About the Workshop

Artists of all levels will find this one of the most important workshops they've ever attended: John Seery-Lester is internationally renowned as a painter and instructor: The focus of the class is on what YOU want and need to learn. There are specific subjects  addressed during the course of the week, but the emphasis is on individual needs. John will conduct a critique of everyone’s work.  He will look at all three images and critique each one.  It is important that everyone take part in the critiques because you will learn from each other’s work.  Only digital images and original paintings will be formally critiqued since photographs are difficult to show to the entire group.

John will be talking about and demonstrating his views on design and composition working in the field, and painting techniques for such elements as fur, water, snow, grass, etc.  John will demonstrate the importance of atmospheric perspective.During the course of the week, you will also benefit from Suzie Seery-Lester's instruction in the business of being an artist. Suzie is the author of "My Painting's Done, Now What do I do?"

Composition and Design
The difference between an average and an exceptional painting is created through design and composition.  The design is singularly the most crucial factor in a painting.  It is so important that this is considered first before putting brush to canvas.  Good design can take many forms, but it should always be interesting and dramatic.  When painting wildlife, the most important factor is placement of the main subject.  The viewer’s eye should be able to travel through the painting to where you the artist, want the viewer to focus.  A bad example of design is placing the main subject in the center of the painting- by doing this, the viewer’s eye rests in the center and doesn’t flow throughout the piece.

Contrast
Contrast is most important in creating depth, drama or distance. Contrast is the interaction of dark against light, cool color against warm color or complimentary colors, I.e., red against green or blue.  The contrast appears greater as it comes nearer to the viewer and is lessened with distance.  Clever use of light against dark can direct a viewer’s eye in a painting to where you desire.

Form
Think in terms of form and not line.  Form is the most fundamental of all the art elements. We experience form in our earliest stages of awareness, such as round and square. In another aspect, we know form as space, or negative space. Texture and color are the surface attributes of form.  The form of a subject and it’s surroundings should always be established at the beginning of a painting.

Use of Light
The importance of light will also be discussed.  John will explain by means of demonstration how light works on different objects, the principals of reflected light, and how it bounces back from nearby surfaces.  You will see how this clarifies the shadowed portions of a form and why understanding cast shadows is so important.

Diminishing Size
As objects recede into the distance, they appear smaller. An example would be a row of fence posts going away from the viewer into the distance.  While all of the posts are actually the same size, the post in the distance will seem much smaller than the post in the foreground.  This, coupled, with the dark values in the foreground, light values on the posts in the background, softer edges on the posts in the background, and sharper edges on the posts in the foreground, as well as warmer colors in the foreground and cooler colors in the background, all create the illusion of distance.

Value
Value is the quality of relative darkness or lightness (the lightness or darkness of a hue, it’s approximation to white, black or one of the intermediary grays). Value is the degree of lightness or darkness of the shadow area of an object or element in a painting. As a general rule, the closer an object is to the viewer, the darker the shadow, the more distant, the lighter. The value becomes lighter due to water molecules in the air. The more distance between objects and the viewer, the more air, thus the more water molecules.  This diffuses the values and makes it lighter or darker. This is also known as atmospheric perspective.  We relate light and dark to day and night and sunshine and shadow.  White under brilliant illumination is the lightest possible value; black in shadow is the darkest.  Three-dimensional forms become apparent throughout the play of light and shadow, represented by shading.   Contrasts convey dramatic power; they draw attention to the areas of importance.  Highlights are the lightest value present on the surface of an illuminated form.

Perspective
Perspective is the overlapping of forms, diminishing sizes and layered space.  In perspective, objects appear to diminish in size as they recede into the distance. With traditional perspective, sets of parallel lines converge to a vanishing point. This point where parallel lines converge in the distance is considered the horizon line.  By overlapping objects or planes, an artist can create the illusion of depth.   One object is in front of another appears to be closer than the object behind it.  An example of overlapping planes would be a scene with hills or mountains overlapping one another as they recede into the distance.   Another example of this would be when two parallel lines or planes recede into the distance; they appear to get closer together.  A simple example would be to stand on a railroad track and observe the rails as they go into the distance.  They appear together on the horizon.  The different planes of all objects are treated this way. For example; If we paint an animal lying down with it’s head in the foreground, it’s body will taper away as it recedes into the distance – this is called foreshortening.  A rock or fallen tree would receive the same treatment.

Painting Elements
You will learn how to paint fur for different animals. It is also important to know the anatomy of the animal, including the muscle structure and how that is painted. You will learn which way the fur grows on different parts of the body, and on different animals.  John will teach you to paint feathers, and instruct on the proper number of feathers and the structures of the birds. You will learn how to paint natural elements, such a water, running water, snow, grass, ground cover, and of course mist and fog.