Life’s a Beach! Capturing Figures on the Beach (Online Workshop) Summer 2024 w/ Robin Cheers

June 14 to June 28 (Fridays), 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Eastern Time

**All sessions are live and will be recorded, students do not have to be present. All recordings will be available to students for 3 months after the final session, after 3 months the recording will be deleted.

Please check your email spam/junk folder for your Zoom invite.

Workshop Description

What better way to preserve memories of family vacations to the coast, than to paint the fun! Painting figures in the landscape can seem daunting and people often think they can’t do it unless they’ve had a lot of academic training. But with my alla prima approach to organizing your painting and starting in full color, it’s easy to paint the sunlit beach from clouds to waves to the playful children digging in the sand.

In this intensive three-week workshop, we’ll cover color palettes, the colors of light and shadow, flesh tones and reflections, creating water, waves and clouds, and gestural figure painting.

Bring your family beach vacation photos to life!

Workshop Outline

Week 1 -

We’ll focus on a single figure composition and dive into making colorful water, sand and light and shadow on the figure.

Assignment: Paint along or use your own references to paint a single figure on the beach.

Week 2 -

Tackling multiple figures in action, we’ll pull back to include more figures, more water and sky.

Assignment: Paint along or use your own references to paint a broader beach scene with multiple figures.

Week 3 -

Continuing exploration of multiple figures on the beach creating color-filled impressionist beach scenes.

Assignment: Paint along or use your own references to paint a broader beach scene with multiple figures.

Workshop Materials List

All mediums are welcome! Robin will be painting in oils.

These are what I use, and students may want to try my colors or tools, but it isn’t necessary to try all new techniques and materials – use what is most comfortable for you.

· Painting surfaces – gessoed or canvas panels – 9x12 or bigger

· Brushes – a variety of long handled hog bristle (for oils) and a few softer hair/synthetic brushes.

COLORS*

Reds: Napthol Red

Alizirin Crimson Permanent

Yellow: Hansa Yellow

Chrome Yellow Hue

Orange: Permanent Orange

Blues: Need a good variety for beach scenes!

Ultramarine

Kings Blue

Pthalo Turquoise

Radiant Blue (Gamblin)

Cerulean Blue

Purple: Manganese Violet

Green: Pthalo or Viridian

Cad or Meadow Green

and

Titanium Zinc White

MEDIUMS (for oils)

Gamblin Solvent Free Gel

Mineral spirits (Gamsol)

* I use paints that do not have toxic heavy metals – students can use the cadmium reds, yellows, etc.