TEXTURE TECHNIQUES FOR WINNING WATERCOLORS I
About the Course
AT A GLANCE
LOCATION: On-line via Zoom
UPCOMING COURSES: SEND ME AN E-MAIL AT bradley@bradleyhendershot.com if you are interested in signing up for this course, OR for questions/comments or to be placed on the notification list for upcoming courses.
DATES/TIMES: 6 weeks, one evening per week; Monday evenings, 7:00 - 8:30pm ET, January 13 - February 17, 2025.
RECORDING: Emphasis is placed on real-time instruction and group discussion and questions. However, we WILL BE RECORDING. So, students will be able to view any class that they miss, or will have the ability to go back and look at a given session. Classes will be "viewable" for a few weeks past the actual class date.
PLEASE NOTE Prior to Signing Up: Students must have Zoom capabilities as well as reliable internet connection and are responsible for their own technology set-ups.
COST AND REGISTRATION: $ 225.00/person (includes non-refundable $ 50 registration). PayPal and Visa/MasterCard only. Send me an e-mail at bradley@bradleyhendershot.com if you have any questions or to sign up for the class. I will send you an invoice via e-mail. Registration deadline is seven days prior to the first class.
CANCELLATION POLICY: Refund via PayPal of $ 225.00 minus the $ 50 registration fee. Cancellations up until 7 days prior to the first class.
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner with some knowledge of watercolor to Intermediate. You should have some knowledge of the basics of watercolor and you have done some watercolor painting. We will not be describing basic watercolor procedures in this class.
OVERVIEW: This is the first in a series of courses designed to work with texture techniques developed by, and used by, my father (Ray Hendershot, 1931-2019, AWS, NWS) and me, and outlined in his book Texture Techniques for Winning Watercolors (North Light Books, Cincinnati, 1999). As Dad said in the book, "We are all familiar with the precept 'One of the most important things you can learn about painting is knowing when to stop.' I submit to you that, for fear of overworking a painting, many learning artists tend to stop too soon, neglecting those extra little touches that can elevate an acceptable watercolor painting to the level of an outstanding watercolor painting."
THE COURSE ITSELF: THIS IS A LECTURE/DEMONSTRATION COURSE. Real-time painting during the class is NOT recommended. Participants in the past have done well with observation and note-taking during the class, with individual work and practice being done during the week following each class. A notebook is highly recommended in order to record notes as well as things to investigate prior to the next class. IF you choose to share your work with the group, a JPEG image can be sent to me up to the day prior to the class and we will put it up on the screen for discussion.
GIVE A GIFT: Think outside the box and consider this course as a gift for the aspiring artist in your life!
IN MORE DEPTH
DESCRIPTION AND TOPICS: Watercolor and drybrush techniques with an emphasis on texture and mood will be the focus of this course. Join in on the fun as we explore beyond the "accepted rules" of traditional watercolor, employing drybrush; spattering and splattering; spritzing; scratching and scraping; blotting and patting; sponging; scrubbing out; the use of opaques; and a host of other techniques aimed at enhancing your paintings. Accept the challenge of taking your watercolors one step further, elevating a good painting to a great painting.
Participants will be encouraged to think outside of the box of traditional watercolor, exploring new insights, and expanding upon preconceived ideas of what a watercolor painting should be. Our focus will not be on developing Bradley, or Ray, Hendershot clones, but on learning new techniques and applying them to your own ideas and inspirations, and on gaining confidence in your newly found skills. Our goal is not necessarily to complete finished paintings, but to develop skills that the artist can take with him or her and apply to their own paintings.
My father Ray's book, Texture Techniques for Winning Watercolors, will be a part of this course, and I will certainly be sharing his processes. But I will be expanding on this with my own techniques as well. Additionally, we will look at some of the materials and techniques that Dad developed subsequent to the publication of the book. We will also be looking at some of Dad's, and my, original studies and paintings in order to demonstrate the end result of some of his texture techniques.
I prefer my classes to be more than a pre-taped YouTube video (which can be wonderful and contain a lot of good information, but, the interactive component is missing). So, focus will be on interactive and individualized instruction such as problem-solving in real-time. I hope to encourage a lot of questions and comments, and a lot of sharing of knowledge. The outcome goal for participants is to obtain a stronger, and more expanded, foundation of skills to be applied to their own works during the duration of the course and beyond. I would encourage everyone to share their experiments and results with the class.
