The Figurative Art League: Studio 215

These will be quicker poses. The shortest ones will be 2 minutes long; the longest one will be approx. 50 minutes. Great opportunity for people who enjoy making energetic marks. It keeps us loose and gets us to stop overanalyzing....the great escape.

I have been wanting to paint her in a back pose, similar the the one above, but she would be sitting more upright with a satin cloth draped across her lower back and hips. The plan is to have her do some gestures and then have her hold one long pose where she looks off to the side and downwards. It will be an elegant pose.

Gestures first 25 minutes. One long pose for the rest of the time. MODEL Julia.

Experiment with Eleanor, a renowned figurative artist, who uses gouache to make her magical and surreal paintings. Ever since she lost her thumb dexterity and her ability to hold large oil paint brushes, she has turned to gouache as the main medium for her creativity.

Gouache is an opaque watercolor. It can be used in many diverse ways, and she will demonstrate techniques that will expand our forms of creative expression. During this workshop, we will explore together the many ways one can use gouache. We will examine the medium’s versatility and experiment with many gouache techniques. For instance, we will discover how one can push space, transparency, and texture variations with Gouache.

Gouache requires a thick support (watercolor paper or illustration board). Therefore, the experimenter should use a heavy paper that is at least 140 lb. weight. Also, take note of the roughness (cold press) or smoothness (hot press) of your paper. An assortment of hot and cold press papers would benefit experimentation. Bring paper that is on the small side (approx. 11 by 14 inches, or something around that size). Look for colored paper. Perhaps, black paper might intrigue you. Remember you are experimenting.

Bring different types of brushes – she recommends bristle oil brushes and soft watercolor brushes in different sizes. Perhaps water soluble inks, too, if you have it on hand. To keep this workshop affordable, bring at least one tube of color and a tube of white. We can share the colors.

Other things one might bring to aid with your experimentation:

Paper towels
Masking tape
Things that scratch or make impressions: sticks, forks, blades, toothbrushes, etc.
Collage materials
Glue
Scissors
Claybord by Ampersand
Rubber Stamps
Stencils
Use your imagination...

Eleanor is looking forward to working with you.