ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP

Join Artist Dave West for an intensive 4-day workshop drawing and painting the magnificent Russborough House in County Wicklow.

From our studio within the grounds of Russborough there will be a combination of studio-based and plein-air work, each day focusing on a different aspect including the outbuildings, farm sheds, the landscape, and both the exterior and the interior of the stately home. You will have the opportunity to carry out some guided interior sketches throughout the house during a private visit followed by a house tour looking at some of the Beit family’s collection of paintings.

Each day will begin with a demonstration by Dave followed by a short period of preparatory studies in charcoal and paint. You will then have the afternoon to work in Paint or Charcoal with Dave offering one-to-one guidance. This course is not suitable for beginners but for anyone that has a good working knowledge of oil paint it offers an opportunity to focus and improve your techniques in a visually inspiring setting.

Materials needed

1. Soft Pencil 6B

2. Willow Charcoal thick (10mm) sticks & Putty Rubber

   Make sure that you don’t get compressed charcoal by mistake
   https://store.evansartsupplies.ie/product/20477/Jumbo-Charcoal-2s/

3.  Good quality drawing paper
   Fabriano start is an excellent budget option otherwise get a sheet or two of Fabriano no.5
   https://store.evansartsupplies.ie/Papers-Cartridge-Drawing-Paper-283/

4. Some Spray Fixative or hairspray
   https://store.evansartsupplies.ie/store/search.asp?keyword=fixative*

5. Oil Paper, Oil pad or canvas panels 
   Whatever you are used to using.
   I will be using Arches Oil Paper and some 10x12” canvas panels:

6. Medium
   I usually use a 50%/50% mix of refined linseed oil and Sansodor

7. Brushes
   Do not skimp on these - it’s worth buying new ones for the course rather than struggling with old ones.
   I use Rosemary brushes:
   Filbert bristle hog no’s 2,4 & 6
   https://www.rosemaryandco.com/hog-bristle-filbert
   And some ivory’s or a soft synthetic brush - they’re have a fine point so a single no.4 should suffice
   https://www.rosemaryandco.com/ivory-filberts

8. Oil Paint
   The paints I use are:
   Cadmium Red (Artist’s Quality)
   Magenta
   Ultramarine
   Cobalt Blue Turquoise (Artist’s Quality)
   Indian yellow
   Yellow Ochre
   Cadmium Lemon (Artist’s Quality)
   Burnt Sienna
   Titanium White (I use a fast drying GRIFFIN alkyd white by Winsor & Newton) 
   
   No need to go out and buy these especially but you’ll need a minimum of
   Ultramarine
   Alizarin Crimson
   Cadmium Lemon (Artists Quality)
   Burnt Sienna
   Titanium White

9. Other
   Palette Knife if you normally use one
   Paper towels
   Baby Oil for cleaning brushes

Meet Dave

My art is an equal combination of creativity and analytical thinking."

Dave West was born and raised in South Wales and is now settled in Balbriggan, North County Dublin. He studied at the Carmarthenshire College of Art & Design and recently completed a degree in Art History with the Open University. He has had numerous solo exhibitions. He has exhibited widely in Group Shows including the Royal Hibernian Academy, Royal Ulster Academy and Eígse, and in the UK with the Royal West of England Academy, Royal Society of Oil Painters, Royal Society of Marine Artists, The New English Art Club, The Royal Society of British Artists, and the UK Pastel Society, at which he won the 2013 Schminke Award. In 2017 he won the Mayoral Gold Award at the 'Art In The Open' Plein Air painting festival.