Introduction to Impasto Painting Techniques

Course Times & Enrolment

This course is currently unavailable.

Course Summary

Using a range of primary and secondary stimuli such as drawings, objects and photographs, students will be taught an extended range of thick and opaque (impasto) painting techniques and approaches. With specialist guidance, students will use acrylic paint and other impasto media with lively brushwork and energy to create a series of compact impasto pictorial paintings. This will include working ‘wet into wet’, colour mixing, using extender media and textural media to build up a relief surface.

Course Details

Special Information

Large tubes / containers of acrylic paint with the following essential colours: White, Black, raw umber, yellow ochre, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red, crimson, Ultramarine, cerulean blue
Impasto acrylic paste media
A range of big hog brushes and house painting brushes
Palette knives
Rags
Painting surfaces (canvas, boards, cards)
A range of drawing tools such as conte and charcoal
A sketchbook

Content of Course

This course involves a series of creative skill building, such as:

1. Introduction to impasto painting techniques using a monochromatic palette.

2. Ways to use large brushes, palette knives and gesture to create paintings.

3. Working and responding from primary sources and studio set ups.

4. How to record ideas and develop them into impasto paintings.

5. Using a limited colour palette on a board or canvas ground.

6. How to get more ‘body’ and relief into the paintwork.

7. Working from a combination of primary and secondary sources.

8. How to consider light sources, tone and form.

9. How to collect and develop secondary sources as visual research.

10. Introduction to full colour techniques with impasto painting.

11. Working on a series of paintings and ‘palette cleaners’ (paintings derived from using up excess paint).

12. Use secondary source materials and sketchbook drawings to develop more personal works

13. Consider mood, subject and context of compositional drawings.

14. Develop a series of related impasto paintings developed from the techniques and ideas explored.

Teaching method(s)

This course will be based and delivered in an art and design studio. Students’ progress will be monitored and supported by the tutor with individual advice given. Teaching will include practical demonstration of technique, one to one tuition, group discussions and critiques.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this course, students will be able to:

Use thick painting and lively brushwork to create a series of impasto paintings;
Identify and develop subject matter and composition suitable for impasto paintings;
Make paintings directly in response to primary and secondary sources, as the subject matter.

Sources

Core Readings

The recommended titles below may be of interest in following up the themes discussed in the course.

Baselitz, G., and Serota, N., 1984 Georg Baselitz - Schilderijen 1960-83. 1st ed. Amsterdam: N.p.
Lambirth, A., and Kiff, K. 2001 Ken Kiff. 1st ed. New York: Thames & Hudson.
Becker, W. and Iōakeimidēs C., 1985. German Art In The Twentieth Century 1st ed. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Bois, Y., 1999. Abstraction, Gesture, Ecriture. 1st ed. Zurich [etc.]: Scalo, Print.
Forge, A., 1965. Haim Soutine 1894-1943. London : Spring Books ;c1965

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.