Bob Rohm Art and Workshops

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Bob's fresh, informative workshops are an intensive period of work, study, and FUN that have been enthusiastically received by both beginner and advanced students.

The first day begins with a short lecture and demonstration emphasizing the simplicity of how a painting works and the procedures to create one. The entire painting process is covered, from the application of the medium, to achieving clean color, good value relationships and balanced compositions. Special attention will be placed on learning to see masses as opposed to line, and form rather than detail. Focus will also be on how to accurately simplify the colors and values of the main shapes since this is fundamental to any painting, whether one paints in the studio or on location. Techniques designed to complete "Alla Prima" paintings.

Bob works individually with each student at their easel and guides them at their own level and in their own style. Students may work in oils or pastels. Lots of painting time and individual attention. He will also provide tips on how to take photographs to be used creatively as painting subjects. "What is important to me, as a teacher, is to share what I’ve learned with my students." This workshop is for anyone interested in learning to develop creative, painterly paintings with clean, rich color and dynamic compositions.

Studio workshop start with a lecture and demonstration each day and participants paint in the afternoon.

Plein air workshops start the first morning with a short talk and on location demonstration. Participant paint all other mornings and afternoons. Critiques and demonstrations occur throughout the workshop.

Oil/Pastel Painting Workshop

Each day starts with a short lecture and demonstration emphasizing the simplicity of how a painting works and the procedures to create one. The entire painting process is taught from establishing the under painting to achieving clean color, good value relationships and balanced compositions. A special emphasis is placed on developing a painterly approach, simplifying shapes, creating form and painting alla prima.

Monday focuses on color and the basic approach to painting. Color theory, tonal, impressionistic, and open is discussed. How to mix clean colors, grays and earth tones. How to paint with impressionistic and open colors. The basics of developing a painting are covered, from visualizing the idea to simplifying the shapes, blocking in the color/value relationships, and refining the details. A painting demonstration follows to illustrate the lecture. Questions and answers during the demonstration clarify information and explain procedures and techniques to develop an alla prima painting in about two hours. After a short lunch break students paint the balance of the day. Bob circulates among everyone, assisting one on one in whatever area and at whatever level is appropriate for the individual. All levels of artists find this individual attention invaluable. This format is followed for the balance of the workshop.

Tuesdays focus is on seeing the black and white value of color and understanding the importance of value to the structure of the painting. Color is the emotion of painting; value is its structure. Students will learn the importance of using values to separate shapes and how to achieve three-dimensional form. Aerial perspective and John F. Carlson's four-value approach to the landscape are also explained. A painting demonstration follows to illustrate the lecture. Following the lunch break students paint the remainder of the day.

Wednesday is centered on composition. Choosing the shapes of the paper or canvas, the size of the subject and where it is placed all influences how the viewer perceives the painting. How to use compositional tools to effect the mood of a painting, for example line direction, speed of eye movement, balance, rhythm, pattern of shapes, textures, center of interest vs. focal points. Divisions of space and the principles of the Golden Mean are also covered. A big part of this session is explaining how to use the camera as a sketchbook and how to take and use photographs to develop creative paintings. A painting demonstration follows to illustrate the lecture.

Thursday we review the key elements of painting and put it all together. This lecture/question and answer session combines all the elements of color, value and composition to develop the complete balanced painting. The review focuses not merely on the technical construction of painting, but enters into the creative aspects as well. Are we storytellers, or creating works without a message other then the surface of the canvas or paper and what happens within it's boarders? Are we creating lyrical works or copying a time and place? The difference between painterly painting and drawing with paint are explained. A painting demonstration follows the discussion.

Friday starts with a group critique. (The class may choose to continue Thursday’s theme rather then a critique.) Many subtle and not so subtle aspects of the technical and creative elements of painting are brought out when reviewing each other's works. Each artist is encouraged by a review of what they are doing well and given advice on how to proceed in the weeks following the workshop. After the critique session artists will continue to paint for the remainder of the workshop.

Students may work in oils or pastels. Which of the mediums used is not important, the workshop focuses on how to paint, and not what medium you are using. A good natured but serious atmosphere is maintained for maximum benefit of painting time. This workshop is for anyone interested in learning to develop creative, painterly paintings with clean, rich color and dynamic compositions.

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