In this one-day workshop, we will focus on strengthening the design of a painting, actively considering the ways in which the visual elements of a scene can be arranged to make the final image both interesting and compelling. We will discuss various compositional approaches and “rules,” thinking about how to create a center of interest and lead a viewer’s eye through a painting. In the morning, you will create a number of small studies, all from the same photo reference, exploring distinct compositional schemes. In the afternoon, you will create a larger piece, using the scheme you find most appealing—there are no wrong choices! All students will have personalized feedback and guidance. This class is appropriate for all levels. While the instructor works in pastel, students in this class are welcome to work in any medium. A materials list will be provided in advance.
About the Instructor: Heather Quay
“My goal is to have my paintings capture the feeling of a particular time and place. I have always been fascinated by the way that painters portray the quality and temperature of light. As a pastel painter, I continue to be drawn to scenes where the light is the central character. Whatever I am painting – from landscapes, both natural and manmade, to figures, animals, and portraits – I’m always striving to render the light I see onto the surface of my artwork.”
Heather’s work has been included in national and international juried exhibits, and has won a number of awards. She is an Associate Member of the Pastel Society of America, and a Signature Member of the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, the Connecticut Pastel Society, the Central Massachusetts Pastel Society, and the Maryland Pastel Society. She is also a member of the North River Arts Society, the Pastel Society of New Hampshire and the Lyme Art Association. Heather’s paintings have appeared in The Pastel Journal and she is a Featured Artist on the Artsy Shark website. More about Heather and her work can be found at www.heatherquay.com
Materials list:
PAINTS, PASTELS and other media:
You will need a good range of color and value in whatever media you are using.
Note for pastels: You can use any brand you have (suggestions below if you need
them). Please clean your pastels and remove the wrappings so you can use them
easily.
PAINTING OR DRAWING SURFACE:
You will need at least five surfaces:
- Two 8” x 10”
- One 8” x 8”
- One 8” x 12”
- At least one 9” x 12” or larger (your preference)
Note for pastels: Please use sanded pastel paper (any brand is fine—Art Spectrum,
Pastel Premier, LUX Archival, U Art, Canson Velvet). Do not bring Canson Mi-Teintes –
it does not have enough tooth and has a honeycomb texture that is hard to work with. If
you don’t have paper, I will have Canson Velvet available at cost ($3 per 9” x 12” sheet).
DRAWING BOARDS: These are to support your painting/drawing surface while you
work. As long as it’s sturdy, it’s fine—could be Gator-board, foam core or Masonite.
PHOTO REFERENCE: For the morning, I will provide photo references. For the
afternoon, you may work on the same photo reference or choose a different one, either
one of mine or one of your own, provided that you keep it fairly simple – no complex
architecture or people, and no seascapes.
MISC. SUPPLIES:
- Drop cloth or towel for underneath your easel (the classroom has easels)
- A sketchbook and a set of black and grey markers in three values (dark, medium and
- light). Tombow markers work well for this, but other brands are fine; it’s the value range that is important.
- Vine charcoal, pastel pencil or pencil for sketching on your surface (vine charcoal should be soft or very soft)
- Paper towels
- Wet wipes
- Lunch and drinks
- Apron (optional)
- Vinyl gloves (optional)
For Pastels:
- Artist tape 3/4"-1" for mounting your paper—black, white or beige only, no colored
- painters tape
- A stiff brush (in case you need to brush off pastel to rework)
- Glassine, tracing paper or clear bags to protect work on the way home
**WHERE TO BUY PASTELS? If you have not worked with pastels before, you can
find a great deal of information and a good selection at www.dakotapastels.com. If you
look under the “Pastels” menu bar and click “Comparing Pastels” there is a useful chart.
If you are just starting out with pastels and want to experiment, I suggest getting a set of
hard pastels (Nupastel or Cretacolor) and a set of less expensive soft pastels to see
how you like them. I have not personally used them but have heard good things about
KOH-I-NOOR Extra Soft Pastels (not available at Dakota, but also available online). I
use a wide variety of pastels but favorites include Girault, Terry Ludwig, Jack Richeson,
Senellier, Mount Vision, and Diane Townsend. Dakota also has a lot of different pastel
papers and a good pastel paper comparison chart. For all materials, however, make
sure to shop around for prices as you may be able to find things for less on Jerry’s
Artorama, Dick Blick, Amazon or even Ebay.
