Oil painting is an enjoyable and rewarding medium to learn, and with the right guidance anyone can develop the skills and confidence to create beautiful artwork. Using the rich tradition of Dutch flower still-life painting as inspiration, participants will develop skills in tone, colour, composition and observation. Beginners will build confidence through structured exercises, while returning students will extend their abilities by tackling more complex still-life compositions. Suitable for both beginners and those wishing to further develop their painting skills.
Face to face
Beginning Students:
- Exercise 1: Painting a colour mixing chart
- Exercise 2: Painting individual flowers in a monochrome palette
- Exercise 3: Painting individual flowers in colour
- Exercise 4: Painting flowers in dead colour then colour
- Exercise 5: Constructing and painting a basic flower still life with a ceramic jar in a box for controlled lighting
Returning students:
- Week 1: Discussion and historical analysis of the construction of 17th century Dutch still life flower paintings.
- Following weeks: Painting individual flowers in a box for controlled lighting, while applying the historical conventions of Dutch still life flower painting in terms of: composition, warm and cool colour contrasts, chiaroscuro, dead colour underpainting, seasonal flowers, relatable objects and inferred action within the genre of still life.
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Draw with the brush, inclusive of correcting and recording accurate proportion, prior to laying in tonal masses
- Begun to be able to mix a colour palette for specific objects to be painted
- Have begun to see and record tone accurately
- Have begun to see and record so called warm and cool colours
- Be able to compose a picture according to historical pictorial conventions
- Odourless solvent OR oil of spike lavender
- Linseed oil
- Titanium white
- Burnt umber
- Yellow Ochre Light
- Pyrrole red
- 4 medium sized synthetic round oil painting brushes - size 4
- Large round wooden palette
- Palette knife
- Paper towels
- Very small gesso primed cotton or linen canvas
Recommended for returning students:
- Ultramarine blue
- Cobalt blue
- Terra verte
- Returning students to arrive with a flower(s) to paint
IMPORTANT: Please arrive to the first class with all the relevant materials. A lack of materials is not just a handicap to you but to the ability to teach. Materials cost is not included in a course fee. In the event of a course being cancelled WEA cannot be held responsible for the purchase of any course materials. We therefore suggest you purchase your materials closer to the time of the course commencing.
The following stockists are examples of places where you can purchase art materials for your course:
Art on King: 199-201 King Street, Newtown. Ph: 9516 2342
Eckersley's Art and Craft Store: 93 York Street, Sydney. Ph: 9299 4151. Also located in various locations throughout Greater Sydney. WEA students receive a 10% discount on materials required for their course at the York Street store when showing their course confirmation email.
Parkers Art Supplies: 3 Cambridge Street, The Rocks. Ph: 9247 9979
The Art Scene: 914 Victoria Road, West Ryde. Ph: 9807 6900
The Sydney Art Store: 11 Salisbury Street, Botany. Ph: 9699 2162
You can also purchase materials from places such as Dymocks, Officeworks, Spotlight, Lincraft or online art suppliers such as Art Shed Online.
