Oil Painting Studio Course (Cahir Arts)

All of the material aspects of oil painting will be covered, from brushes to supports, and mediums to oil pigments. There are some basic principles that we adhere to regardless of the style or method we follow, for example, the concept of ‘fat over lean.’

Dynamics of Light & Shadow

In order to understand and use colour, we must first understand light. Colour is light. We will begin by learning about light and shadow in greater detail, and showing how their true nature can be represented in painting, and what specific techniques are required to do this.

To represent an object three-dimensionally with paint – or ‘turn form’ – first, we need to be able to understand this, then we need to identify it, and finally, we need to know and hone the skills and techniques needed to represent this using oil paint.

Grisaille & Monochromatic Painting

Grisaille is a monochromatic painting method (from the French, ‘gris’ or ‘grey’), and there are other related forms such as verdaccio, venada and morellone. This type of painting can usually be seen as underpainting in the academic process. However, it can also be used for preliminary studies leading to full colour painting. Grisaille contains every aspect of painting except colour, so it is a valuable opportunity to learn about oil paint without overburdening ourselves with colour considerations.

Colour Theory & Strategies

We will examine colour theory and how to choose and organise our palettes and how to mix and apply colours effectively. You will learn about a number of different palettes: warm-and-cool palettes, the limited Zorn palette, and the Brown School palette used by Da Vinci and Rembrandt.

Studio Best Practices

Many painting techniques will be discussed, explained and demonstrated, including:

• Dry brush technique
• Paint handling and brushwork
• Blending, handling transitions, and edge quality
• Understanding and utilising solvents and mediums, and caring for brushes
• Materials and equipment
• Different art brands and shopping for the best art supplies

Artists, Styles & Periods

Along the way, you will learn about many great artists of the past and present, and the methods and techniques they employed to achieve the results they did.