DESK EASEL
Students should not work horizontal on a table top. This puts a lot of strain on the neck and lower spine. My portable easel can be set up on any table. Most commercially made table easels are to light and unstable. Mine is made from an old school desk top so its a bit too heavy but using thinner board would fix that. It's very stable so you can lean against it. Thanks go to Gavin Keily - husband of a student, I've modified my design to extend the front of the easel below the lip of the table. This means that the whole easel can be made from lighter material and still be extremely stable.
Easel Alternative
I have also use a board propped up on the tool box I use for storing my panting supplies. Its not as stable and slips forward but its better than working flat.
A mat or rough cloth under the box and the board can help stop slipping.
I attach my canvas board, brushes, reference photos, film containers with liquin and oil and pallet to the support board with Blu-Tack. When working in water colour I mount the paper on board and this and the pallet is also attached to the easel. I find this a very efficient way to work. Stretching for the pallet might not seem important but try it several thousand times.
Note: The piece I am working on can be moved to a height and rotated to any angle for working comfort and convenient paint application.
Reference material:
A collection of images of your subject (or same species) and its environment (If part of the work). Slides (& viewer), photographs or images from books or magazines. This should include many angles & postures. Close ups of eyes, face, feet or other feature you wish to include in the work. High quality images make the work easier. Poor quality images are difficult if not impossible to work with. The better the reference photographs the better the result. Images that lack contrast, shadow, highlight details and accurate colour, too small to be able to see details or out of focus are impossible to work with on their own. Photocopies or home printed photos lack the depth and clarity of images from commercial processors. A collection of images of the same species is very helpful, different angles, close ups especially of eyes and other important features.
Unfortunately these images above don't accurately reflect the quality of the prints but try to imagine working with these
compared with the flat or blurred images below.
Working from an images that lack sparkle or intensity or of a bored creature will end up as a boring painting.
Workshop Medium: Oil
Participant Materials List:
Samples or photographs of your own work if available.
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HB pencil & sketch paper.
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10 A4 size sheets of watercolour paper. Pads are available.
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3 Large sheets of tracing paper.
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2 or 3 Canvas Boards: Not stretched canvas (Size approx. 500 X 400mm or your choice to suit work) Final surface must be very smooth. Most pre prepared canvas is too rough for detailed work. It is very important that the surface to be worked on is hot pressed paper or even photo copy paper smooth. Previous students who have purchased boards from alternative suppliers and either found them difficult if not impossible to achieve quality results. Suppliers below will post appropriate boards and will take phone orders. The supplied boards will require preparation as described below. This is best done prior to the workshop.
J & N Harrison
457 Mitcham Rd Mitcham, Victoria 3132
Bus: (3) 9873-1849 Bus Fax: (3) 9874-0445
Order 7-10 Days to pick up or post.
Canvas Board from:
Art Basics
916 Victoria Road West Ryde 2114
Sydney Australia
Tel 02 9807 2222 Fax 02 9809 6548
Please ensure that you ask for boards specified for Stephen Powell’s Wildlife Art workshop at Bathurst and if they have any doubts refer to Greg Malouf : Managing Director
- Gesso and brush (Foam)
- Fine sandpaper (#320 Grit)
- Round Brushes with a fine point. Size2 & 6 Pro art Series 23 or 523 Pure Sable or quality alternative. Synthetic or Taclon brushes are suitable. Specialist art supplies are best, poor quality brushes will not be suitable.
- A Size 5/0 or 1 Taclon Liner or Script brush
- Hogs bristle Flat (No2 & 10 or 12) and Filbert (6)
- For fur a ½ or ¾ Art Basics 117 Taklon Oval Comb brush is desirable.
- Clutch pencil .5 size. Refill with 8-9H or at least 6H leads as supplied leads are too soft. These may need to be ordered in as they are not in high demand.
- 2-3 A4 aprox sheets hot pressed water colour paper for water colour wash exercise. 1 Artline200 FINE 0.4 or Pilot Fineliner if you want to try before or I will supply.
- Workable Mat Fixative ( Recommend Micador: pastel – pencil type)
- Pallet knife is handy
- Large ruler for drawing up grids
- Glad wrap to cover pallet (slows paint drying).
- 2 X 35mm film containers if available good for keeping working quantity of Liquin and Linseed Oil
- ‘Liquin’ from Winsor & Newton small bottle only. Please don’t accept alternatives.
- Small quantity of Linseed Oil
- Turps (For washing brushes only)
- A mahl stick (Artists rest) is helpful for close work.
