MEDFORD RICHARD MCKINLEY: ALLA PRIMA - A DIRECT APPROACH 3-Day Workshop

Instructor: Richard McKinley

When: Wed - Fri April 29 - May 1, 2026

Time: 9:30am Start, 12:30pm Lunch, 1:30pm Resume, 4:30pm End

Location: Central Art (MEDFORD)

Max. Capacity: 10 students


Fee: $300


Registration required. Cancellation Policy: Class cancellations made within two weeks of the start date will NOT be refunded (exceptions may be considered on an individual basis for unforeseen emergencies).


Read more about the instructor here 

Alla prima, Italian for "at first attempt", is a direct painting method where artists complete a work in one session capturing heightened spontaneity. This 3-day workshop is open to both pastel and oil painters wishing to learn a direct technique of application. Richard will demonstrate in both mediums and share insights into how to best approach a more spontaneous application of pigment. These works are often referred to as more painterly in nature than techniques relying on multiple layering of pigment.



MATERIALS

McKinley alla prima Workshop Supply List

Artist may work in pastel or oil, or both. Richard will be demonstrating in both mediums.

Pastel Supply List

PASTELS:  Any suitable artist-grade soft pastels may be utilized. Prepare full size pastel sticks for painting by removing labels and breaking sticks in half.  Arrange them by color family and value. Richard will be using his two selections of 50 Girault pastels, totaling 100 pastels (Neutrals & Friends and Plein Air Addition) along with Great American Artworks 91 Half McKinley Landscape set and a few miscellaneous harder pastels (Nu-Pastel: 244-P Blue-Violet and 298-P Bottle-Green; Cretacolor: 140 Mars-Violet and 239 Payne’s-Grey; Rembrandt: 548.3 Blue-Violet.

PASTEL SURFACES: Lux Archival, Pastel Premier, UArt 400 grit, and Mi-Teintes (Canson) Velvet are suitable surfaces. Sizes ranging from 9x12 to 12x16 (12x18) are recommended.

SUPPORT: A smooth surface like GATOR-FOAMBOARD works well. Make sure your support is large enough to allow for a few inches of border all around your pastel surface. Sheets of tracing paper or glassine may be used to protect the pastel painting surfaces. Binder clips, available from any office supply store, are useful for clipping two boards together for transport.

MISC.:  Digital Camera (smart phone may suffice), Paper Towels, Neutral colored Drafting or Artists Tape to attach paper to backing board, Black ph-balanced Masking Tape, Sketchbook-Notebook, Black felt-tip marker (medium tip), 2b or HB Pencils, Pencil Sharpener.

Oil Supply List

PAINTS:  A good artist grade such as WILLIAMSBURG or GAMBLIN. Titanium/Zinc mixed White (large tube), Cadmium Yellow Light (Gamblin use Cadmium Yellow Medium), Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson Permanent, Ultramarine Blue, Viridian Green, Burnt Sienna.

BRUSHES:  An assortment of fine quality hog hair BRISTLES. FILBERTS or FLATS in sizes ranging from 1/8 inch to 1 inch in width. (Numbers vary by brand so look for widths.) If possible have 2 of each size.

     A diamond shaped painting knife - 1 inch to 2 inch in length.

PALETTE:  A large flat surface (size 12x16 or 16x20). Avoid a white surface, a neutral gray palette is recommended. Glass (1/4^th inch) makes an excellent palette.

SOLVENTS:  A large container of the finest artist grade ODORLESS PAINT THINNER such as Gamblin's GAMSOL and a metal container for brush washing.

SUPPORTS:  Canvas or Linen, either acrylic or oil primed. Sizes: 8x10 to 12x16. Be prepared for at least one or two a day.

MISC.:  Digital Camera (smart phone may suffice), Paper Towels or face tissues, Sketchbook-Notebook, Black felt-tip marker (medium tip), 2b or HB Pencils, Pencil Sharpener.