The Heatherley School of Fine Art
75 Lots Road, London
SW10 0RN
This one-day workshop is about some things Michael uses to help him with drawing and tone in a life-size painting – the fruit in the painting being the same size it is in real life.
He will start with a short demo about how to compare the proportions of the things and their positions, higher and lower, intervals and overlapping shapes. How to control lights and darks. Blocking in flat areas of colour. Mixing using a reduced palette of red, yellow, blue and white.
Students will paint one or two small oil studies in the morning and afternoon.
Some experience of drawing helps but all levels are welcome. Help will be given.
ABOUT YOUR TUTOR
Michael Weller studied librarianship in Manchester and realised early on he didn’t want to be a librarian. Life-drawing cheered him up. Later he did a degree in Fine Art and studied portrait-painting at Lavender Hill Studios and drawing and painting with the New English Art Club. In 2015 he won the Le Clerc Fowle Medal for a group of outstanding paintings at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters’ annual exhibition, and the Winsor & Newton Award for a painting at the New English Art Club annual exhibition.
WHAT TO BRING
- Some fruit or things you want to paint that are shapes and colours that interest you. Michael suggests simple shapes, eg apples, pears, plums but go with what you like.
- Michael uses oils, but students can use pastels, coloured pencils, gouache or acrylics.
- Painting surface. Use canvases or boards if you like. Cut it to the size you like. Michael suggests four 13×18cm and Two 25×18cm.
- Paints: Titanium white or zinc white, Cadmium yellow light, Alizarin Crimson or Rose Madder, Cobalt Blue or similar.
- If using oils, low-odour oil-paint solvent. A jar for it. Gamsol, Zest-it or Sansador are fine.
- Brushes. Good to have some bigger brushes.
- Palette or mixing surface. Paper tearaway palette is great. Wooden palette fine.
- Kitchen paper or rags
- Newspaper to blot paint
There is a basic materials shop on site if required. There are tea and coffee making facilities on site and cafes nearby - but you might want to bring a packed lunch.
DATE AND TIME
Saturday 14 January 2023
10:30 – 16:00