This class is an opportunity to paint in a gorgeous group setting and have an instructor available for advice and suggestions while you pursue your own, independent project. You may choose to paint in oils, acrylics, or watercolors. Use the beautiful surroundings on Chesterwood as your inspiration or work from your imagination surrounded by the beauty of the Berkshires!

Rain Date: June 25

Materials

You are free to work with either oils or acrylics. I will be using oils myself.

The equivalent of any of these items in a different brand or similar color (like quinacridone rose instead of alizarin) is fine.

Paint colors:

If you buy beginner sets, that is fine, and generally speaking, you get what you pay for. Student grade paints have less pigment in them than professional paints, and we can make whatever you bring work.

Please come with:

Titanium White

Burnt Sienna

Cadmium red medium

Alizarin Crimson

Cadmium yellow light

Lemon Yellow

Ultramarine blue

Phthalo Blue

Sap Green

Green Gold

Burnt umber

Additional suggested colors:

Yellow Ochre

Cadmium orange

Black (I like using Lamp Black)

Palette:

You can buy nice plastic palettes with lids or you can use a wooden palette. At home I use a piece of plate glass. BUT, for the class, having disposable paper palettes, the waxy kind of paper, no smaller than 12x16, will be best. I recommend Grey Matters Palette Paper pad made by Jack Richeson Co. They will fit into the lidded plastic boxes you can buy.

Turpentine substitute for oils, like Turpenoid (not Turpenoid Natural). For acrylics you only need water.

Two jars with lids that your brushes fit into for oils, a container for water for the others.

Medium:

Acrylic — a Polymer Medium, such as Golden’s Matte Medium, can be used in addition to water.

Oils — bring a bottle of Liquin original.

A Surface to paint on:

Canvas boards, gessoed panels, stretched canvases, oil paint paper, or even cardboard can be used. Please don’t bring anything smaller than 9 x12, and have a couple with you. Any surface should be gessoed and ready to paint on.

Brushes:

You can use nylon synthetic brushes from Michaels or AC Moore and they are not expensive. Go for the flats that come in one package of 12 brushes. These are especially useful with acrylics but you can also use them with oils. Or, go the traditional route of using flats, rounds, and another brush of your choice, having at least 3 in a variety of sizes (like a #4, #8, #10) for the first class. Other oil brushes should be bristle, not nylon.

Other — Please bring:

Cotton rags for oil painters (cut up old T-shirts are perfect)

Paper towels

Baby wipes for clean up

Small sketch pad

Soft vine charcoal (just a few sticks) and/or a pencil

Kneaded eraser

Something to carry your wet paintings home in- pizza boxes work well

Optional, bring photos that you would like to paint from. Or you may work from life!

Don’t feel daunted by this list. Whatever you come with on the first day, we will make it work. Your willingness to explore, experiment, and use paint is what you really need. Get set for an adventure!

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