Pastel Workshop of Seascapes - student works

I love a new workshop, and this one was created because someone asked for it. We worked over two days and everyone produced two artworks each day, which is very good going. Lots of elbow grease! 

Karen's

The results were incredible atmospheric and dramatic. 

Some were from my photographs (below is at the beach in Lahinch, County Clare, on a dark and grey July day) and another of a sunset over Belfast Lough.  The calmest reference photo was looking out at a jetty at Lake Garda (see Christine's artwork, below).

Karen's

Linda's

Christine's

Christine, herself! 

Siobhan's - soft and lovely

Below - Karen came back a couple of weeks later to finish off this seascape. I think it's magnificent!

For info on workshops and terms classes, email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk 

Botanical workshop, pen and watercolour, Summer 2023

This two day workshop was a gorgeous flower-fest of summer colour. The best fun was working out composition - how would we compose our page to not only get lots of drawing studies on there, but also to entertain the viewer and lead the eye around the page. 

We did this by working out several possible combinations before going on to watercolour paper, going straight to pen for the 'thumbnails'. In the photos below, all the pen drawings on the left-side are the compositional designs. This 'working out' time pays off by getting the brain into Planning mode, and postponing the 'jump in' factor! 

My demo sheet

Each plant had its own attractions as well as difficulties.

The Sea Holly has beautiful architectural spikes with complex clusters of seeds in the middle. 

The Sunflower has the density of petals and thousands of dark seeds in the centre... 

Heather examining the subject

Clodagh's lovely studies 

This was Clodagh's first ever class, and she did a lovely page of studies. 

Stokesia Laevis 'Klaus Jelitto'

 But the most tricky of all was the magnificently blue Stokesia (or Stoke's Aster). I bought it from a farmers market in lovely Dungarvan in July. The tricky part was deciding on the colour. This is where Nature wins every time! 

For info on classes email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk 

Portrait in oils, workshop summer 2023

I love this workshop! We started by drawing several small face studies, to warm up and familiarise ourselves with proportion and in working generally (as opposed to specifically). This is counter intuitive as we LOVE detail, and are overly desperate to add eye lashes etc. So it is quite a task to let go of those expectations, but once we do, the path towards painting in oils becomes more manageable. 

Ruth at the easel

We worked through a series of small studies, with allows students to build up confidence through repetition and small successes. 

Rishona working on her colour study

Below is a drawing board packed with lots of examples of the process. It's amazing how much of a likeness you can get to your sitter, even by just painting them as an egg! 

Several examples of the oils process, Julie Douglas

Of course, there are many ways to approach an oil portrait, and in just four days we aren't going to do all of them, so I chose a couple of methods and we worked through those. 

Some of my oil demos from throughout the workshop

B&W tonal study

colour study

Small colour study start to finish

 

the two thumbnail colour studies - both tiny, both about 15 minutes each to complete

For me, quantity was the key. We drew each morning, then did mixing practice, then small black and white and then colour studies. Students worked very hard, and I wish I had more photos of their work to show you here! Below are two students work. 

Rishona's colour studies 

Suzanne's artworks from the four days. A terrific amount of work and lovely studies.

September sees the start of the Autumn term with weekly classes offered in mornings and evenings. If you would like to attend a regular class, get in touch.

julie@juliedouglas.co.uk

Summer workshops 2023 with Julie Douglas

Lovely workshops with Julie Douglas Summer 2023
If you would like to immerse yourself in creative learning, there are a few workshops on offer this summer in the BARA studio. With sessions running from two  to five days, these courses allow you the time and space to learn intensively and push your skills to a new level. Workshops include 'drawing the portrait' (info at the following link, which takes you to a full description and dates) 

http://juliedouglasdrawingpaintinglearning.blogspot.com/2023/04/portrait-drawing-workshop-with-julie.html

and another workshop 'painting the portrait in oils' (info on the link below, which takes you to a full description and dates)

http://juliedouglasdrawingpaintinglearning.blogspot.com/2023/04/portrait-painting-oils-workshop-with.html

 Also on offer - pastel seascapes, kids class and a 'clinic for all your unfinished paintings!'

Dates are not set in stone so if you want to attend something and the dates don't suit, please do get in touch. 

Sat 15 July - kids drawing class £30

July 17 - 21st Portrait drawing £500

July 24th - 28th Portrait in oils £500

July 31 - Aug 1st - pen and watercolour botanicals £200

Aug 2nd - 3rd Pastel seascapes £200

Aug 17 - 18th ‘painting clinic for all your unfinished paintings’. £200

Aug 21 - 24 - Portrait drawing £400

For info please email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk 
Classes are in the studio in Comber. 

Portrait drawing workshop with Julie Douglas, 2023

 

There are many facets to drawing portraits, from capturing the 3-dimensionality of the head, to proportion, creating atmosphere and understanding how to guide the eye of the viewer. This workshop will help you create something which looks alive and dynamic, to capture gesture and movement, creating a believable likeness and an empathetic rendering of the face.

