Color Expansion in Landscape with Lindsay Mueller
Short Class | Available
This painting course will explore landscape beyond the naturalistic representation of a place, encouraging students to use color in inventive and expressive ways. Working primarily from photographic references, students will begin with representational approaches to landscape painting and gradually develop more personal interpretations through experimentation with color, composition, and mark making.
Emphasis will be placed on using formal elements of painting as tools for communicating mood, atmosphere, and ideas. Through demonstrations, exercises, and discussions of contemporary artists, students will expand their understanding of how landscape can function as both observation and expression.
What you can expect:
- Build on knowledge and understanding of using oil paint.
- Work from photographic references to create landscape paintings.
- Explore inventive color mixing strategies.
- Create smaller iterations and a final painting that uniquely conveys your vision.
Your instructor has provided a list of materials required to participate fully in this class.
If you have any questions about specifics or what is needed week-to-week, please reach out to your instructor via the email in your confirmation letter.
Paint
Please get at least 37 ml tubes. I would recommend Windsor and Newton or Gamblin which make high quality paint. If you are looking for a more economical choice that is still relatively good quality, both of these brands offer student grade paint via Winton and Gamblin 1980 respectively.
Required Tubes
Ultramarine Blue
Cerulean Blue Hue
Dioxazine Purple
Viridian
Sap Green
Lemon Yellow
Cad Yellow Medium
Naples Yellow
Cad Red Light
Alizarin Crimson
Burnt Sienna
Titanium White
Optional/Recommended
Zinc White
Yellow Ochre
Quinacridone Magenta
Burnt Umber
Painting Surfaces
Students can work on the surface of their preference, but some recommendations below. Will need some quick small surfaces for the beginning (can use gessoed Watercolor paper) and some larger surfaces for the end of class (panel or canvas).
You will need:
Palette
You have the option of working on either a glass palette or using disposable paper palettes. Glass is better as you can scrape it easier because it’s a hard, stable surface, so I encourage choosing glass, but you can decide what works best for you. For a glass palette you can buy the materials below and we can assemble it in class.
Brushes & Knives
For oil painting it is best to use a firm brush, either with natural or synthetic bristles. It is good to have a variety of brush types and sizes. If selecting brushes individually, below is a good starting set of what to get. Long handle is preferred for oil painting.
Or you can look for packs that have a variety. Princeton usually has somewhat economical choices that are good quality. Some of their lines that are for oil painting are linked below. In general, I prefer to physically go to the store to purchase brushes so that I can feel how firm they are and see the size in person.
Also please buy a 3-inch house painting or chip brush for gesso (Home Depot)
Your palette knife will be used to mix paint and at times apply it in a precise way. You need at least one, but I’d encourage you to purchase 2-3 to experiment if possible. I would buy this from Blick (not Amazon) as I’ve found the amazon ones can be inflexible/easily broken.
Medium & Solvent
Gamsol for cleaning brushes (500 ml)
Jar to store Gamsol
Palette Cup for holding medium (or a tiny jar/lid that you already have)
Medium - can use a medium you already have and prefer such as Galkyd or Neo Megilp or you can purchase stand oil and we make medium. We can talk on day 1.
Other Supplies
Artists Tape – color doesn’t matter but 1” good
Brush Soap
Pencil/eraser/notebook for drafting ideas
1 roll paper towels
Saran wrap (good for saving paint on the palette, could be shared between students)
Apron or gloves (optional)
Overall, bring what supplies you already have and we can figure out how to make it work for this short course!
Lindsay Mueller
Learn about your instructor & more on our faculty page!