Pleinair Painting in Loch Lomond

In this 5 day course students will learn the technique and practice of painting directly from life outdoors—En Plein Air—in Scotland’s very iconic and romantic region of bonnie Loch Lomond.

       GAFA co-founder, Lee Craigmile, will guide students through a selection of the many visually stunning vistas to be found in the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park; the workshop will start off on the south end of the Loch and work it’s way North, including painting locations in Duck Bay, the historic village of Luss, the beautiful Isle of Inchmurrin, and the quaint hamlet of Ardlui. Lee will teach students every step of his pleinair painting process; he will show you how to organise yout outdoor painting set-up and then demonstrate his own approach to the painting process on location. Lee’s process is based on the academic method of landscape painting, which dates back to the 17th century and was originally employed by such artists as Corot, Constable and Turner.

In this course students will use sight-size technique to approach the landscape from a visual perspective, whilst also emphasising value-relationships and the handling of a limited palette of colours. Students will receive instruction in the form of a group lecture and demonstration at the beginning of each day, and then through individually tailored critiques thereafter.

Class will meet at a pre-arranged location each morning, which will be clearly outlined in the week’s itinerary including any special transportation methods such as buses and ferries. Students must arrange for their own travel to and from Loch Lomond, along with their accommodation in Loch Lomond (or nearby). You can find out more about travel and accommodation in the designated sections below.

During this course, you will gain an understanding of the following key concepts:

-How to organise an outdoor painting setup

- How to make observations directly from nature using sight-size technique

-Alla prima painting technique

-How to break down a complex scene into a simple series of colour-values

-How to create a successful, dynamic composition 

Materials List

Most materials can be purchased on either Jacksonsart.com or Cassart.co.uk unless stated otherwise, and we have provided links in gold lettering the the specific products/ranges.

Materials:

·      Metal tri-pod field easel:

I would recommend the Loxley Devon Metal Sketching Easel available at: www.artdiscount.co.uk

·      1x Metal palette cup with lid OR small glass jar with lid

·      Cold pressed linseed oil

Chelsea Classical Studios is the best

·      1x Palette Knife

· Palette box

To go with metal tri-pod easel. You can purchase one HERE

·      Panels:

Jacksons’ handmade boards

OR

Raymar Panels L64C

I recommend students buy two 20 x 30 cm. panels, three 24 x 30cm. panels, and one 30 x 40cm. for their pleinair studies.

· Oil Paints:

(Michael Harding is recommended, unless stated otherwise):

Titanium White

Ivory Black

Yellow Ochre

Naples Yellow Light (if you cannot get this pigment, then cadmium yellow light is an alternative, though it will perform VERY differently)

Cerulean Blue

Ultramarine Blue

Vermillion Extra (Old Holland)

Raw Umber

·      Odourless Mineral Spirits:

Gamsol odourless mineral spirit 500ml

***For those traveling by plane to the UK, Gamsol will be provided for you as you***

·      Brushes:

Hog hair filbert sizes 1,2,4,6,8. Ideally, two of each.

Sable round size 2. (www.cornelissen.com or www.rosemaryandco.com)

·      Brush case

·      Brush cleaning tin with air-tight lid

· Brush soap

·      Masking tape

· Paper towels/kitchen roll

ACCOMMODATION and Travel details

Accommodation in Loch Lomond.

Loch Lomond is a region with numerous options for accommodation, given that it’s a hub for international tourism. We will be traveling to locations all across the Loch, so there is not one single location which will be most convenient for every single painting spot. However, we recommend booking accommodation on the west bank of the Loch, as anywhere on the east bank will require significantly longer travel times to get to our painting locations.

We recommend starting with the following options (listed roughly in descending order of price):

Cameron House Hotel

Duck Bay Hotel

Lodge on Loch Lomond

The Inn on Loch Lomond

Cameron Club Lodges

Tarbet Hotel

Or for accommodation on a tighter budget please search for ‘Loch Lomond’ on Airbnb.com

Traveling to Loch Lomond

By Bus: Perhaps the most convenient way to travel to your accomodation on Loch Lomond will be from Glasgow, by bus. There are buses every hour that go from Buchanan Bus Station to Loch Lomond, stopping at various points along the way. Once you book your accomodation, please check their website to find out which way is most convenient to get to their location. Bus tickets can be purchased at the station on the day of travel.

By Train: There are trains from Glasgow Queen Street Station to Loch Lomond every day which take between 45 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes, depending on your exact destination. You can get the train the Balloch (located at the southern end of the Loch) and then get a taxi to your exact destination. Or, you can get the train to Fort William or Oban and get off at either Tarbet or Ardlui, depending on where your accomodation is. Once again, we reccomend checking with your accomodation to find out which ways they reccomend to get to their location. Train tickets can be purchased in advance online at www.scotrail.com , or at the station on the day of travel.

Everyday Travel to Painting locations

Prior to the first day of the workshop you will recieve a detailed itinerary via email, which will outline the painting locations for each day of the workshop. The itinerary will explain how to get to each location via public transport in detail. Please bear in mind that most painting locations will require either a bus or taxi ride and then some moderate hiking in order to get to. Feel free to send us an email if you have concerns about the hiking and whether this workshop will be suited to your needs. Bus/taxi fees and all public transport costs are not included in the tuition fee.

Packing

As the weather in Scotland is highly unpredictable, and can be very chilly and wet even in the summer, we recommend that you pack for your trip as if you were camping. You will want to dress in layers to prepare for any weather, and be sure to bring good, sturdy walking shoes/hiking boots and a waterproof jacket with a hood.

Food and Drink

Many of the towns dotted across Loch Lomond have shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs. Some days we may all decide to break for lunch and go to a restaurant or cafe, but we would still suggest that you go shopping at one of the local shops before the start of each day, so you can pack snacks and water for your time at the various painting locations.