             

Over 5 days we will look at the head from all angles, helping you to understand the shape through tones and shadows, using pencil. We will look at the form of the head as well as the individual features, working through a series of projects until we reach a full portrait study. We work using many exercises, rather than just one and mostly from photographic reference. 

We will use a variety of visual aids, become familiar with the order of work, and make great efforts to move away from our preconceptions of how to produce a portrait. The workshop is designed to create a relaxed, informative and focused working environment for all skill levels. 

In other words, we will retrain your eye so you ‘see’ freshly, and create new understanding with positive and successful results! This workshops is backed up by several demonstration videos which you can watch over and again at home. They include an extensive explanation of comparative measuring, which is important to grasp. 

With lots of thorough demonstrations and time given to each individual student, your portrait drawings will improve and you have many opportunities to ask questions. Julie has written and e-book of illustrated notes to accompany this workshop. 

Dates - July 17th - 21st  and also  August 21st - 25th

Cost £450.00. Materials list provided upon booking. Spaces are limited to a maximum of 8 students.  For more information please email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk 

If you would like to do this workshop but are unable to do these dates please get in touch. 

Julie Douglas is an award winning artist with 30 years teaching experience under her belt, both at home and abroad. She is respected for her ability to bring out the best in students in a friendly and positive way. 

She published a large drawing and painting manual in 2017 which is fully illustrated using her own and her students artworks, and is currently writing two more books, one on portrait drawing and the other on oil portraits. She teaches weekly drawing and painting classes from her studio as well as longer workshops. 

Portrait Painting (oils) workshop with Julie Douglas 2023

This five day workshop guides you through the process involved in painting the portrait. We will look at the structure of the head, and do several studies in colour as well as black and white. 

We will practice colour mixing to give you confidence as well as some small colour studies. We will use different models, from photographic reference. From learning how to get the right proportions, to blocking-in and building up in layers, to working alla prima. 

There will be lots of demonstrations with individual guidance and feedback throughout. 

The workshop is designed to create a relaxed, informative and focused working environment for all skill levels. The core of the lesson will be based on drawing, values, edges, composition and creating life-like skin tone colour. 

Colour study

Colour study (left) and work in progress

Above - drawing study and colour study

Dates - July 24th - 28th  and August 21st - 24th

If you would like to do this workshop but are unable to do these dates please get in touch. It is suitable for all levels of experience due to the nature of the exercises. 

Cost £450.00. Materials list provided upon booking. Spaces are limited to a maximum of 8 students.  For more information please email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk 

Julie Douglas is an award winning artist with 30 years teaching experience under her belt, both at home and abroad. She is respected for her ability to bring out the best in students in a friendly and positive way. 

She published a large drawing and painting manual in 2017 which is fully illustrated using her own and her students artworks, and is currently writing two more books, one on portrait drawing and the other on oil portraits. She teaches weekly drawing and painting classes from her studio as well as longer workshops. 

White flowers - lines and gladioli, chalks and oils, students artworks

At the moment, I am using colour as the theme for my oil painting classes, and recently the choice was...WHITE. I decided to have white flowers as reference, and headed to Ikea to pick up some lilies, though I was seriously diverted by the gladioli, so bought some of those too. They look rather tremendous at the bottom of my stairs! 

Jug of fakes!

I wouldn't usually go for fake flowers, but as I wanted students to work from life, this was a good solution as they wouldn't wilt (the flowers, not the students!).

The lovely finished painting by Julie B

I started by clamping each stem to the boards on the easels, then moved the lamps around to create as much light and shade as possible. I wanted to have plenty of variation, with only a limited amount of unshaded white. This meant that everyone had lots of opportunity to paint a multitude of different 'whites'. 

 

Charcoal study and finished painting by Ruth T

 

For the first session, all students did a tonal study in grey and white compressed charcoal, on tinted card (apart from Sara, who did a lovely colour pencil artwork instead).  

Gorgeous coloured pencil on tinted card, by Sara C

Doing a preliminary study gives us the space to understand the subject, in the manner of solving a puzzle, and helps iron out some of the tricky pitfalls, without the added difficulties of dealing in colour. 

A delicious pastel tonal study by LM

Students had up to three further sessions to complete an oil study of their flower. 

A-M's home set-up showing the lily clamped to her board on the right, with the underpainting on the left. 

Lovely pastel tonal study by Bronagh B

Dramatic tonal study by PC

Look at the difference a strong background colour makes to the perceived value of the white petals. Lovely painting by Marie P

The most dramatic paintings were the ones which had a strong background. This meant that the different tones and shades within the petals looked subtle and pale - when the background was also pale, the petals risked looking overly colourful. Great work, with excellent amounts of suffering in the name of art!! 

For info on workshops please email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk 

Julie's studio is above the pop-up shop in lovely Comber - 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Julie+Douglas+Art+Courses,+Belfast+Academy+of+Realist+Art/@54.5504618,-5.7486225,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x48610b29599d173d:0x3095b2d4c8c4e7c1!8m2!3d54.5504587!4d-5.7460422!16s%2Fg%2F11f5q8zld9