Nostalgia Spring Flowers Impasto Painting Workshop @ Green Door Studio

What We Did

  • Sourced references from gardens, florists, and online platforms like Canva or Creative Market.

  • Applied two coats of acrylic paint to our canvas (choosing a base colour based on the darkest tone). The first coat was done the day before, allowing at least 4 hours drying time between coats (longer in winter, shorter in summer).

  • Premixed colours and added light moulding paste (no more than 50%) to achieve the desired texture and relief.

  • Organised a clean and open workspace, laying out palette knives and brushes for easy access.

  • Worked on a flat, easy-to-clean surface, creating paint pools from dark to light.

  • Sketched the flower composition lightly and loosely on the canvas, using a pencil or charcoal in a similar tone to the background.

  • Referred closely to our source images to create an impressionistic representation of each flower or leaf.

  • Selected the most appropriate knives, brushes, and tools to form our initial shapes, continuing this process throughout.

  • Practised shapes on spare card to test techniques and colour combinations.

  • Started with palette knife applications for leaves or flowers in the background, working from dark to light and considering the light source.

  • Stepped back frequently to assess progress and plan the next steps.

  • Maintained a clean and organised workspace.

  • Once complete, allowed the painting to dry flat for at least 48 hours (longer in winter).

  • Sealed the painting with Matisse oil-based satin or matt varnish (ensure to mix well).

Note: Always read the instructions on all painting materials.

What We Used

  • High-quality triple-primed stretched canvas (300gsm or more). We used a 40 x 40 cm Luca Triple Primed Canvas, 350gsm.

  • Matisse texture acrylic paints.

  • Matisse light modelling paste and standard modelling paste.

  • Flat paint tray for mixing colours.

  • Water bowl and paper towels.

  • Assorted palette knives (round and pointed) – our preferred brand is Art Spectrum for its quality and selection.

  • Assorted brushes (fine, wedged, and filbert) – favourite brand is Princeton.

  • Liquitex paddle brush for applying base colour.

  • Assorted pencils, charcoal, and coloured pencils.

Art Suppliers

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Coming Up

  • Budgie Beauties Acrylic Painting Workshop
    Sunday, 8 December @ Green Door Studios
    Book here

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JULIE LYNCH