Pastel Hues of Maurice Prendergast

Maurice Prendergast (1858-1924) was a masterful painter and colorist. His watercolor paintings have a beautiful shimmering luminosity, achieved through his transparent use of color and loose brushstrokes. His use of color is very much inspired by impressionist painters, like Claude Monet, who attempted to capture very exact moments of light. This atmosphere of light and color is created through the use of a "color world," painting with a very limited palette. 

In each painting, Prendergast uses a variation of the primary colors (red, yellow and blue) as his base. I have identified the specific hues used for each painting so you can more easily see the palette he used.  The three hues you see below the painting are the primary colors used in the painting. All other shades have been mixed from these three colors. 

Try replicating one of Prendergast's color worlds in your own painting by using the same palette.  Just remember, when using watercolor, when it looks like the color has been mixed with white, this just means that you are seeing more white from the paper showing through.  The paint is made more transparent by mixing it with more water. 

 Can you identify the palette used for the following paintings? Try to identify one hue of red, one hue of blue and one hue of yellow from the painting.  You will see that all other colors can be mixed from these primaries.

Summer 2013 Workshops: Watercolor and Life Drawing

Here are the dates for the Summer Workshops offered at the Berlin Drawing Room. For detailed course descriptions, just click on the link for each Workshop.  Hope to see you at an upcoming workshop! For any questions or to sign up, CONTACT.

Student work from Spring Watercolor Workshop

Watercolor Workshop: July 31 - August 28

Discover the Berlin landscape through plein-air painting!

• 7 meetings: Wednesday 6-9pm, Saturday 12-3pm
• 4 x on Wedneday in the studio from 6-9 pm  (July 31, August 7, 14, 28)  **note that we skip August 21**  3 x on Saturday in the field from 12-3 pm. (August 3, 10, 17)
• 120 Euros for the complete Workshop.
• Materials are not included. Here is a link to the supply list.

Painting in the Berlin Drawing Room garden!

Life Drawing in August

Draw from a live nude model!

• August 1, 8, 15
• Thursday 6-9 pm
• 40 Euro for all 3 classes (with advance registration)
• - or- 15 Euro for individual classes

Life Drawing with charcoal!

Life Drawing in August 2013

Current dates: HERE  This is an old post! :)
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Join us for Life Drawing with a nude model at the new Berlin Drawing Room!
Come check out our brand new renovated classroom! The Berlin Drawing Room never looked lovelier!

Thursday 6-9 pm : August 1, 8, 15.  2013
50 Euro for all 3 classes
- or- 20 Euro for individual classes

I kindly request that you sign up in advance so that I have an estimate of how many people are coming. This helps me with booking the model and arranging the classroom.  Sign up by sending me a message at miraob@gmail.com

Freshly renovated Berlin Drawing Room

Draw from a live nude model! We start out with a warm up drawing excercise, such as blind contour drawing. Then we do a series of short gestural poses - always interesting because our models are typically dancers and performers! We end the session with a few longer 20 minute poses.  The instructor will suggest themes to focus on such as "the exploratory line" or "negative space".  Personal instruction and critique will be geared to the level of each participant. These classes are suitable for beginners as well as the more advanced who want to practice drawing from a model.

What to bring: sketch-book/ paper minimum A3 size, some pencils, any other drawings materials you want to use such as charcoal, conte crayons, ....

Gesture Drawings: 1 minute poses

Watercolor Workshop: July 31 - August 28

Sign up now to reserve your place by writing to miraob@gmail.com!
Summer Watercolor Workshop:

the Berlin Landscape

Treptower Park, Spring 2013

In this Workshop we will use the landscape of Berlin as a subject for learning the subtle medium of watercolor.  Basic color theory will also be covered. We will learn how to layer transparent colors to create the effect of cool shadows and warm sunlight, how to control the paint flow for fine detail as well as smooth backgrounds, and how to use the brush for different types of texture.

