Wednesdays, June 18 – August 6, 2025, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Enjoy the fun of painting “en plein air” — painting directly from nature on location using gouache (opaque watercolor). Gouache is a fun and easy to use water based medium that dries quickly to a beautiful mat finish. Unlike transparent watercolor, gouache allows for painting light colors over dark, providing greater freedom in how a painting is created and making it more forgiving than transparent watercolor.
Topics will include: finding a landscape subject and creating a composition; starting a painting; understanding value and edges; creating textures to suggest foliage, tree trunks, grasses and other surfaces; gouache paint handling; layering and adjusting the thickness of the paint; brush handling; paint mixing; understanding the color characteristics of hue, value and chroma; and mixing a wide range of colors from a simple limited palette. The class will include demonstration by the instructor as well as individual instruction at each student’s level of experience.
Join us for relaxed summer mornings of painting in nature in the beautiful surroundings of the Pendle Hill Retreat (next to the CAC grounds).
Tuition $355.00 (member discount available)
Location: Pendle Hill Retreat, 38 Plush Mill Rd, Wallingford, PA (Google Maps link). Entrance is next to the Community Arts Center entrance. We will meet in the first parking lot on the left as you enter the grounds.
Materials:
- Gouache paint in the following 5 colors: Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Yellow Light (or Pale), Perelyne Maroon (or Alizarin Crimson), Burnt Sienna, Permanent White (Titanium White); (recommended brands: Winsor and Newton Designers Gouache, Holbein, M. Graham, Daniel Smith) (preferably not “jelly gouache” or “Himi Gouache”)
- short handled synthetic brushes suitable for acrylic or mixed media (those listed as made from “Golden Taklon” are good): 1/2 flat (ideally 2 of these), 1/4” flat (two of these), 1/8” flat, #2 round;
- watercolor paper 9×12” or 8×10″, ideally hot press, cold press also OK, at least 140lb/300gsm or heavier; or watercolor sketchbook with similar paper
- water jar for cleaning brushes (plastic peanut butter jar, for example);
- small water jar for clean water;
- spray mister (atomizer) for keeping paint wet on the palette;
- watercolor or acrylic palette with generous mixing area (a small Masterson “Sta-wet Palette” can be advantageous);
- something to hold your palette and paper like a pochade box, field easel, or drawing board leaned against an extra folding chair; you can also work in your lap in a watercolor sketchbook if you prefer, and use a small folding table for your materials
- plus whatever you need for 3 hours outdoors — folding chair, sunscreen, drinking water, hat, etc. (we will be in the shade)
