No sooner was I home from Fiji when I went to Sturt to teach my Winter School course. This was 5 fabulous days of a Masterclass with Advanced Techniques and lots of drawing and painting.
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| The North Wing of Sturt Winter School, where my classes are held. |
I couldn't have wished for more - a great class group, incredibly beautiful weather and the chance to catch up with other tutors. During their presentations they showed images of their work and spoke about their art practices. It makes me feel so humble. They are all truly inspirational!
This is also a very important part of the Winter School and a must for all students to go along and see what other art forms are out there.
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Just a few students (unfinished) work from the week.
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The Process
Working with botanical art is all about the process which consists of:
An accurate tonal master drawing
Accurate colour matches
A colour study painting various subject components
Transferring the drawing on to the watercolour paper
Beginning the final painting with initial washes. At this stage there is no guesswork. You understand the colours and the techniques.
Layering of washes is continued until the desired intensity of colour is done
Finish off with fine details
The week long course at Sturt is not about finishing the painting, it is about the correct processes for producing the absolute best work that you can. I was thrilled with the final results, and I know everyone in the class learned a lot, and were also surprised by the very high standard of work they achieved.
These are just some of the paintings produced. This student exhibition also includes a master drawing and a colour study.
