Painting with Simon Carter: Course breakdown and materials

Day One: Drawing from the window

You will start with choosing a subject for a painting from a window, beginning with quick disruptive drawing exercises. You will then move on to make A4 pencil and crayon drawings to discover what is in your view, and how it might begin to be used to make a painting. Moving on to charcoal drawings, you will begin to think about how you can start working from them to create a painting.

Day Two: Paint

You will be guided through the different materials that can be used, as the artist discusses what makes a good palette of colours, how to select brushes and how to mix paint. You will begin your painting and start to think about how to interpret your drawings, and how to choose colours.

Day Three: Making a painting

You will develop your painting further, and look at how to assess the painting as you go – making changes while keep things open and exciting – and learn how to know when a painting is finished.

Required Materials

For drawing:
• Supply of A3 drawing paper
• Graphite stick
• Charcoal
• Eraser
• Optional – crayons and chalk pastels

For painting:
• Selection of acrylic paint
• 3 or 4 different size brushes
• A palette or mixing bowls
• A1 or A2 sheets of heavy cartridge or watercolour paper (at least 225gms)

Suggested palette of colours:
Ultramarine, Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber and Titanium White, Cearulean Blue, Cadmium Red, Lemon Yellow and Burnt Sienna.