Plein air painting
Summer Class | Available
The instructor will be painting demos in water mixable oil, but is experienced in traditional oil, gouache, watercolor and acrylic. Students are welcome to bring the medium of their choice. Recommended palette: Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Yellow Light (or Pale), Alizarin Crimson (or Pyrrole Rubine, Perylene Maroon, "Permanent Alizarin" or similar), Burnt Sienna, White.
Location: Pendle Hill, first parking area to the left.
First day: meet the instructor, Charley, at Pendle Hill (338 Plush Mill Rd, Wallingford, PA 19086) in the first parking lot to the left.
Pendle Hill is located next to the Community Art Center.
- SUPPLY LIST FOR WATER MIXABLE OILS
Surface
Canvas panels, gessoed hardboard panels (for example: “Gessobord”), stretched canvas, or “oil paper” (for example: “Arches Oil Paper”) - 2 at either 8×10 or 9×12 (larger if you like, but use larger brushes)
Brushes
Synthetic brushes are best for water mixable oil. There are many good brands; one I happen to like is the Princeton 6300 line of synthetic oil painting brushes. Sizes: 1/2” flat, 1/2? angle, 1/4” flat (ideally 2), 1/8” (#4) flat, #2 round
Palette
Melamine, wood or glass palette, or a pad of disposable palette paper.
Painting/palette knife
Recommended: rounded elongated diamond shape, roughly 1 1/2” long
Containers
Thinner & medium cups, one for each, or a dual cup
Water jar for cleaning brushes
Wet panel carrier
cardboard box or plastic bin for carrying wet panels or canvas
Paints, thinners & mediums
I don’t recommend Winsor and Newton’s Artisan water mixable oil because it is student grade (though their thinner and medium are fine). You can certainly use it if you have it, but I think the investment in artist grade paints is worth it. Here are two good brands of artist quality paint that I can recommend (there are others as well), but they have to be ordered online.
Colors
We will be using a limited palette of five colors. You can bring other colors if you like, but I will be teaching color mixing in these colors (the two brands are slightly different).
If using Royal Talens Cobra water mixable oil (Note: not labeled “Study”, which is their student grade version): Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Yellow, Madder Lake, Burnt Sienna, Titanium White
Plus: : Royal Talens Cobra Water Mixable Solvent-Free Paint Thinner, Royal Talens Cobra Painting Medium (not fast drying) (Winsor and Newton versions also OK)
If using Holbein Duo Aqua water mixable oil (or W&N Artisan): Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Yellow, Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Sienna, Titanium White
Plus: Winsor & Newton Artisan Water Mixable Oil Paint Thinner, Holbein Aqua Duo Medium (not fast drying) (or W&N Artisan)
My assessment: Royal Talens Cobra is less expensive and has a nice flowing consistency out of the tube. Holbein Duo Aqua is stiffer in consistency but highly pigmented. Both are good artist quality paints. W&N Artisan, which is student grade, tends to be a bit gummy and is less pigmented.
Additional Materials for Plein Air Painting
Seating and painting support
The simplest solution would be a folding chair or stool and something to paint on like a portable easel or lapboard. You could being a second chair and lean your drawing board against that. You could also use a folding table.
There are a variety of pochade boxes, portable easels and painting systems available. You may be able to find something used or make your own.
Sun protection
Though it's recommended to be in the shade while painting, both for comfort and to keep from painting too darkly in the intense light of the sun, it's also wise to consider other forms of sun exposure protection: hat, sunblock, or painting umbrella. I use one of these UPF rated adjustable golf umbrellas: Sport-Brella (Amazon).
Other outdoor concerns
Drinks, snacks, insect repellent, or anything else you might normally consider for spending a few hours outside.
Charley Parker
Charley Parker studied painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. For the past several years he has been teaching at the Delaware Art Museum, the Delaware College of Art and Design and Jester Artspace. Charley works in and teaches workshops and classes in gouache, water mixable oil and ink and watercolor. Charley is the author of the popular arts blog, Lines and Colors: http://linesandcolors.com
Website: http://www.charleyparker.com