WATERCOLOR B.S. WITH MARY GUNTZVILLER

From our beloved Mary Guntzviller comes a workshop for the beginner or intermediate watercolor painter. Mary is fun and keeps the techniques coming as you have the day to play. This workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, November 29th from 10am to 5pm. $150/student. 6 student max. Lunch will be provided by the gallery. Please phone to register. #231 264 0123.

Mary suggests:

Painters are a rare breed. We don’t give up. Every time we pick up a brush, painters attempt to produce visual images no one has ever seen.

Sometimes the outcome is less than successful, but EVERY effort is a new experience, a new chance to expand our skills. This class will fill your artistic souls with information and confidence. Let’s practice basic stuff and how to apply it! Bring questions!

THE B.S. CLASS

B.asic S.tuff! B.arn S.cale! B.lue S.carlet! B.lack S.hadow! B.rush S.trokes! 

We will start by exploring some drawing techniques for about an hour, introducing negative space, shapes, and placement, then move onto painting.

We will work on simple compositions that will illustrate a lot of B.S.! We’ll mix colors and discuss their properties. Here’s some of the B.S. we will try to cover, time permitting, in order of importance:

B.arn S.cale:

Perspective on buildings seems scary, but you only need to know just the minimum about shapes to make it work.

B.lue S.carlet:

Warm and Cool. So essential, so ignored! It’s all about the science of our eyes.

If we have time, we will touch on:

B.lack S.hadow:

How dark are shadows? Are they black?

B.rush  S.troke:

Brushes are different shapes and thicknesses for a reason. Use brushes to their full potential! Make them work for you.

SUPPLY LIST: (If buying supplies for the first time, buy those marked in BOLD.)

DRAWING OR MECHANICAL PENCIL (HB or softer); school pencils are fine

• SKETCHBOOK (or any drawing paper);
• KNEADED ERASER
• BASIC WATERCOLOR PAINT COLORS
  • Many of the techniques will require FRESH paint out of a tube, not dried paint on your palette

If you are a beginner, I recommend Van Gogh brand. The colors below are the named Van Gogh colors I would recommend. Other student brands include Grumbacher, Cotman.

1. Burnt Umber (brown)        Permanent Red Deep
2. Cerulean blue (sky blue)   Sap Green
3. Perm Blue Violet (dark purple)   Raw sienna
4. Permanent Lemon Yellow        Quinacridone Rose (red purple)
5. Permanent Orange       Ultramarine deep (dark blue)

Also BRING any & all of your favorite colors)

• BRUSHES: You will need, at a minimum, 3 brushes.

Any brushes with fine, thin hair will work, usually labeled for Watercolor/Acrylic. “Simply Simmons” are great!!! Brushes with thicker bristles or hair, usually labeled for Acrylic/Oil do not hold water.

• Small pointed round, #6 or #8,
• Flat, ½” or ¾”
• A bigger brush for washes (If beginner, I’ll lend you one until you understand what to buy)*
• Small (⅛” or ¼”) flat
• Rigger or Script brush for tree limbs
• D’ARCHES (Arch, Arches) 140 LB Cold Press (CP) PAPER; Student    papers, Canson or Strathmore, although cheaper, will produce unacceptable results, such as pulling up paper, chalky washes from the sizing, etc.
• PALETTE; with at least a 10” x 10” mixing area

You will need, at a minimum, any flat WHITE surface to mix colors; Styrofoam dinner plates work really well.

• BOARD (at least 13”x16”) to hold w/c paper;

We will be working on several 1/4 sheet (11” x 15” approx.) at once, so

If you can bring more than one “board”, even a couple sheets of foam core or heavy cardboard will suffice for the class. Covering the “boards” with clear packing tape will make switching paintings easier also.

• WATER CONTAINER for rinsing brushes; “cool whip” type container works, the BIGGER the better (Meijer ice cream buckets are the best. Eat the ice cream first!)
• MASKING TAPE (3M or Scotch Brand)
• PAPER TOWEL
• SPRAY BOTTLE with adjustable nozzle, for water
• PLIERS for opening tubes of paint
• HUMOR (maximum amount; no minimum here!)
• BIG BAG to carry everything!!!!!

Items I’ll bring for you to purchase:

• Arches140 LB Cold Press(CP)Paper 1/4 sheet, $2.50 each
• Silver Brush Black Velvet Oval Wash, Size 3/4″, $40.00
• Ruling pens $1.00