ON LOCATION 2-DAY WORKSHOPS

It was fabulous in June so we’re going back for more! The atmosphere at Westfield is perfect for artists and September holds the further attraction of early Fall colour!

Sketch or paint en plein air Westfield’s stunning collection of historic Ontario buildings all nestled in the beautiful parkland of the Hamilton Conservation Authority. Features include one of Ontario’s oldest log cabins, a dry goods store, a rustic covered bridge, and a TH & B Locomotive 103.  The opportunities for artists are endless.

This 2-day workshop gives attention to finding and composing an engaging view through core principles and techniques, including placement, perspective, value, proportion, overlap and line.  For students who choose to paint, attention will focus on establishing a composition in paint,  as well as value, and colour associations.

Group demonstrations and individual instruction.  

All levels.  

A class for students new to sketching outdoors as well  as those with previous experience.  Perfect for those who love natural settings and history.  

Group demonstrations and individual instruction.  

During this week, students may choose to sketch or paint.  Often people do some of both.

Sketching Material

• graphite, conte, pastel/pastel pencils, and/or pen and ink.
• sketchbook
• pad of quality drawing paper, minimum 9" x 12" 
• drawing board

Paint Materials

For recommended watercolour, acrylic or oil kits see the paint materials lists in the About menu.

Equipment

• A portable chair or bench (a camp chair is great)
• A small stool, box, or bench for supporting materials
• A travel easel (optional)
• An umbrella on a clamp (optional)

Entrance to Westfield Heritage Village is free.

Parking is free with a Hamilton Conservation Authority membership.

Parking is $16 per day/per vehicle for non-members; the cost per vehicle admits a carload of 6 passengers.

If students would like to purchase a Hamilton Conservation Authority membership at the beginning of this course, please be in touch (hamiltonstudioschool@gmail.com) so arrangements can be made with personnel at Westfield  Heritage.

On Location courses operate as rain or shine events. That being said, if we face extreme adverse weather conditions we will rebook a day as indicated by the Rain Date.

Westfield Heritage Village operates through volunteer support. During the week, volunteers are not on site, unless there is a school tour. Consequently we are not able to sketch inside the heritage buildings.  

We have access to the large bandstand in the centre of the park.  

Washrooms are on site.

The perfect time of year for outdoor sketching in one of Hamilton’s idyllic settings.

Sketch or paint en plein air in the beautiful spaces of Dundurn Castle Park. There is so much to enjoy--historic buildings and structures, a sweeping parkland, views of the water, an historic kitchen garden and nearby neighbourhood streets.

This 2-day workshop gives attention to finding and composing an engaging view through core principles and techniques, including placement, perspective, value, proportion, overlap and line.  For students who choose to paint, attention will focus on establishing a composition in paint,  as well as value, and colour associations.

Group demonstrations and individual instruction.  

All levels.  A class for students new to sketching outdoors as well as those with previous experience.  Perfect for those who love natural settings and history. 

Great for artists and illustrators who want to develop unique subject matter.  

Excellent pratice for people who want to create visual journals of their travels.  

During this week, students may choose to sketch or paint.  Often people do some of both.

Sketching Material

• graphite, conte, pastel/pastel pencils, and/or pen and ink.
• sketchbook
• pad of quality drawing paper, minimum 9" x 12" 
• drawing board

Paint Materials

For recommended watercolour, acrylic or oil kits see the paint materials lists in the About menu.

Equipment

• A portable chair or bench (a camp chair is great)
• A small stool, box, or bench for supporting materials
• A travel easel (optional)
• An umbrella on a clamp (optional)

On Location courses operate as rain or shine events. That being said, if we face extreme adverse weather conditions we will rebook a day as indicated by the Rain Date.

Celebrate the motifs, forms, and colour of the harvest season with watercolour!

A watercolour class for beginners and those with previous experience. 

Focus on the forms and colour palette of the harvest season through as series of still lifes. 

The first part of the class progresses through a series of short exercises that focus on core skills and techniques.  Special attention is given to saturation, complimentary colours, and wet and dry techniques. 

The second part of the class gives attention to developing fuller compositions in watercolour.  Special attention is given to placement, colour relationships and layering washes to achieve depth and pictorial coherence.

Group demonstrations and individual instruction.  

All levels.    

Students at the beginning stages of their development in watercolour.

Students with previous experience who would like to review basics and enjoy new subjects and compositions.

Artists who work in other media (like oil and acrylic).  Watercolour is the best lesson in restraint and optimizing transparency--many artists use watercolour to invigorate their other painting practices!

Paper

quality watercolour paper.  Start with cold pressed.

Preferred brands:

• Arches*
• Saunders-Waterford

*It appears that Arches' watercolour paper on a pad is not the same as Arches' watercolour paper on a block.  The watercolour paper on a block is better--so you will enjoy it much more.

Brushes

one or two good quality sable, synthetic or sable/synthetic combination brushes.