This course promises to be a fantastic experience, and I am looking forward to working with you all! Hope to see you on-line!
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Bradley Hendershot grew up painting alongside his father Ray, who was his greatest inspiration. He has been painting for his entire life, mostly in the water media, and he brings a wealth of knowledge and information gained through many years of trial and error. Brad has the ability to convey the most difficult of procedures with a simple step-by-step methodology. He has an intense devotion and enthusiasm for what he does, and he will bring his energy to the class. You are bound to enjoy Brad’s personality and sense of humor, as well as his countless stories of life as an artist, both in Pennsylvania and on the remote North Atlantic island of Monhegan. Please go to the RESUME tab on this site and click on ABOUT THE ARTIST to read his full bio.
The January 2015 issue of Radius magazine states "It is clear through his work that Hendershot is a traditional realist in the Brandywine School, a style that emphasizes attention to realism, an expression of optimism, and a faith in the goodness of America. It was developed by Howard Pyle, and taught beginning in 1900 at his Howard Pyle School of Art in Chadds Ford, PA. The Brandywine School, or Brandywine Tradition, is widely recognized as a distinctly American school of illustration and art which has continued through members of the school, including the Wyeth family of artists."
Hendershot says: "I am inspired by my daily life and I paint what is familiar to me--places and things that I know well, places and things that have a special meaning to me. My painting process is very personal to me, and I paint subjects that are intimate to my life in rural Pennsylvania, northern Vermont, and coastal New England including Monhegan Island, Maine. My work involves intense feelings, and I hope that my paintings are able to evoke a strong emotional response. Often, an event in my life triggers feelings that result in the mood of a painting. My paintings tell a story, and that story is my life. There is strong emotion in each piece, and I want to share that emotion."
MATERIALS: A suggested materials list and additional introductory material will be provided upon registration and payment.
CONTACT: Send e-mail to bradley@bradleyhendershot.com for inquiries, additional information, or to inquire about signing up. If you decide to take the course, I will send you an invoice via e-mail.
texture techniques ii: TEXTURE AND BEYOND
About the Course
AT A GLANCE
LOCATION: On-line via Zoom
UPCOMING COURSES: SEND ME AN E-MAIL AT bradley@bradleyhendershot.com if you are interested in signing up for this course, OR for questions/comments or to be placed on the notification list for upcoming courses.
DATES/TIMES: 6 weeks, one evening per week; Monday evenings, 7:00 - 8:30pm ET, Spring 2025 dates TBA.
RECORDING: Emphasis is placed on real-time instruction and group discussion and questions. However, we WILL BE RECORDING. So, students will be able to view any class that they miss, or will have the ability to go back and look at a given session. Classes will be "viewable" for a few weeks past the actual class date.
PLEASE NOTE Prior to Signing Up: Students must have Zoom capabilities as well as reliable internet connection and are responsible for their own technology set-ups.
COST AND REGISTRATION: $ 225.00/person (includes non-refundable $ 50 registration). PayPal and Visa/MasterCard only. Send me an e-mail at bradley@bradleyhendershot.com if you have any questions or to sign up for the class. I will send you an invoice via e-mail. Registration deadline is seven days prior to the first class.
CANCELLATION POLICY: Refund via PayPal of $ 225.00 minus the $ 50 registration fee. Cancellations up until 7 days prior to the first class.
SKILL LEVEL: Advanced Beginner to Intermediate. The "suggested" prerequisite for this course is Texture Techniques for Winning Watercolors I as we will be expanding on many of the techniques covered in the first course. However, this prerequisite is not required. You should have some knowledge of the basics of watercolor and you have done some watercolor painting. We will not be describing basic watercolor procedures in this class.
OVERVIEW: This is the second in a series of courses designed to work with texture techniques developed by, and used by, my father (Ray Hendershot, 1931-2019, AWS, NWS) and me, and outlined in his book Texture Techniques for Winning Watercolors (North Light Books, Cincinnati, 1999). NOTE that this course includes more lecture and interactive discussion than the first level course. Although this course includes a good amount of demo work, there will NOT be a series of demos and texture demonstrations as in the Texture Techniques I course. Rather, we will be analyzing and interpreting subject matter, sketches, and finished paintings with an emphasis placed on selecting a subject, developing an idea, and composing a great painting.