- Curved Blade scalpel handy not essential
- A Cloth
- Plain White dinner plate or large white tile for pallet. I use a piece of Melamine available from hardware stores. Must be white as assessing transparent colour on a dark pallet isn't possible.
Oil Paint:
Winsor & Newton or Art Spectrum or quality alternatives
White Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue, Cad Red, Alizarin, Cad Yellow, Lemon Yellow, Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Raw Sienna
Cobalt Blue Small tube as it is expensive, Jaune Brilliant* & Art Spectrum Australia Red Gold: Useful
Please note this is a basic collection. Colours required is determined by the subject the student chooses. Additional colours may be required especially for birds as some of their colours can’t be mixed from the above.
Oil Canvas Preparation:
Workshop requirements: 2 or 3 Canvas Boards: Not stretched canvas (Size approx. 500 X 400mm or your choice to suit work) Final surface must be very smooth. Most prepared canvas is too rough. It is very important that the surface to be worked on is hot pressed paper smooth. The recommended suppliers listed below.
Canvas Board 574 from: J & N Harrison 457 Mitcham Rd Mitcham, Victoria 3132
Bus: (3) 9873-1849 Bus Fax: (3) 9874-0445. Order 7-10 Days to pick up.
Canvas Board from: The Art Scene 916 Victoria Road West Ryde 2114 Sydney Australia
Tel 02 9807 2222 Fax 02 9809 6548
Please ensure that you ask for boards specified for Stephen Powell’s Wildlife Art workshop at Bathurst and if they have any doubts refer to Greg Malouf : Managing Director. The Art Scene is now stocking boards supplied by Harrison's.
Note: Since preparing the materials list I've had detailed discussions with Greg about brushes and I'm happy with the alternative sable brushes he supplies. This company had art supplies on site at Bathurst for the duration of the workshops but boards still need preparation. The Art Scene will not have materials available at WAGGA WAGGA but I'm told that there is a local
art store that supplies throughout the week.
Boards as supplied need 3-4 coats of Gesso to achieve a smooth surface. Gesso might need diluting before application. It should be thin enough that it flows smoothly of the brush. Apply gesso with wide foam brush in one direction only per coat. Change direction 90 degrees for each layer of gesso. (Dries quickly 6 coats can be achieved in one day). Lift off any lumps in the gesso. Sand lightly between coats (320 grit sandpaper) on a sanding block. Opposite direction to last layer of gesso. Do not sand after last coat.
Workshop Watercolour
- HB & 2H pencil & sketch paper.
- 3 Large sheets of tracing paper.
- Gum eraser
- Quality sharpener & safety blade.
- Cartridge paper or sketch pad.
- 20 sheets of photo copy – printer paper for clean masking.
- 4 sheets of Tracing paper approximately 300 – 400mm
- Masking Fluid – Frisket
- Water colour palette (Aprox : 250 X 150mm ) A plain white ceramic plate would be fine.
- 2 Water containers.
- Rubber cement pick up. Masking fluid remover.
- Arches: 200-300 gm 100% Cotton rag. Quality water colour paper pad or 2 full sheets. Hot pressed – very smooth. Not textured paper. Enough for5 pieces.
- HB & 2H pencil & safety blade
- 2-3 A4 aprox sheets hot pressed water colour paper for water colour wash exercise. 1 Artline200 FINE 0.4 or Pilot Fineliner if you want to try before or I will supply.
- Smooth drawing board to tape paper to. (Ply wood - 5 ply. Size is dependent on work size but 800 X 600mm or smaller as a guide.) Something to support the board at an angle. See workshops link on my website – select DESK EASEL link.
- Gum tape
- Tissues or roll of toilet paper.
- Round Brushes with a fine point. Size2 & 6 Pro art Series 23 or 523 Pure Sable or quality alternative. Synthetic or Taclon brushes are suitable. Specialist art supplies are best, poor quality brushes will not be suitable.
- A Size 5/0 or 1 Taclon Liner or Script brush
- For fur a ½ or ¾ Art Basics 117 Taklon Oval Comb brush is desirable. Available through Art Basics online or phone.
- Artist - High quality Watercolour Paint: Windsor & Newton, Rembrandt or similar. Tubes or pans. The list below will cover most situations but the colours of some birds may not be covered. See retailer for specific colour requirements.
- Ultramarine Blue
- Cerulean Blue
- Cad Red
- Alizarin
- Cad Yellow
- Lemon Yellow
- Raw Umber
- Burnt Umber
- Raw Sienna
- White
- A pot of Luma - Bleed Proof White if you can get it: Expensive & not essential.