Sue Sareen Figures in the landscape in Acrylic
We were delighted to welcome Sue in person to our first demonstration of the year, where she explored her understanding and use of Acrylic, compared to watercolours, which she had enjoyed working with during lock down.
After trying out different makes of acrylic she had settled on Atelier branded paints as these gave her the intensity of colour and the flexibility of the medium.
Sue lives near the River Trent in Nottingham, and walking this stretch of water she would either work plein air or take photos of interesting things she noticed along the way, a group of people, birds, trees, especially capturing the light and shadows which would help the composition enormously.
The first painting Sue produced for us was a couple sitting on the bank looking at their mobile phones (a typical sight nowadays) the light on the grass was really effective. Using Acrylics and working from dark to light, placing the shadows and creating the colours by mixing.
As acrylics dry quickly Sue recommended using a spray which would help to keep them moist and workable for longer. She also said to keep your brushes in water if not using them as they would dry up and become unusable.
The second painting was a tonal sketch using Acrylic like watercolour, showing the versatility of the medium. Working this time from lights to dark, with watered down paint to create the picture was really effective.
Sue’s demonstration gave a very useful insight on how flexible Acrylic painting can be, we really enjoyed it, thanks Sue.
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