Oil painting for beginners art class
A gentle invitation to slow down, pick up a brush, and explore the quiet magic of oil painting – no pressure, just the joy of creating for its own sake.
In this one-day introduction to oil painting participants will gain confidence and become more comfortable working with oils.
The class
If you’ve ever wanted to try oil painting but felt a bit unsure where to start, this one’s for you.
In this one-day introduction to oil painting, participants will gain confidence and become more comfortable working with oils. There’s a lot packed into this so come prepared 🙂 but our focus will be on fun and enjoying the process of painting!
Together we’ll explore:
- how to use brushes with ease
- simple ways to understand colour theory
- how to mix colours intuitively
- playful techniques for applying paint to canvas
There’ll be plenty of tips and tricks shared – from preparing your canvases to getting to grips with underpainting. We’ll take a gentle look at Grisaille – a beautifully simple method using just black and white to help us understand tone and value. It’s a quiet and mindful practice that links to the Japanese idea of Notan, which speaks to the balance and harmony of light and dark.
It sounds like a lot (and it is!) but it’s all shared with warmth and simplicity – and always at your pace.
By the end of the day, we hope you’ll feel inspired, informed, and have your very own oil painting to take home and hang up.
A creative pause. A little escape. An opportunity to have a creative break and enjoy the company of other creatives.
The whole day ensures a greater foundation of knowledge and understanding for the process of traditional oil painting technique.
Specifics
10am-4.30pm. 8 participants. Tea, coffee and scones on arrival provided. Light lunch included with meat-free soups and bread.
Our cottage exhibits the artwork of Sinéad Smyth, including drawings and paintings both old and new. Works are available for sale on enquiry. You can view Sinéad’s latest work here.
Please bring your own materials. We can supply materials at a reasonable price, but you would need to let us know in advance.
A suggested materials list will be emailed four weeks in advance of your course. Please let us know of any dietary requirements on booking.
The course will be led by resident artist Sinéad Smyth.
Accommodation
We have reduced rate accommodation in our cottage (subject to availability) in two twin rooms for up to four people. This is reduced during our art course weekends. It’s reduced because the living room/kitchen and toilet areas are used by other course participants during the day.
Our reduced rates are €50 per person sharing, €85 per person for two nights (Fri & Sat). Or €70 per person single room supplement, €120 for two nights (Fri & Sat). Please contact [email protected] to book as booking is not available on the website for these weekends. Accommodation is on a first-come, first served basis.
If our artists’ retreat accommodation is already booked, we can recommend other local places to stay nearby.
You can view our rooms here: artstaysdonegal.com.
Those who choose stay at our Artists’ Retreat Accommodation are very welcome to access the art studio in the evenings, the outdoor seating area and gardens, and the fire bowl.
