Filbert’s Newsletter: August 2008 - Issue 33

Portrait Painting at Hampton Bishop – 14 / 15 July 2008

We started the course with some portrait drawing, learning how to proportion the face and understanding a little about its structure. Having done this we used graphite boldly to create light and shade and thus created a three dimensional feel. Having completed the drawing we looked at producing a trial painting based on the drawing. The emphasis on this painting was colour mixing and how to mix flesh colours, both warm and coo,l and where to apply them to create the 3 D effect we desired. This painting took longer than expected so we had to look at painting the portrait with much bolder colours, in the style of Matisse on the Sunday.

Have quickly completed the little exercise painting the face in bold colours, I became the model for the final painting, in which everyone had the choice of using the bolder approach or the more traditional. By the end of the Sunday session some wonderful paintings had been produced. The bigger improvements were seen by those who had done little or no portrait painting before, which was great. Congratulations go to all who attended the course and achieved so much namely: Karen Johanssen, Caroline Waldon, Chrisse Halls, Mark Whittle and his daughter, Jenny Harrison, Pamela Hudson and Maria Broughton.

Foot note: when mixing flesh tones it is a good idea to think in terms of cool and warm colours. Cool for the shadows, around eyes for example and warm for the lighter tones around cheeks, tip of the nose etc. A basic flesh colour can be created by using the ‘five to one to half’ rule – five parts white to one part yellow to half a part of red. This proportion produces a reasonable flesh colour, of course, the different reds and yellows will determine whether the flesh tone is warm or cool. A cool flesh tone might be; titanium white, lemon yellow and red oxide, whereas a warm tone might be titanium white, cadmium yellow and vermillion.

Forthcoming Art Courses

• August courses
• Landscape in Watercolour at Berrington Hall on 18/19 August – With a beautiful lake, views to the Brecon Beacons, gardens and a Georgian house as inspiration what better place to explore watercolour techniques.
• Pop Art Painting at Aston on Clun on 22/23/24 August – If you like working on a big scale, painting boldly in the style of people like Warhol, Hockney or Lichenstein this is the course for you. Large painting boards are provided on this course ready primed for you to work on with acrylic. Should be a great course.
• September Course
• Starting Drawing at Aston on Clun on 27/28 September – This course is designed for complete beginners and those who don’t feel that confident with their drawing. Lots of simple and easy methods to achieve great drawings – you’ll be producing masterpieces by the end of the weekend.
• You can book courses online, for details click here

A possible development: art courses in the evening

A number people have been asking me whether I would run a series of courses in the evening, say every Tuesday evening for two hours for a period of 8 or 10 weeks. A course like this might be aimed at developing drawing, turning drawings into paintings and working on specific painting techniques. It would have a structured programme which would be available before the course starts. It is very likely the courses would run in Leominster or somewhere close to it. In terms of cost it would be around £6 - £7 per hour depending on hiring venue costs etc. The total course fee would probably be paid in full at the start of the course or in two halves, one at the beginning, one in the middle.

At this stage I am looking for expressions of interest, suggestions of topics or areas you might be interested in, painting mediums you would like to explore or other suggestions, I am open to ideas. Please reply to this email if you are interested. Assuming there is enough interest courses are likely to start at the end of September.

Kind regards

Paul Priestley