Event
The Fundamentals of Plein Air PaintingWith Charles Newman
Saturday, November 1, 2025
10am–4pm
Adult Workshops
Adult Fall 2025
The Fundamentals of Plein Air Painting w/Charles Newman
Saturday, November 1, 2025
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
During this painting workshop I will lead you through the process of capturing the overall essence of a particular place and will cover techniques to render the changing light and everyday development in the plein air setting. We will focus on a few key factors including drawing with color shapes, breaking down the motif into a minimum number of color values, the importance of edge quality, and the use of editing. During the beginning of the workshop, I will conduct a quick painting demo highlighting the feel of the location and to help students with an idea of execution. The objective will be to lay in the whole underpainting, then we will break it down and reconstruct it through the layering process. Students will have the option to work on one or multiple paintings. Finally, we will conclude the painting workshop with a group critique. Through the duration of the workshop, I will give instruction and individual critique while on the field.
Materials:
French easel / pochade box
Paints: Your preference of colors. My palate includes titanium white, flake white, hansa yellow light, naphthol red, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, Indian yellow, transparent red oxide, radiant violet, and kings blue.
Brushes: try bringing larger brushes. I like using flats #14, 12, 10.
I’ll use and assortment of palette knives. I like 2” or 3” for mixing paint and the diamond shaped ones for applying paint with. It’s a personal preference.
Solvents, turpenpoid or gamsol.
Paper towels.
Painting surface: I like to paint on linen panels or gessoed wood panels. Again, personal preference. And any size is welcome, as long as you feel comfortable completing or blocking in the whole painting surface in one sitting.