Painting Landscapes with Hester Berry

We welcome the respected landscape painter Hester Berry to the studio for an accessible and well-structured class weekend course, focusing on painting landscape in oil paints.

Over the weekend Hester will help you to understand how you might use a sketchbook to support your painting and discuss how you best use colour, light and economical brushwork to develop engaging landscape paintings, working up a complete painting in the studio from reference sketches and photographs. This course is ideal for beginners who want to learn how to approach painting landscapes in oils, as well as more experienced painters who are looking to learn from Hester.

What to Expect

Day 1: Following an introductory talk we will head go outside to draw near to the studio (weather permitting) followed by a discussion of tone and short demonstration. You will then have the opportunity to begin your own painting from your own reference material under Hester’s guidance while Hester works on an ongoing demonstration piece.

Day 2: We will look at colour and mark-making in more depth and you will be able to continue to work on your own paintings, with Hester’s support.

The workshop will run from 10am-5pm, with a 1-hour lunch break - you are welcome to bring a packed lunch, or to pop to the nearby Sainsbury’s, or a café on London Road. There will also be extra tea breaks throughout the day.

What you need to bring

Most materials will be provided, including oil paint, solvent, additional oil painting paper, palettes and palette knives. You will need to bring:

• A choice of photos of landscapes to work from (printouts are fine, but a tablet, iPad or phone is often preferable).
• A sketchbook
• An apron and appropriate clothing to be painting and to be outside for an hour or so: sunhats, sunscreen, waterproofs, depending on weather
• Paint brushes, a selection of widths including a ¾" flat/chisel brush, and a smaller flat/chisel brush
• 3-4 canvases, boards or pieces of oil paper between 9”x12” and 18”x24” in size, primed and prepared with a ground of a solvent-thinned coat of brown oil paint. Hester suggests a mixture of yellow ochre, burnt sienna and French ultramarine; aim for a warm soily/sandy colour.
• Rags or kitchen Roll

You will need to take your painting home with you at the end of the course, so please bear that in mind and bring a box or appropriate carrier – paintings can be left at the studio to dry. If you have any questions, please contact info@draw-brighton.co.uk

Getting to the studio

You may arrive at 9:45am onwards. Approach New England House from the New England Street side of the building and walk up to the locked blue double doors next to the sign for the ‘Building Manager’s Office’. Wait to be let in or call the number on the door for entry - the studio is on level 5, Unit 1 South, just knock and walk in. There is parking at London Road car park, Elder Place & Trafalgar St car parks; Brighton station is a 5 minute walk from the studio.

Discounts

The discounted rate is available for anybody on low income, students or Patreon supporters. Sign up to the Draw Patreon from just £3.60 per month to get access to the discount, online life drawing course, live online classes and personal feedback from our tutors. Whether you are a Patreon supporter or not, you can post your drawings on the Draw community Facebook group and you are welcome to tag us with @draw_brighton and #drawbrighton on Instagram.

Safety & accessibility

For the wellbeing of everybody at the class please don’t come to the class if you are ill with contagious symptoms. If you have any accessibility needs, please do let us know beforehand and we will do everything we can to make sure you can enjoy the life classes here. The building has a wheelchair ramp at the North side of the New England Street entrance and lifts up to level 5 with gender-neutral toilets & accessible toilets on floors 4 & 6 accessed by lift. Oil paints will be used at this session and we will be using odourless solvent (no turps) throughout the course - our air purifier and good ventilation help control fumes.

We keep the studio a safe environment by providing:

• Monitored ventilation (aiming for <900ppm CO2)
• Air purification with HEPA filters
• Sick pay for our freelance life models
• If you have covid, flu or bad cold symptoms we ask you not to attend - you will receive a refund as well as our appreciation!

Cancellations

Bookings are non-refundable. If you are unwell with a contagious illness you may not attend the class - you can request a refund here on Eventbrite and we can issue a full refund, minus Eventbrite's fees. If you are unable to attend, please do get in touch with us on info@draw-brighton.co.uk to discuss the options for transferring your place to another attendee.