Term 4 2026 | Alla Prima Oil Painting from Observation still life, interior and Landscape with Gemma Rose Brook (SAT)

Lecturer: Gemma Rose Brook Sat 26 Sep, Sat 10 Oct & Sat 17 Oct 9.30am – 4.30pm Level: Intermediate to Advanced Age – 16+ This is an adult class and is not suitable for students under 16 years of age. Students under 18, must obtain parental or guardian consent and submit a completed consent form before the class commences. This course requires students to have completed Introduction to Oil Painting—Part 1 or for intermediate painters with experience using oil paint. Using the method of direct painting from life or ‘alla prima painting’ students will learn to respond to objects and environments informed by wet on wet painting techniques. Students will be encouraged to gradually build their confidence through material demonstrations and incremental progression of subjects. The first class will be still life focused, the second interior and third an en plein air landscape. Individual markmaking, gesture and expression through intuitive processed based alla prima painting will be a core focus of this course. Participants will be encouraged to create their own individual dialogue with what they are observing and should come away from the course with an understanding of acute observation from life and confidence in gestural alla prima mark making of different subject matter. Materials required: Acrylic paint colours for grounds: Recommended: warm/light tones, light pinks, yellows, ochres, magenta, oranges, blues and purples, gold/metallic If you prefer to paint in acrylics, please refer to the colours below as a guide. Oil Paint Artist Quality, not Mont Marte (Basic list below, bring any other colours that you like. You can substitute colours for similar hues. but will need a warm and cool of each primary) Titanium White* Zinc white* Lemon Yellow* Cadmium Yellow Medium* Cadmium Red Light* Alizarin Crimson* Ultramarine Blue* Phthalo Blue* Raw Umber* Peach or Ivory Black* Brushes A selection of large, medium & small is recommended; The brand ‘Neef’ in brushes is highly recommended Below are some suggestions: Flat or Bright stiff synthetic or hog bristle brushes sizes 4, 6, 8 & 12* 1 of each filbert synthetic bristle brushes sizes 6 & 12 1 cheap flat hogs hair no 16 or 18 approximately for acrylic ground application In addition to these materials students are encouraged to bring along any special colours or brushes they already have. Other Materials Odourless solvent 500mls (Gamsol or Langridge Solvent 75 recommended. Artist grade odourless solvents only; please, no turpentine or common hardware solvents are permitted)* Medium: Gamblin gel medium is easier to use for alla prima and highly recommended otherwise, a non-toxic medium that you have on hand* Small A4 sketchbook* pencil/graphite* 1 x A3 size oil sketch paper pad (student quality is recommended )* 3 x 20 x 25 cm canvas, canvas board or prepared gesso) wood board (optional, alternatively use oil sketch paper)* 3 x 25 x 30 cm canvas or prepped wood board A disposable palette* A small-medium palette knife (optional) 2 small jars with lids* Cotton rags or paper towels* Masking tape* Disposable nitrile gloves (optional) Detergent, incredible brush cleaner, soap or baby oil to clean brushes* Protective apron or shirt *Materials needed for the first lesson Gemma Rose Brook is an Australian plein air painter, based on Kaurna land. Her work has been selected for The Paddington Art Prize, Heysen Biennale, The National Emerging Art Prize, The Fleurieu Biennale and won first prize in the Royal Society of the Arts SA, ‘Youthscape’ prize. She has been awarded multiple residencies including the prestigious Country. Arts POP residency on Kangaroo Island and the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice. Her work has been exhibited and collected nationally. Her intimate paintings with a unique expressive mark and distinctive palette draws on modernist, colourist and formalist depictions of the subjects she paints from life. The paintings she creates explore an hypersensitive and embodied experience of environments that is informed by her way of seeing the world around her. Image: Gemma Rose Brook, photography by Rosina Possingham Please read the Terms and Conditions before completing your enrolment. Book before 1 September to receive the early bird discount!