Pastel Painting - Porthmeor Seascapes
Painting / Pastel / Seascapes - Materials included
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Drawing inspiration from the awe-inspiring St Ives coastline, dive into pastel painting and discover unique techniques that are possible when painting with soft pastels.
Join practising artist, Nina Squire, as she demonstrates how she uses soft pastels in a painterly way. Learn both traditional and contemporary approaches to pastel painting; how to create texture and how to layer colours to create your own dynamic seascapes.
During this 3-day journey, Nina will guide you through a variety of approaches to enhance your technical skills as well as nurture your creativity and individual expression. You will follow her hands-on process, creating paintings from blank paper to finished artwork, enabling you to delve into the distinctive characteristics of these pigments.
Nina’s approach to teaching encourages students to express themselves through an artistic process and she will help discover what works best for you as an individual. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned artist, her personal tutelage will encourage you to find new ways of working with soft pastels, loosen your technique and extend your creative range.
You will be presented with your very own bespoke set of 16 handmade Unison Colour pastels that have been especially curated for the workshop by Nina, only available to St Ives School of Painting. These pastels are often described as ‘smooth as butter’ and are highly pigmented for the deepest colouration. Made, labelled and packed completely by hand, they will be yours to keep after the workshop.
artwork and photo credits © Nina Squire 2023
Day to day plan
This is a rough indication of what to expect over the course. However sometimes the structure of the days may alter depending on the nature of the group and weather.
Day 1
The course will begin with introductions at the studio overlooking Porthmeor Beach before venturing out to the St Ives coastline to capture a rich array of visual elements using line and tone.
In the afternoon, you’ll return to the studio to refine and expand upon the visual inspirations, crafting more thoughtful works of art with tone and mark making.
Day 2
On day two you will venture to a different nearby location to sit and sketch the coastal views. Here, Nina will encourage you to revisit the techniques explored on Day One and build on these by creating colour studies (weather permitting), before heading back to the studio for the afternoon session.
Day 3
Using reference material, colour studies and artwork completed over the first two days and your developed skills, consolidate your learning through a completed artwork.
What will I learn?
- Develop and understand your own artistic process.
- Tips to avoid and move through the creative blocks.
- How to enhance your technical skills using pigments.
- How to create texture with pastels.
- How to layer and mix colours with pastels.
Who would this course suit?
Nina’s hands-on approach and real-world experience as a practicing artist makes her an invaluable mentor for those seeking to discover their unique artistic voice and a personalised creative process in a supportive, friendly and encouraging environment.
Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned artist, the skills and techniques covered will enhance your understanding and inspire exploration of soft pastels and creative approaches.
Taught by
What to Bring
Our studios are fully equipped and we provide you with all the materials you need for your course. However, if you have a favourite set of brushes or any specialist materials that you would prefer to use, please bring them with you.
Timings and Breaks
The first day starts at 10am and finishes at 4.30pm, please aim to arrive ten to fifteen minutes before the start time.
All course days after that start at 9.30am and finish at 3.30 on Sunday after a short lunch break to try an enable people to get home that day.
There are plenty of nearby places to eat and we will serve tea and coffee at break times during the day.
FAQs
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