Pleinair Painting in Inverness and Loch Ness

This course is open to: students of all skill/experience levels—from beginners to oil painting to those with atelier training.

In this 5 day course students will learn the technique and practice of painting directly from life outdoors—En Plein Air—in one of Scotland’s most famous and picturesque locations: Inverness, Loch Ness and the surrounding highlands.

In this 5-day workshop, Ayrshire Atelier’s co-founder Lee Craigmile, will take you to various epic locations around Inverness and Loch Ness in the north-east of Scotland. You will first learn how to scout for painting locations and what to consider in selecting both a stunning view and a practical location to paint from. He will then teach you alla prima painting technique: how to work up a painting in a single session, aiming immediately for direct colour-values as observed in nature. He will discuss how to approach colour, composition, proportion/drawing, and dealing with an ever-changing light effect due to whether and time of day.

    Lee will guide students through every step of the process, from how to organise their outdoor painting set-up to how to approach the painting process. Lee’s process is based on the academic method of landscape painting, which dates back to the 17th century and was employed by such artists as Corot, Constable and Sargent. 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.

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 the best):

Titanium White, Ivory Black, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow, Naples Yellow Light, Cerulean Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Red, 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

·      Masking tape

· 2x metal clamps

· Paper towels/kitchen roll

ACCOMMODATION and Travel details

Traveling to Inverness

For those traveling internationally: it would be best to fly into Inverness Airport. As it’s a very small airport, you may need to fly into London or Glasgow first, and get a flight from there. The airport is just a short taxi ride from the town centre. Alternatively, you could fly into either Glasgow or Edinburgh and then get the train up to Inverness.

For those traveling from the UK mainland, you could either:

-Drive yourself in your own car, which will also allow you to drive straight to each day’s painting location, rather than relying on public trasnport.

-Travel by train: there are frequent trains leaving daily from Glasgow and Edinburgh.

-Fly into Inverness airport.

Everyday Travel to Painting locations

Prior to the first day of the workshop you will receive 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 bus 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 fees and all public transport costs are not included in the tuition fee.

Accommodation in and Around Inverness

Inverness will be the home-base for the workshop, where we will meet up every morning before traveling to the day’s location. We could reccommend the following hotels:

Heathmount Hotel

River Ness Hotel

Blackfriars

Holiday Inn

Alternatively, there is a range of B&B’s to choose from, which can be booked via Airbnb.com or Booking.com

****Please book your accommodation as early as possible, as the workshop takes place during peak tourist season****

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. A large umbrella is also a good idea, if it’s possible to bring with you, as this can be attached to your field easel in the event of rain.

Food and Drink

Inverness has an array of shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs which will be suitable for breakfasts and dinners. However as we will be traveling to remote, scenic locations most days, we recommend that students bring lunch with them to eat on location. There are a range of stores close to the morning meeting point, which would be ideal for grabbing a portable lunch.