The following sizes are recommended:

• 1 x size #6 or #8 round brush with a good point
• 1 x size #12 or 14 round brush with a good point
• 1 x 1” or larger flat brush, ie hake (optional)

Paint Colours

good quality transparent tube or cake watercolours.  Recommended colours: 

• cadmium yellow pale (hue)
• yellow ochre
• cadmium red pale (hue)
• alizarin crimson
• ultramarine blue (not green shade)
• cerulean blue
• viridian green
• burnt sienna
• burnt umber

Cotman watercolour brand is a reasonable quality paint at a lower price.  Better quality paints cost more because they have more pigment.  Winsor & Newton professional watercolours are a reliable quality brand.  Schmincke watercolours are a personal favourite.

Other Items

• palette with a lid and large mixing area
• water container (large yogurt containers are great)
• paper towel (mechanic's blue paper towels are great)
• scrap watercolour paper for testing colours
• sketchbook and pencil for preparatory compositional sketches

Suggested by a student, this course focuses on approaches to two seemingly more elusive subject matters.  Do note:  watercolour is perfect for representing glass and fabric!

In giving focus to just two subject matters, this course allows participants to work through the same process more than once in a class--practice makes perfect! 

Special attention to  value, transparent layering, and shape.

Class demonstrations and individual instruction.

All levels.    

Students at the beginning stages of their development in watercolour.

Students with previous experience who would like to review basics and enjoy new subjects and compositions.

Artists who work in other media (like oil and acrylic).  Watercolour is the best lesson in restraint and optimizing transparency--many artists use watercolour to invigorate their other painting practices!

Paper

quality watercolour paper.  Start with cold pressed.

Preferred brands:

• Arches*
• Saunders-Waterford

*It appears that Arches' watercolour paper on a pad is not the same as Arches' watercolour paper on a block.  The watercolour paper on a block is better and will be more enjoyable to work with.

Brushes

one or two good quality sable, synthetic or sable/synthetic combination brushes.

The following sizes are recommended:

• 1 x size #6 or #8 round brush with a good point
• 1 x size #12 or 14 round brush with a good point
• 1 x 1” or larger flat brush, ie hake (optional)

Paint Colours

good quality transparent tube or cake watercolours.  Recommended colours: 

• cadmium yellow pale (hue)
• yellow ochre
• cadmium red pale (hue)
• alizarin crimson
• ultramarine blue (not green shade)
• cerulean blue
• viridian green
• burnt sienna
• burnt umber

Cotman watercolour brand is a reasonable quality paint at a lower price.  Better quality paints cost more because they have more pigment.  Winsor & Newton professional watercolours are a reliable quality brand.  Schmincke watercolours are a personal favourite.

Other Items

• palette with a lid and large mixing area
• water container (large yogurt containers are great)
• paper towel (mechanic's blue paper towels are great)
• scrap watercolour paper for testing colours
• sketchbook and pencil for preparatory compositional sketches

Drawing is an art that underlies all other forms of visual expression.

This is a foundational drawing class for everyone— the absolute beginner, the experienced painter, and everyone in between.

The course works through a series of drawing exercises that address observation, technique, and key elements of composition: form, space, placement, perspective, line, value, and pictorial focus.

Drawing & Composition is modelled on the class I took many times as a student--the class that gave me the tools and confidence to go out and draw just about anything!

All levels.

This class is for absolute beginners, experienced painters, and everyone in between.

• black conte or willow charcoal
• kneadable eraser
• 18” x 24” pad of manila or newsprint paper
• Optional: 2-3 sheets of toned/grey colour drawing or pastel paper—this can be bought as single sheets or in pads no smaller than 12” x 16”. An example of this paper is “Ingres Paper” made by Canson, Strathmore or Fabriano.  Optional, but highly recommended when drawing from longer poses.
• Optional: white conte (For use on toned paper.)
• Optional: Charcoal pencils, black and white.  (For use on toned paper.) Recommended brands: Stabilo or Faber & Castell.

A figure drawing class for honing skills and advancing to next steps.

This course reviews core figure drawing techniques, gives special attention to observing hands & feet, and introduces the new challenge of multi-figure compositions--something that everyone who enjoys figure drawing should try!

For people who have taken Figure Drawing Part One.

For people who have had some previous figure drawing experience.

For people who have considerable experience and would like suggestions and strategies for putting together multi-figure compositions.

• black conte or willow charcoal
• kneadable eraser
• 18” x 24” pad of manila or newsprint paper
• Optional: 2-3 sheets of toned/grey colour drawing or pastel paper—this can be bought as single sheets or in pads no smaller than 12” x 16”. An example of this paper is “Ingres Paper” made by Canson, Strathmore or Fabriano.  Optional, but highly recommended when drawing from longer poses.
• Optional: white conte (For use on toned paper.)
• Optional: Charcoal pencils, black and white.  (For use on toned paper.) Recommended brands: Stabilo or Faber & Castell.

Practice, develop, experiment. 

Be part of a drawing community and develop your artistic direction with uninstructed time in the studio with the live model.

Figure Drawing Studio gives emphasis to medium length (10-30 min) and longer length poses (1-3hr).

6-day option (drop in for all Thursday sessions) $140

6-day option (drop in for all Friday sessions) $140

9-day option (drop-in for any 9 of the 12 sessions) $180

12-day option (draw twice a week!) $240

Poses and length of poses will be set by Hamilton Studio School. 

Requests and suggestions are welcome; direct these to Hamilton Studio School.

Your choice!