IMPRESSIONIST LANDSCAPES WORKSHOP

Spring has well and truly arrived at Micklem’s Farm in Berkshire - we couldn’t have picked a better day yesterday to be capturing light and painting landscapes in the style of ‘The Impressionists’. Lunch in the garden, free flowing tea and coffee, and a lovely group of students up for the challenge of painting a canal boat scene in either acrylics or oils.

Check out the window of the studio space in more detail - there’s an impressionist painting right there!! - no filters!

Starting with a chat, slides to discuss the work of ‘The Impressionists’ and an approach to painting in their style…we began with an underpainting to establish tones. The emphasis was on creating a visual impression of a scene rather than a precise, detailed representation of it. Using short, "broken" brush strokes of colour that were not blended smoothly or shaded. These small marks were to take precedence over lines and contours, to achieve an effect of intense colour vibration. 

Above - underpaintings and the first bits of colour…

Finished results below…I do love to see how everyone has their own take on the same scene, and I’m keen to encourage students to approach the painting in a way that suits them. Often as a learner painter you wonder if you will ever develop your own ‘style’…but when you see how different all the images are below - you realise that you already have one!

Micklem’s Farm have an amazing variety of classes and one-day workshops on offer- see their website for details… they also do ‘pick your own flowers’ and cream teas in the garden in the summer :)

My examples below…

Reference Image, Hockley Heath Canal Path

Impressionist style, Lucy Burton

Pointillist style, Lucy Burton