THE COURSE ITSELF: THIS IS A LECTURE/DEMONSTRATION and ANALYSIS COURSE. Real-time painting during the class is NOT recommended. Participants in the past have done well with observation and note-taking during the class, with individual work and practice being done during the week following each class. A notebook is highly recommended in order to record notes as well as things to investigate prior to the next class. Participants will be highly encouraged to enter into discussion. IF you choose to share your work with the group, a JPEG image can be sent to me up to the day prior to the class and we will put it up on the screen for discussion.
GIVE A GIFT: Think outside the box and consider this course as a gift for the aspiring artist in your life!
IN MORE DEPTH
DESCRIPTION AND TOPICS: Texture techniques studied in the previous Texture Techniques I course will be further developed with emphasis placed on incorporation into finished paintings rather than a series of exercises. Course topics will include preliminary works; composition and the development of ideas with the goal of good design in the finished painting; defining the subject and the focus; the pursuit of mood and feeling and the reason for the painting; and the overall harmony of the painting.
Experimentation and practice are essential for improving one's skill set, and individual work between classes, as well as sharing of painting experiences during class time, will be encouraged. Part of each class will be devoted to instructor and group critique and exchange of ideas. I would encourage everyone to share their experiments and results with the class. Therefore, this course will include more lecture and interactive discussion than in the first level Texture Techniques for Winning Watercolors I course.
We will continue what we started in the first course, which is the pursuit of enhancing your paintings and challenging yourself to take your watercolors one step further, elevating a good painting to a great painting.
Possible topics will involve exploring the varying textures of weathered clapboard and shingles, stucco, and stone in buildings, and a variety of surfaces of detail objects. Additionally, we may expand on creating believable foreground foliage and rock textures.
Participants will again be encouraged to think outside the box of traditional watercolor, exploring new insights, and expanding upon preconceived ideas of what a watercolor painting should be. Our focus will not be on developing Bradley, or Ray, Hendershot clones, but on learning new techniques and applying them to your own ideas and inspirations, and on gaining confidence in your newly found skills. Our goal will be to develop skills that the artist can take with him or her and apply to their own subject matter and paintings.
I prefer my classes to be more than a pre-taped YouTube video (which can be wonderful and contain a lot of good information, but, the interactive component is missing). So, focus will be on interactive and individualized instruction such as problem-solving in real-time. I hope to encourage a lot of questions and comments, and a lot of sharing of knowledge. The outcome goal for participants is to obtain a stronger, and more expanded, foundation of skills to be applied to their own works during the duration of the course and beyond.
This course promises to be a fantastic experience, and I am looking forward to working with you all! Hope to see you on-line!
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Bradley Hendershot grew up painting alongside his father Ray, who was his greatest inspiration. He has been painting for his entire life, mostly in the water media, and he brings a wealth of knowledge and information gained through many years of trial and error. Brad has the ability to convey the most difficult of procedures with a simple step-by-step methodology. He has an intense devotion and enthusiasm for what he does, and he will bring his energy to the class. You are bound to enjoy Brad’s personality and sense of humor, as well as his countless stories of life as an artist, both in Pennsylvania and on the remote North Atlantic island of Monhegan. Please go to the RESUME tab on this site and click on ABOUT THE ARTIST to read his full bio.
The January 2015 issue of Radius magazine states "It is clear through his work that Hendershot is a traditional realist in the Brandywine School, a style that emphasizes attention to realism, an expression of optimism, and a faith in the goodness of America. It was developed by Howard Pyle, and taught beginning in 1900 at his Howard Pyle School of Art in Chadds Ford, PA. The Brandywine School, or Brandywine Tradition, is widely recognized as a distinctly American school of illustration and art which has continued through members of the school, including the Wyeth family of artists."
Hendershot says: "I am inspired by my daily life and I paint what is familiar to me--places and things that I know well, places and things that have a special meaning to me. My painting process is very personal to me, and I paint subjects that are intimate to my life in rural Pennsylvania, northern Vermont, and coastal New England including Monhegan Island, Maine. My work involves intense feelings, and I hope that my paintings are able to evoke a strong emotional response. Often, an event in my life triggers feelings that result in the mood of a painting. My paintings tell a story, and that story is my life. There is strong emotion in each piece, and I want to share that emotion."
MATERIALS: A suggested materials list and additional introductory material will be provided upon registration and payment.
CONTACT: Send e-mail to bradley@bradleyhendershot.com for inquiries, additional information, or to inquire about signing up. If you decide to take the course, I will send you an invoice via e-mail.
