Tim Widener, Fine Artist

Plein Air Demonstration and Techniques Workshop

Encompassing 9 hours total over two days. Emphasis will be on painting techniques that help facilitate out-of-doors painting for the individual artist. Advanced students will receive separate, more specific technical instruction. The class will be taught to the group in a series of demonstrations Tim will perform while answering questions regarding color, paint application, simplifying forms and so on to everyone, and then Tim will focus attention to those beginners or advanced artists separately. Because there is a standing group of artists who continually take Tim’s workshops when offered, the total cost will remain $135.00 per student.

At the ARTIST STUDIO AND ON LOCATION, 2425 Mt. Hope Ave., Lansing, MI.

**If classroom exceeds a certain amount of students the workshop will be conducted at a larger location if necessary.

 *For more information please contact:  Lily LaFollette

 EXAMPLE: Previous Workshop

 

This sheet will give you some idea of how the next nine hours will be conducted.  The breakdown will be over three days, three hours each.  The sessions will consist of a small lecture, demonstrations (when necessary) and individual attention.  Each person will be taught at the skill level they have currently attained.  In this way, information is not given when that person is not ready for it.  To do otherwise would only invite confusion and frustration.

 

The three skill levels are Beginning, Moderate and Advanced and define different levels of knowledge and skill.

 

Beginning

 

This assumes little to no previous experience with painting methods and techniques.  If you fall into this category, basic introductory knowledge and practices will be given and include:

 

Setting your palette.  Colour and its application.  Supports (canvas, board, paper etc…),  basic modeling techniques, composition and methods for getting started.

 

Moderate

 

Here, more advanced techniques will be demonstrated so that the individual artist can adopt them to their own personal manner of painting.  They include:

 

Massing your shapes in order to achieve a greater simplification of their work.  Simplification through lost edges in order to divide masses and planes.  Techniques for handling edges including:  hard and soft edges; methods to help create those edges (blending brushes, palette knives, scraping and the application of pigment).  Contrasts:  the use (and abuse) of contrasts through value, complimentary and/or analogous colour.

 

Advanced

 

This category includes all the above ‘moderate’ skill level methods but modifies them with additional means to enliven and enhance those techniques.  It includes paint manipulation through:

 

Adding pigments for special effects

Glazing over Flake white

Glazing and scumbling

Linseed oil blends

Scraping and/or sanding (which necessitates an underpainting)

Additives (sand, marble dust, etc…)

 

Additional information

 

Supports and how they effect painting techniques.  Mediums and their recipes.  Varnishes.  Sizing and priming (traditional methods).  Colour choices.  Special effects (sponges, specialty brushes etc…)

 

The creative process and its function in the production of personal work

 

We will discuss the handout given, the importance of the artist’s vision and how it influences technical choice.  Concepts; Philosophy; Mannerism.

 

 

Finally, remember that nothing good comes easily.  There are no royal roads to great painting achievements.  And never forget to Practice, Practice, Practice and Study, Study, Study!!!