Still Life in Oil or Acrylic

Dates: Sat/Sun May 28-29, 2022

Time: 10 am until 4pm both days

Description:

Improving your ability to paint still life from life will take your artistic practice to a new level. Rather than painting what a camera sees, or what you think you see, you will train your eye to render what you actually see. Those with still life experience will develop their ability to paint what they know.

Lalita will begin by demonstrating how to compose a still life, followed by participants practicing with a variety of objects, backgrounds, and lighting. Lalita will then show how to render the shapes, perspective, proportion and space accurately using comparative measurements and mass notans. After participants have done the same and received feedback, Lalita will proceed with colour stages one and two while focusing on attaining a balance between accuracy and expression. Participants can expect to walk away with at least one completed painting, a handful of handouts, and an understanding of the benefits of painting still life.

Benefits include:

Accuracy without tightness

Improved observation and interpretation skills

Expressive brushwork and edges

Freedom from the distortions found in photography

Feeling good while painting

Confidence in your ability to recover when things go ‘sideways’

Transfer of skills into composing & rendering landscapes, portraits, figures and abstracts

Supplies:

Regular oil or acrylic supplies you already own, including brushes, paint, palette, mediums, containers, etc.

The only colour you will definitely need is either burnt sienna, burnt umber, raw umber or asphultum (oil).

Bring all the paints you have; however, if this is a lot then just bring 3 yellows, 3 reds, 3 blues, an umber or burnt sienna, titanium white, a black, and 3 favourites.

Note: acrylic painters will benefit from using Golden Acrylic Glazing Liquid (gloss, satin or matte), which, unlike the regular acrylic medium, has retarder in it.

Knitting needle or brush with thin handle.

At least 3 gessoed canvases a variety of shapes and sizes (will only use one or two). Minimum 8” x 10”, max 14” x 18”

Cotton cloths (cut up T-shirt works well)

Camera (on phone is fine)

Pen and paper

Small mirror, like the ones sold to go in a locker (optional)

Freestanding light for your still life (optional…only if you have one already)

Note:

Though the instructor will provide objects to paint, participants are encouraged to bring objects they like from home, such as vases, pottery, statues, fruits and veggies, flowers, etc

Please contact the instructor at lalitahamill@gmail.com if you have any questions about this workshop.

$280 for the two days. Please call the studio at 604-250-5562 to reserve an easel, or use the contact feature on the main page