Plein Air Painting with Gouache – Community Arts Center Short Class at Pendle Hill

Join the Community Arts Center to enjoy the fun of painting “en plein air” — painting directly from nature on location using gouache (opaque watercolor).

Topics will include: painting outdoors with gouache; finding a subject and creating a composition; starting a painting; understanding value and edges; creating textures to suggest foliage, tree trunks, grasses and other surfaces; 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 demonstrations by the instructor as well as individual instruction at each student’s level of experience. 

If you would like to join us for lunch beginning at 12 pm, please sign up at least 24 business hours in advance. 

 Special Notes 

• First day meet the instructor, Charley, at the first parking lot to the left at Pendle Hill, next to Community Art Center 338 Plush Mill Rd, Wallingford, PA 19086 
  Rain date: 7/31 

Required Supplies 

• Gouache paint in the following 5 colors: Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Yellow (ideally Light or Pale), Perelyne Maroon (or Alizarin Crimson), Burnt Sienna, Permanent White (Titanium White); short handled synthetic brushes suitable for acrylic or mixed media (example: the Beste line from Jerry’s Artarama): 1/2 flat (ideally 2 of these), 1/4” flat (two of these), 1/8” flat, #2 round; watercolor paper 9×12” or larger, ideally hot press, cold press also OK, at least 140lb/300gsm or heavier; water jar for cleaning brushes, 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); a few paper towels; something to hold your palette and paper like a pochade box, field easel, or drawing board leaned against an extra folding chair; plus whatever you need for 3 hours outdoors — folding chair, sunscreen, drinking water, hat, etc. 

Leaders

The Community Arts Center in Wallingford, PA, is a non-profit arts based organization offering countless opportunities to create and enjoy the visual arts. CAC offers classes for all ages, exhibits in their spacious gallery, an active outreach program, an artisans gift shop, and frequent fine art and craft sales that allow people to come together and bring art and creativity into their lives. Learn more at https://communityartscenter.org/  

Charley Parker studied painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. For the past several years he has been teaching at the Delaware Art Museum, the Delaware College of Art and Design and Jester Artspace. Charley works in and teaches workshops and classes in gouache, water mixable oil and ink and watercolor.  Charley is the author of the popular arts blog, Lines and Colors: http://linesandcolors.com 

Learn more at https://www.charleyparker.com/