ALEX HILKURTZ

Alex Hillkurtz was born in England and grew up in California where he is a renowned storyboard artist for feature films, television, and commercials. His film credits include “Argo”, “Almost Famous”, “It’s Complicated”, and many others. Alex currently lives in Paris with his film editor wife, Tiffany, and enjoys discovering the hidden corners of the city that sketching and plein air painting allow. He uses the language of cinema to inform his images, moving beyond what one sees, and depicting what he wants others to see. He believes that in our too-crowded lives, sketching and plein air painting invite us to move at a more deliberate pace… a true sense of place, and sometimes unexpected stories are revealed.

List of Materials

This is a list of suggested materials. If you don’t have, or can’t find, anything on this list, don’t worry, we can do a lot with a minimum amount of materials. I’ve included my personal choices for each item in parenthesis, but I don’t want you to feel obligated to rush out and buy high-end materials. There are certainly less expensive options.

Pencil - 

4B, 6B

Brushes - 

• One Round - (I use Escoda Perla 10, Van Gogh “191” 8)

• One Flat - (I use Raphaél “915” 18 or 12)

• One Mop - (I use Raphaél “le 803” petit gris 8, 5 or 3, Escoda Ultimo 14)

Ink Pen -

Any ink pen with waterproof ink.

  • Sakura Pigma Micron 05, 03, or 01

and/or

• Fountain pen with waterproof ink

(I use a Faber-Castell Guilloche fountain pen with refillable cartridges that I fill with Noodlers Polar Black ink)

Paper - 

• A basic sketchbook (approx 22x28cm) suitable for thumbnail sketches as well as watercolor exercises, so a slightly heavier paper that can handle washes. (I use Strathmore 400 series watercolor sketchbooks,) 

• Sheets of 100% cotton watercolor paper, approx 30x40cm. I like Canson Héritage cold pressed and Arches. I like using paper in blocks so I don’t need to stretch or mount it on anything. But if you’d rather bring loose sheets, that’s fine as well. 

Paint - 

I use Daniel Smith and Rembrandt paints, but most brands are suitable for what we’ll be doing. I painted for many years with a student-grade set of half pans, so bring what you have and we’ll have fun! Here’s my palette:

• Cobalt Blue

• Ultramarine Blue

  • Burnt Sienna (English Red if using Rembrandt paints)

  • Quinacradone Red

• Pyrrol Scarlet - a warm red, similar to W&N “Scarlet Lake”,  Sennelier “red”, Schmincke “Vermillion”, Da Vinci “Permanent Red”

  • Indian red - a very opaque, granulating, and earthy red. Also made by DaVinci and W&N.

  • Raw Sienna

• Quinacridone Sienna

• Cobalt Yellow

Miscellaneous - 

• Paper towel

• Eraser

• Water bottle

• Water container (plastic cup)

WHEN:
2 days workshop
6.05.2023, 7.05.2023
11.00 - 17.00

PRICE: Price per participant is 300 euro (155 euro per day)

(For registration you need to pay 50%)

DESCRIPTION:

In this workshop I will teach you techniques to enhance the story you want to tell with your painting: composition, perspective, lighting, detail (or lack of detail).

We will start in the studio and continye on the plein air.

The media will be pencil, pen and ink, and watercolor. I will show how I choose a composition designed to draw your eye into a piece. Using a quick pencil sketch to jot down spontaneous ideas, then moving to ink for rough details, and finally watercolor, I will show you how I “see” the subject on the page, and how to avoid common mistakes. I will share insights about the importance of light and shadow to define shapes, perspective to add depth, and color to tell a story. Most of all we will have fun! You’ll come away with a sketchbook you can be proud of, full of your unique paintings and colorful memories of these 2 amazing days.

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