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