The Workshop will take place twice per week, first in the studio and then outdoors. The classes held in Berlin Drawing Room studio will focus on technique, which can then be applied in the field. We will meet every Saturday in a new location, and paint plein-air.  See pictures below for some examples of past plein-air sites.

No experience required! This class is perfect for beginners as well as more advanced students who want to improve their skills or just discover interesting landscape locations with fellow painters!

Tiergarten (Spring 2013)

July 31 - August 28

7 meetings: 4 x on Wedneday in the studio 
from 6-9 pm  
(July 31, August 7, 14, 28)
**note that we skip August 21**
and 3 x on Saturday in the field from 12-3 pm. (August 3, 10, 17)
cost: 120 Euros 

(materials are not included, find the supply list here)

This Workshop is limited to 10 students.

To sign up contact miraob@gmail.com and you will receive a registration form and payment instructions. 

"Thanks to Mira's lessons in just a few weeks my understanding of watercolours is light years ahead of where it was. She gave us some great tips and coaching and I now feel like I have a really firm grasp of the basics of colours and watercolours and a great skill for life." Testimonial from Spring 2013, scroll down for full text.

Work from the Spring 2013 Watercolor Workshop

To see more examples of student work from the Spring 2013 Watercolor Workshop, clickHERE.

The lovely garden at the Berlin Drawing Room.

Painting in the Berlin Drawing Room studio

Painting an unusual landscape at Gleisdreiecke (Summer 2012)

Plein Air Painting (Summer 2012)

Some reviews:

1. Wayne ChamanJune 19, 2012 at 12:08 PM

   After the Life Drawing workshop with Mira, drawing has become so important in my life. Its like a diary of my days. And so meditative being some minutes daily completely in the "here and now" with my pencil and really "seeing" what is there before me. I am 64 yrs old and never could draw. But now, I can and love it.....A new and important way to be myself and witness my world. Thanks, Mira.
   Wayne Mcknight
2. Greg RubenFebruary 23, 2013 at 12:53 AM

   I took the watercolor class last summer and would recommend it to anyone regardless of skill level. I had no experience with watercolors, and really hardly any experience with painting when I took the class. Mira is an extremely patient/open/encouraging teacher and the plein air days are a lot of fun (if the rain doesn't put a damper on things!). She introduced me to a new way of looking at things, of seeing and understanding color in the world around us. Do it!
3. keirossJune 17, 2013 at 7:09 PM

   I took this course in Spring 2013 and if you're considering it, here's my take starting with a bit about my background: 

   
   I have always enjoyed being creative but I had neglected painting since I was a kid. Although I tried a few times in the past, I was never able to get my head around watercolours or use them effectively. Anything I tried always turned into a frustrating mess.
   
   Thanks to Mira's lessons in just a few weeks my understanding of watercolours is light years ahead of where it was. She gave us some great tips and coaching and I now feel like I have a really firm grasp of the basics of colours and watercolours and a great skill for life.
   
   When I picked up a brush to start the course, all my paintings turned into a big wet mess and the paper got all messed up but now I am able to produce stuff that I'm pretty pleased with. Here's some of the stuff I painted following the course: https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/960194_10151402306597100_1264159431_n.jpg
   
   Also, the classes are relaxed and fun - there's no pressure at all and the trips with the class made it easier to start painting outside. 

Results of the Spring Watercolor Workshop!

I have so many wonderful images from the Spring Watercolor Workshop that I just had to share them! I am so impressed with the work my students made! Most of the people in this class were total beginners at the start. But by the end we had learned several techniques and concepts such as using transparent layers to build form, working with a limited palette to create a color world, and building up texture with a variety of brush strokes. 

So here are some images from the Spring Watercolor Workshop, including our excursions to Tiergarten and Treptower Park.  Enjoy!

(and look out for the Summer Watercolor Workshop in July!)

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In this lesson we used photographic source material for our landscape paintings. 

Our lovely garden at the Berlin Drawing Room!

Tiergarten!

Treptower Park!

Last Class Exhibition!