South of France Daily Itinerary
Monday. Learning to see and beginning your Sketch Journal
We’ll start by getting to know our sketch kit, aquarelle pencils and watercolours.
Our first sketch will be about learning to see. Begin to look at our first subjects shapes. Explanations given as we do this.
Plan our page and begin our sketch in your sketchbook.
Make colour swatches using aquarelle pencil and the 8 main colours we use.
Begin in the Studio and then outdoors Plein Air sketch of trees, foliage and background. Erin works along with you guiding and demonstrating as we go.
Tuesday. Getting loose with Colour.
First sketches of the morning in the Studio using skills we’ve learned so far and new ones step by step.
Erin does demo along with you
Use both Aquarelle Pencil and later Watercolour on our sketches and see the differences and similarities.
Plein air facing a building, or what I call ‘Flat Perspective’ and a simple streetscape.
Apply colour either on location or back in Studio.
Wednesday. Landscapes & Composition
Morning sketches to establish foreground and background and where is our focus.
On location, we will sketch a landscape and into the distance, using our new skills to observe shape and form. Learn to do thumbnail sketches before the main one.
Thursday. Putting people in your sketches
We’ll start the day with face and head proportions and learning the way bodies move.
Later we’ll look at ways to include figures in your sketches and other ways to bring your work to life.
Plein Air and sketch a cafe scene or similar and get people in a variety of poses.
Learn to keep white space to get dimension when adding colour.
Friday. Vignettes and the Sketch Journal
This morning we’ll sketch any of the interesting doorways, windows archways etc which we think represents what we see around us in a French village. What is typical here but not elsewhere?
We’ll concentrate on adding notes to complete the stories.
°Depending on weather, we will sketch in a number of locations which we’ll plan nearer the time.
°You’ll be fully guided throughout the week and all transport will be provided to sketch locations.
°We will start the day with coffee and a chat.
°Lunch will be about 12.30pm for 1/2 hour or so, to regain our energy. We’ll sketch until 3pm or so and then return home.