in-studio

Still Life and the Language of Paint

instructor: bobbi dunlop

Please click here to read a more detailed one-page overview of Bobbi Dunlop’s course!

  • PAINT: Please buy professional grade paint when possible. Note: Acrylic Painters - names of colours may vary, please use approximate colours. Colours with * are optional but most likely will be on my palette for the demonstration.

    • Titanium-Zinc White/Gamblin Flake White Replacement, Naples Yellow*, Yellow Ochre, Cad Yellow Light, Cad Lemon*, Cad Yellow Deep, Cad Red Medium or Light, Venetian Red*, Alizarin Crimson, Cad Orange*, Pthalo Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna/Transparent Oxide Red, Ivory Black*. Floral Colours if painting flowers.

    • Note: if you have been enjoying a particular palette, please bring it along.

    • BURNT UMBER IS THE COLOUR I USE TO MASS-IN AND TONE MY PAINTING SURFACES.

  • BRUSHES: I’ll be using the following brushes for oils and would like to see everyone using hogs bristles as paint application is a big focus in the workshop.. It’s good to have a couple of each.

    • #2 Filbert, Hog Bristle (this is approx 1/4 inch wide)

    • #4 Filbert, Hog Bristle (this is approx 3/4 inch wide)

    • Acrylic Painters: stiffer synthetic bristle for acrylic paints in the same size. Bring an assortment of brushes. Flats or filberts, whichever is your preference.

  • PALETTE KNIFE - Trowel Shape, Metal, about the size of your thumb (3 inches long). We’ll be using the palette knife to paint with so not the teeny tiny ones and no plastic knives.

  • PALETTE: for oils, a glass palette or wooden palette is best providing the wooden one has been treated with oil prior to the workshop (several times). Otherwise large paper palette is fine.

    • Acrylic painters: PLEASE use a large ‘stay-wet’ palette for ease of painting in this workshop.

  • MEDIUMS: Odorless Mineral Spirits (oil painters) - 2 covered lidded containers/cups: 1) smaller for use in painting medium and toning canvases (optional) and 2) a second larger quantity one in a lidded container for cleaning your brushes.

    • Medium: Oil Painters: mix a medium of 1) 1/2 and 1/2 linseed oil + OMS in a small cup for painting 2) and another cup, straight oil or whatever other medium you are accustomed to working with such as Liquin, megilp, etc.

    • Acrylic Painters: whatever mediums, extenders you prefer. Extenders are useful for massing in

  • CANVAS: For both oil and acrylic painters: Stretched canvas or gessoed panels, or canvas on panels. Please no cheap wobbly canvases. Sizes:

    • 4-6 - 8x10 or 6x6, etc. for the small studies, exercises

    • 1 - 12X16 (not bigger) WE WILL BE PAINTING LIFE SIZE OR SMALLER. We will tone the canvas at the workshop with burnt umber/ultramarine blue and OMS.

  • STILL LIFE OBJECTS TO BRING (please read carefully): Give this lots of thought! Artists will bring their own personal objects for their still-life paintings. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE SMALLER VASE (FOR EXAMPLE) TO BUILD A STILL LIFE AROUND? IS THERE A COLOUR COMBINATION THAT YOU FEEL YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE?

    • IDEAS FOR YOUR SMALL STUDIES: Fruit: for sure bring a bunch of purple grapes, orange, peaches, lemon, apple, cantaloupe, plums, etc. Think: lovely colour; lovely shape, lovely accent, complements.

    • For your small still life: You might decide to cut the fruit up and/or if you want multiple of the fruit in your painting, bring odd numbers, (3). Think of colour ideas, complements with your main subject.

    • Again, think of colour theme with several options. Bring SMALLER OBJECTS as this workshop is about painting studies, not full size still life compositions.

    • YOU WILL BE PAINTING LIFE SIZE OR SMALLER so take this into consideration/canvas size.

    • Feel free to bring an artificial flower or two if you like.

  • VASES: A smaller vase or vessel/jar, statue, bowl, etc. Could be glass, ceramic, brass, silver, etc.

  • DRAPERY: Bring a cloth/drape to drape in your backdrop of your still life. Think light against dark or dark against light when you’re gathering your objects - nothing to upstage your beautiful subject for the backdrop.

    • If your vase is: light, think darker background. If it’s a dark vase, think a middle value or lighter value ... or dark against dark (mysterious), or even light against light. Does your vase have a pattern - what would complement it. This is your personal visual idea. Bring a second cloth if you’d like a cloth on your table top (could be white or even a tea towel).

  • PAPER TOWELS: Bring a roll, you’ll use lots, apron, gloves, plastic wrap or wax paper to cover your palette for take home.

  • CAMERA: to photograph your still life (to complete at home if necessary ) and to photograph the demo), water, note pad & pencil - to take notes.

  • LUNCH: Bring snacks and lunch for our lunch break - there are restaurants nearby

AND MOST IMPORTANT - your patience and sense of humour! Painting is hard work - we need to be gentle with ourselves!