Service Description

Van Gogh's mid- and late-period work is instantly recognisable: bold, energetic brushstrokes, high-contrast colour, and thick, tactile paint surfaces. In his final years especially, he painted with extraordinary confidence and economy, often building an entire form from a handful of decisive, unblended strokes. Studying how he did this is one of the fastest ways to loosen your own painting, build confidence with the brush, and use colour boldly. That's exactly what we'll be doing in this workshop. Morning: observation and technique. We'll begin by closely studying selected details from Van Gogh's paintings, using focused practical exercises to get to grips with his mark-making. You'll explore how he used the brush like a drawing tool, building form and movement through direction, pressure, and stroke. We'll also look at his colour relationships: how he set complementary colours (e.g. blue against orange, or yellow against violet) side by side to create vibrance and push depth without relying on tone alone. Afternoon: apply it to your own subject Once you've got the technique under your belt, you'll take it into a piece of your own. Choose portrait, still life, landscape, or even abstract work. You'll work with hog-hair or synthetic brushes, or even a palette knife, and build a palette inspired by Van Gogh's own colour choices. By the end of the day, you'll have a finished or near-finished piece, and more importantly, a set of techniques you can carry into your own practice going forward. Some of what you'll learn: * Drawing directly with the brush * Building confident, economical mark-making * Reading and using colour relationships and complementary contrast * Working with textured, expressive paint application * Applying all of the above to a subject of your own choosing Materials. We provide: easels, painting rags, palettes. Please bring: 1. Hog hair brushes (none of your own? You're welcome to borrow ours if you want to try) OR synthetic hair brushes. 2. A painting surface: canvas paper, canvas panel/board or canvas, whichever you prefer. 3. Paints: traditional or water-mixable oils, and/or acrylics 4. A palette knife (or borrow ours) 5. Your own reference image to work from (or use a mirror if you are going for a self-portrait) 5 students only, so you get tuition and feedback genuinely tailored to your level and your work, not generic pointers lost in a crowded room. All levels welcome.