About Workshops
If you are ready for a little variety in your art practice, or you have just been wanting to learn more about a particular medium, workshops are a time to try out new techniques under the guidance of a skilled instructor! Workshops are scheduled monthly on selected Fridays from 10-3. Bring a lunch or go out to eat. Cost to NAG members will be $25 for each workshop. Cost to non members is $45. Please sign up in advance.
Mail your check to the Workshop Coordinator, Ilse Schreiner, 3711 S. Summerset Way, Boise, ID 83709, or for more information, contact ihschreiner@aol.com or 208-362-2416.
Jan. 27 - Ilse Schreiner - Masa Paper
Ilse says, "Masa paper is a thin paper with sizing on one side only. I crumple it, wet it, and start by painting the back, letting indelible ink seep through the cracks. Then I turn it over and paint the sized side with watercolor and opaque watercolor. In this workshop, we will spend an hour experimenting on small pieces of paper (1/8 sheets) to see what effects can be achieved. Then you will either choose one of your experiments or start from scratch to complete a painting."
Ilse will provide masa paper.
Materials you need to bring: India ink and/or acrylic ink in one or more colors; matboard to glue the paper onto; water colors and some opaque media to restore lights (bleedproof white, gouache, acrylic, or even pastel pencils); white glue diluted with water; wide brush for gluing.
Ilse works from photographs. Trees and rocks make particularly good subjects.
Feb. 17 - Ginger Lantz - watercolor pencils
Ginger will show various watercolor pencil techniques that make this medium so unique and versatile,
from using dry pencil layering to different wet applications for stunning effects and beautiful colors
March 17 - Ginger Lantz - Pastelmat
Ginger Lantz will be teaching in soft pastel how to blend, mix and what works and doesn’t work when using pastels. If you are wanting to try soft pastels or you’ve worked in pastels, this is the workshop to take as this is one of Ginger’s favorite mediums to work in. She has so much information. Whether you are experienced or a beginner, you will learn a lot in this workshop.
April 14 - Laurie Asahara - watercolor (painting a white rose)
Laurie, says, "Let's explore how to create white flowers by using no white
paint at all! We will 'carve out' white passages by emphasizing positive shapes found
in both reflected light and cast shadows. We will also focus attention on background
value as an additional important aspect of painting white or light subjects."
Please have $1.25 to cover the cost of a color copy of the subject we will be painting
as well as a black and white full-sized copy of a drawing for tracing. We'll be doing
an 11" x 15" (quarter sheet) painting.





Supply List for Laurie Asahara Workshop
We will be doing a 10” x 10” painting of a white rose, and explore how to create a white flower by using no white paint at all. We’ll carve out passages by emphasizing positive shapes in both reflected light and cast shadows. We’ll also focus on background value as an additional important aspect of painting white or light subjects.
At class, a full-sized drawing to trace from and a full color reference photo will be provided for a total cost of $1.25.
Below is my list of standard supplies that I use for all my own work. I don’t ever stretch my paper, but sometimes I clip it to a hard backing for support while I paint. If you prefer to stretch your paper, please do.
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Watercolor palette. I use an original John Pike.
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Watercolor paints. (Please feel free to just bring your usual watercolor paints. The rose will be done in pastel hues of pinks, blues, yellows and purples. While not necessary, you might want to supplement colors that you already have with some colors on my list that you don’t usually employ. It’s always fun in a workshop to explore new colors.)
I generally have transparent versions of the colors listed below on my palette. We probably won’t use all the colors on the list, and I generally don’t either. For my style of transparent painting, student-grade paint is fine:
Lemon Yellow
Warm Yellow
Bright Orange
Fire Engine Red, like a Pyrrol Red
Pink, like Permanent Rose or Opera*
Alizarin Crimson
Robin’s Egg Blue, like Manganese Blue* or Cerulean Blue or Cobalt Teal*
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Cobalt Blue*
Thalo Blue or Prussian Blue
Hooker’s Green
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Raw Sienna
Burnt Sienna
*Indicates a professional grade paint, which colors are nice for florals
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At least three round brushes ranging from size #4 to #10. Synthetics are fine, but which brushes you use is a personal preference that you either already have or will develop as you paint.
Please bring a scrubby type brush for removing paint, like an old #2 flat stiff bristle oil painting brush or a dedicated watercolor scrubber brush.
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Paper towels or cloth rags to use as a blotter after rinsing brushes between washes of different colors. Please do not forget to bring these items – they are used to control the amount of water in your brush, which is a critical aspect of watercolor painting.
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Facial tissue to blot wet passages on the painting, if and when needed. (I have a roll of toilet paper for this use.) Any tissue should be unscented with no additives like hand creams or oils.
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Hairdryer (just to speed up drying of initial larger washes).
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If you want to, you can bring Masking fluid and an applicator for the masking fluid. I apply masking fluid with a bamboo skewer for delicate areas. Make sure your masking fluid is new, and not more than 6 months old. It rapidly deteriorates into a useless goo/water mix that can destroy the surface of your paper.
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Rubber cement pick-up (to remove the masking fluid).
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1/4 sheet of 140# or 300# cold press Arches watercolor paper. This measures 11 x 15. I use 300#. Please get Arches cold press paper. It must be “cold press”, not “hot press”. Do not get inexpensive paper or you will be disappointed. I’m not even a fan of the surface of Arches paper blocks.
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A board or other backing to support your watercolor paper as you paint, if you like.
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Pencil, eraser, masking tape, and non oily transfer paper to transfer drawing onto watercolor paper.
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Container for water.
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Spray bottle for water.