITED PALETTE: A GOOD PLACE TO START
How a painting is begun is crucial to how the painting process will unfold. In this 5-week course we explore two different ways of beginning to paint in oils using two different limited palettes: 

1.     We begin with The Primary Prismatic Palette, loosely based on the techniques of Neo-Impressionist painter Georges Seurat. On the first day we make a blue and white monochromatic underpainting. On the second day we complete the painting using a full palette mixed with primary colors.

2.     Next we use The Earth Palette as the foundation for a layered painting. We begin with a transparent monochromatic underpainting on the first day. On the second day, we use earth colors for painting values from light to dark, and for suggesting hues and warm/cool relationships. On the third day, we complete the painting using a full palette with transparent glazing, translucent Velatura, opaque, and impasto paint application. We practice loading the lights to make the image pop, and we contrast that with painting the darkest darks transparently.

This course gives students essential skills, a vocabulary of painting terms and an introduction to a myriad of technical concepts. Each class begins with a painting demonstration, including how to lay out a palette that is a gradation of mixed hues and tints. We look at art historical references and other visually inspiring materials that explain the hows and whys of each lesson. The skills practiced in this class will equip students for future painting classes and for moving forward towards developing their own individual methods and vision.

  • BRUSHES

    The ones marked * are must-haves for this class.

    A variety of brushes, some or all of the following:

    •   bristle rounds sizes 2*, 4*

    •   bristle filberts and/or bristle flats sizes 4, 6*, 8

    •   soft sable or synthetic sable rounds sizes 0, 1, 2

    •   soft synthetic sable filberts sizes 6, 8,10

    •   economy White Bristle Brush size 2-inch* (these are sold as inexpensive gesso brushes at Blick)

     

    SOLVENT

    solvent both for cleaning brushes and for mixing painting mediums (see below) 

    •   odorless mineral spirits, such as Gamblin “Gamsol”

     

    SOAP

    •   plain white bar soap such as Ivory 

     

    OIL

    linseed oil (refined)

     

    PALETTE

    •   paper or wood or plexiglass

     

    PALETTE/PAINTING KNIFE

    These come in many shapes. For this class the best shape available at Blick: 

    •   “Painting Knife - Small Long Spade 50”

     

    PAPER TOWELS

    We use these as a painting tool as well as for cleaning up. Bounty brand paper towels are best.

     

    OIL PAINTS

    Prismatic colors

    •   quinacridone red

    •   cadmium yellow medium

    •   ultramarine blue (note: not a phthalocyanine blue)

    Earth colors

    •   earth red (PR 102): the best choices are Old Holland red ochre or Williamsburg “Italian Rosso Veneto” (note: notIndian red and not Venetian red because those colors are too strong) 

    •   yellow ochre (PY 43): Old Holland yellow ochre light is best

    •   ivory black

    White

    •   titanium white or titanium zinc white

     

    PAINTING MEDIUMS

    In a small glass jar, mix odorless mineral spirits and refined linseed oil for each day as follows:

    •   Day one—2 parts odorless mineral spirits plus 1 part refined linseed oil

    •   Day two—refined linseed oil

    •   Day three—2 parts odorless mineral spirits plus 1 part refined linseed oil

    •   Day four—1 part odorless mineral spirits plus 1 part refined linseed oil

    •   Day five—refined linseed oil

     

    WHAT TO PAINT ON?

    Not smaller than 9 x 12 inches. Here are a few options:

    •   stretched and primed canvas

    •   primed panel

    •   Arches “Huile” oil paper pad (an excellent product)

    •   Fredrix canvas pad (these are not sold at Blick in Seattle, but they can be ordered online. This brand is far superior to Blick canvas pads)

    •   gessoed mat board or museum board—Use a minimum of 3 coats of Golden white acrylic gesso. Change the direction of the brushstrokes for each layer. 

     

    Note: Avoid “canvas panels” which are inferior grade primed canvas wrapped around cardboard.

     

    ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS…

    From the above list, the only these supplies are needed:

    •   brushes—bristle rounds sizes 2, 4

    •   a jar of odorless mineral spirits for cleaning brushes

    •   a bar of soap

    •   a small jar of medium—2 parts odorless mineral spirits plus 1 part refined linseed oil

    •   palette

    •   palette/painting knife

    •   paper towels

    •   oil paints—ultramarine blue and titanium or titanium zinc white

    •   a surface upon which to paint

     

    We will go over the complete list of materials on the first day of class, and I will display a variety of brushes. I will also demonstrate how to clean up, for those who are new to oil painting.

Rebecca Dvorin Strong