RESERVATION
1-877-774-6663
banner colour walking pine art retreat kenneth pike

Beginners

KENNETH PIKE
Grand prize winner of Chrysler’s Search
for Canadian Wildlife Artists 2016

ARTIST STATEMENT:
I started painting at 42, I often regret waiting so long to take the
plunge. I’ve come to understand that everyone must follow their
own pace. What you bring with you along that path, divergent
experiences, alternative skills, can only enhance and inform
artistic expression.

May 13 to June 2   |   July 15 to August 4   |   Sept 16 to Oct 6
GROUND ZERO:   Approaching the blank canvas
Helpful hints

A canvas for oil painting requires priming and sealing because, over time, chemicals in the paint will rot the canvas fabric.

Canvas for acrylic paint does not technically require the priming and sealing treatment however, it’s still a good idea since unprimed canvas is quite absorbent and sucks up a lot of the paint. This can impact specific colours you are trying to achieve.

Activities


• Where and how to start
• Developing your preliminary sketches
• Prepping your canvases
• Applying your final sketch to base

• Prepping your canvases


• Colour theory as it applies to oil and acrylic mediums
• Developing tone
• Prepping your canvases
• Building up your first layers

• Prepping your canvases


• Brush technique
• Smooth or textured gesso layer
• Prepping your canvases
• How to combine oil and acrylic and when to do so

• Prepping your canvases


• Working towards a finished painting
• One on One coaching, at least 20 minutes per student
• Colour theory quiz
• Group discussion with open question and answer time

• Prepping your canvases


CANVAS AND PAINT
Acrylic paints, good selection, primary and secondary colours (student grade is preferable), and include Mars black and Flake white, Liquitex or Golden brand
• 10 canvases, at least 12 x 16
• canvas paper
• A few photos, preferably landscapes
• Gesso, Liquitex, 1 gallon
• Slow-dry retarder gel
• Colour wheel
• Sketchbook at least 12 x 16 inches
• HB, 2B to 4B pencils and artists gum erasor
• Paper towels

walking pine art retreat beginners page graphic

A note about sketching

• Use sketchbooks of different sizes
• Set up a ready-o-go sketch kit you can grab quickly when lighting or subject unexpectedly present themselves (paper, pencils ranging from HB to 3B or 4B, artist quality gum erasors and fixative)
• small portable easel
• Sketch in as many environments as possible, inside and out, bright and dim lighting
• Use your sketchbook for monocrhome and colour sketching by adding some water soluable coloured pencils to your kit
• Maintain a lively sketchbook with a good mix of drawings, colour studies and written observations about the uniqueness of your subject matter, light and shadow impressions, etc.

      ^
top of page