Doug Braithwaite three day plein air workshop in Huntsville
Utah.
Doug’s plan was
simple: he would teach and demo in the mornings and we would paint in the
afternoons. The day was 8 AM to 5:30 PM-
that’s a long day for a plein air workshop and indicated that he was going to be generous with his time. Fifteen
students - and his wife Jeanette there to organize and help out.
Right at the start the uniqueness of his approach was
apparent. Doug uses a plein air system that he designed and built. It is unique
and works well giving him a large glass mixing surface. He paints on heavy 5/8 MDF
panels and sits them on a back board board that allows him to use a T square
effectively as his maul stick. His panel is free to move and he is able to turn
the panel sideways or upside down to
make specific strokes easier. Really interesting
and functional set up.
glass mixing surface |
He uses a limited palette: titanium white, yellow ochre, cad
yellow medium, cad red light, aliz crimson, pthalo blue, ultramarine blue and
pthalo green. He begins by premixing his colours using careful observation relating
his colours to those he sees in nature for
his large shapes. Doug is a realist and
works hard to make his colours and values correct as he sees it.
Once his colours are
mixed he applies an underpainting of ultramarine blue and aliz crimson ( a deep
purple) and solvent loosely over the panel. He then used paper towels and QTips for pick out and applies heavier paint
for the darks. The plan takes shape. He
can get quite detailed using this pick out approach. On day three he built the
underpainting by drawing the plan and
then adding the darks (instead of pick out) with the purple underpainting.
Thin wash to begin |
back board allows the use of the t square very effectively as a maul stick |
Final stage pick out |
The second phase has him taking paint from each pre-mixed
pile and thinning with solvent ( he uses Turpenoid) and a bit of Liquin applying
onto each of his shapes so that the paint blends with the under painting giving
a colour direction for each shape but the overall value is darker and is “neutralized”
by mixing into the purple under painting.
Second phase thinned colour added to underpainting |
Testing colours |
Panel free to move for easier working |
In the third and final phase he uses the paint with a bit of
Liquin and layers it such that paint from the same premixed piles when applied
over the darker second phase the colours jump out visually leaving the correct colour and value he
wants.
Day two demo almost finished |
Day three demo almost finished |
What is really remarkable is Doug’s eye for colour and details and his incredible
patience developing his paintings from a
loose construct to the final detailed work. His brushstrokes convey so much information
and are cleanly applied with confidence. He could stop much earlier and have
achieved an excellent plein air piece but prefers to take the painting to a
complete statement of what he sees.
Doug is a good and patient instructor . He and Jeanette are generous
with their time and provided each student with samples of the brush cleaner he
used and each got a t square he makes
himself. At the end of the workshop they invited us back to view their new
Gallery and Dougs Studio – and a dish of Jeanettes peach cobbler.
Dougs large well organized studio |
I got to purchase this sweet little piece Rooftops 8x10 –
its full of the brushstrokes that I took the workshop to see so it’s like
taking home a notebook full of ideas.
Rooftops 8x10 - |
I have benefited from all of the many workshops I have taken but few have met my
expectations for learning as this one did. Very nice people working hard to
help others learn.