Join award-winning artist Mathew Lynn on a journey part bootcamp, part meditation as we explore the practical application of your paint range, and what is possible in terms of mixing colours and making tones.
Paints behave in a certain way because of the nature of the pigments themselves, they don’t necessarily conform to the theory of the colour wheel. When we are in the studio, we need to understand a different system if we are to have freedom to replicate what we are observing (or what we have in our mind) in terms of achievable results with pigmented colours. Our ultimate goal is to be able to look at (or imagine) any given thing and instantly recognise how to mix it with the actual colours in our tubes! This process is a more direct way, making colour mixing more intuitive, and not unnecessarily technical.
Further, tones are a fundamental part of how we understand our visual world, and something we never give a second thought to. However, when we come to trying to evaluate and replicate them, we can become overwhelmed with first identifying them, and then representing them with the subtleties of how we experience them. When you have control of tonal dynamics in your work, you will understand the very basis of what it is to ‘see’ and imagine in the visual world. When the two come together, fluency with colour and tone will be a seamless tool by which you can express anything!
The huge range of colours available can be very confusing. In this workshop we will discover how it’s possible to mix virtually all colours from our quite limited paint list of 11 colours, so you can have the confidence to do almost anything with an essential range, and to understand when you can augment your core range with special colours when necessary.
Importantly, this list takes in the broader history of painting knowledge and all genres, and addresses the different types of teaching you might have encountered.
Mathew has gone through his own practice and completely systematised it to move efficiently through all opaque colours and tones, and then all transparent colours and tones and the principles of glazing. We will also discuss the uses of those colours and tones and where to apply them in your painting practice.
This will be a workshop for all levels, even beginners, and with very clear processes. Mathew likes to work with people of all skill levels, and will make you feel comfortable, while providing specific challenges. His workshops are always a place for lively conversation and encouragement from fellow students!
Other key things we will cover:
• We will discuss some very useful strategies to help you cut through difficulties in perception when evaluating how to represent something as it is, not how you think it is.
• We will explore a thorough understanding pigments, and that all pigments have their own unique qualities and behave in different ways - in terms of opacity, drying time, oil content, mixing qualities and so on.
• We will explore the difference between opaque and transparent colours, and their different uses in terms of mixing and constructing a painting, understanding the difference between opaque body colour and glazing (or working more transparently).
• We will explore the fundamental importance of using actual black for opaque mixing, as opposed to making black from combining other pigments, and understanding when to use which one.
• You will come away with 8 pages of carefully mixed colours for clear future reference, and very detailed notes on all the processes.
Materials
Oils, Acrylics and Gouache are suitable mediums for this workshop. Acrylics are a little different so make sure you get the exact list below. Gouache also uses different names and is generally a simplified range.
Oil Colours:
• Titanium White
• Ivory Black
• Ultramarine Blue (make sure you have standard Ultramarine)
• Yellow Ochre
• Indian Red (Red Oxide that has a purple hue)
• Burnt Umber
• Alizarin Crimson (or cheaper equivalent)
• Cadmium Red (or cheaper equivalent)
• Cadmium Yellow Light (or cheaper equivalent – if in doubt bring Lemon Yellow)
• Phthalo Blue
• Phthalo Green
Acrylic Colours:
• Titanium White
• Ivory Black
• Ultramarine Blue (make sure you have standard Ultramarine)
• Yellow Oxide
• Red Oxide
• Burnt Umber
• Alizarin Crimson (or cheaper equivalent)
• Cadmium Red (or cheaper equivalent)
• Cadmium Yellow Light (or cheaper equivalent – if in doubt bring Lemon Yellow)
• Phthalo Blue
• Phthalo Green
Gouache Colours:
• White
• Black
• Ultramarine Blue
• Yellow Ochre
• Red Oxide or Burnt Sienna
• Burnt Umber
• Crimson
• Cadmium Red (or cheaper equivalent)
• Lemon Yellow
• Phthalo Blue
• Phthalo Green
Please make sure you have this list of colours. Bring any other colours you like to use, and Mathew can explain their qualities and ideal uses.
For oil painters Art Spectrum is a good basic artist quality range. For acrylic painters Matisse Flow or Structure is a good basic artist quality range. Art Spectrum and Rowney are both good gouache ranges and reasonably priced.
Oil Painters
(note: you must use an odourless system for oil mediums and solvents!)
• As we will be mixing for the most of the day, it would be best to have at least 4 x #4 cheap flat hog bristle brushes for your mixing exercises.
• You will need a container for solvent (not too small) for repeated cleaning of the mixing brushes, preferably bring a proper oil brush washer with a strainer which will be SO much easier to use.
• Spare containers
• Plenty of rags as we will be constantly cleaning our brushes and palette.
• A roll of paper towel, as above.
• One pair of Nitrile gloves (non-latex) or whatever you like to use.
• Small bottle of Galkyd odourless quick-dry painting medium (or equivalent)
• Gamsol odourless solvent (or equivalent). You will need to bring at least 500ml of odourless solvent.
• Palette, could be disposable - but make sure your palette has plenty of mixing space. We will be cleaning the palette many times. Use of the palette is a very important part of the process and you will find it easier if you have an A3 size rectangular oil palette in a solid material.
• Double Dipper, for separate medium and solvent. Get the open style with the widest openings so you can get your brushes easily in and out.
• Palette knife or scraper - we will be constantly scraping paint off the palette.
• A4 Oil Painting Canvas Paper Pad - at least 10 sheets, make sure it’s a reasonable quality one such as Canson Figueras 290gsm.
Acrylic Painters
• Bring your normal range of acrylic brushes, including 3 x #4 flat brushes for the mixing session.
• Acrylic palette/s with a flat surface, or just an A3 piece of Perspex
• Acrylic Painting Medium
• Spare containers
• Rags and a roll of Paper Towel, we will be constantly cleaning the palette.
• Palette knife or spatulas
• An A4 Water Media Pad at least 210gsm and at least 10 pages, Canson Figueras 290gsm should work well for acrylics also.
Gouache Painters
Gouache is extremely good for colour mixing exercises! - but you are better off using your normal medium if you’re an oil or acrylic painter.
• Your favourite synthetic brushes, with at least one flat brush about 10mm wide.
• Palette set up - it’s often better to have a segmented palette for gouache with some larger flat mixing areas. Or use a segmented palette and a separate flat mixing surface.
• Spare containers
• Rags and a roll of Paper Towel
• An A4 Water Media Pad at least 210gsm and at least 10 pages for the mixing exercises.
Please choose carefully as fees are non-refundable. Refunds of course fees will only be given if the course is cancelled or a place is not available in the course.
Payment of course fees implies that you have read and agree to the WAC Terms & Conditions.
