Creative Photography as a tool for painting

July 18 & 19

with Sarah Robinson

With cellphones, photography is accessible to everyone. It is a useful tool that can let you decide what’s important creatively by playing with your image before you start your artwork. You can use clip-on lenses, filters and apps, you can make colour choices, add richness or emphasis. Photos can be turned into collage material, used for photo-digital printmaking or they can be used indirectly as a source for inspiration in a painting or in the planning of a series of works.

We will start with a walk about in Portage-du-Fort taking cell phone pictures. Returning to the school, we will alter a chosen photo in different ways to influence our artwork in painting or printing. This includes mini workshops of collage and/or painting from your photo in a limited palette in your chosen medium, printing solar/cyanotype effects using your e-mailed photo & plein air where we’ll do a short study and take reference photos for future use (weather permitting) or an indoor set-up if necessary.

Materials

cellphone and charger

A photo of yours e-mailed to me a week ahead of the course so I can bring a b&w copy on acetate for solar printing. High contrast best, strong lights & darks. Any subject.

Hipstamatic Classic app downloaded (iphone, ipad; $3.99 for starter set-up, additional effects available) There are other camera apps you may like to try instead (Retrocam is available on android – Samsung, LG phones, free app) or you can share your photos onto my tablet/phone and play with films and lenses in my app on my account if you don’t want to download anything or don’t have a cellphone. I will bring a few old phones to share if needed.

Sketchbooks or watercolour paper taped to matboard or foamcore pieces, small sizes. Have several boards ready as they’ll dry flat when taped down.

Your preferred art materials to create your work – painting, collage, etc. Bring a small selection of colours you love.

Small canvas or board for doing plein air. Brushes, jar for water. Easel or stool optional. –

I will provide clip on lenses to share – macro, wide angle, fish-eye; solar & cyanotype materials with paper & fabric, some collage materials, acrylic paint, medium & inks to try for testing limited palettes and painting from your photos.

Duration of the course: 2 days, 9 am – 4 pm.
Student Level: beginner
Maximum Number of participants: 7
Language: English and French
Instructor: Sarah Robinson