Thomas O’Brien 

Friday–Sunday, 10 AM–3 PM 
March 12–14 
(3 days, 15 total hours of instruction) 
La Jolla Studio 
$240/260 + $20 materials fee paid to instructor 

This three-day, hands-on workshop explores how deliberate brushwork creates texture, movement, and visual interest in landscape painting. Using the Southern California coast as our subject, we’ll begin with a color-theory primer and examine how Impressionist painters used broken color and optical mixing to convey light. 

Through demonstrations, focused studies, and individual instruction, students will explore brush selection, paint loading, directional marks, edges, and mixing directly on the painting surface. Brushwork practice runs throughout all three days, with topics woven together as the work develops.  

The goal is to become comfortable leaving colors partially mixed and working loosely while maintaining accuracy, clear color relationships, and intentional marks. Suitable for adventurous beginners through advanced painters. 

 Suitable for adventurous beginners through intermediate painters. 

Materials:  

Paint: Gouache, acrylic, or oils. (Instructor will be using gouache.) Limited palette: Titanium White, Cobalt Blue, Cobalt Teal (turquoise variant is okay too), Lemon 
Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Red Light, 
Magenta. Additional colors may be brought if preferred. Brushes: #10 flat/filbert, 
#6 or 4 flat/filbert, #10 round, 1/2” or 1” fan brush, rigger/liner brush. Surface: 
watercolor paper (140/300 lb/g cold or hotpress or equivalent painting surface), or watercolor board or painting panel/canvas (optional, but paper is recommended for learning). Drawing materials: HB or 2B pencil, kneaded eraser, sketchbook (recommended). Other: mixing palette, water container or solvent container (appropriate to your medium), paper towels, painter’s tape or clips. 

Max Students: 15