November 7-9, 2014

Painting from life is a key to successful painting and a skill to practice as much as possible. While working from life is essential, it is not always possible, so it is also useful to know how to work from photograhs when necessary. We will then learn how to integrate life painting skills into studio paintings from photographs in order to maintain the aliveness that comes from working from life.

We will cover topics such as how to:

• Compose a photograph for use in a studio
• Adjust a photo for the most vivid color & value range
• Add color & value from memory of life paintings

This workshop is useful for both intermediate and advanced painters. Prior painting experience necessary. Group and individual instruction provided, with demonstrations throughout; emphasis on oil painting, all media welcome. Please see materials list for suggested supplies – some easels are available.

Instructor: Seamus Berkeley is an international award winning painter and portrait specialist with studios in Berkeley, CA and Taos, NM.

Please register online now—class is limited to 12 students.

Convenient bicycle friendly Berkeley location, bus stops within 2 blocks and available street parking.

For more information, call 510.984.1850 or email.

“Seamus has the gift of artist and instructor and is able to project his experience for the student to understand. He is patient and funny and it is a pleasure to be in his class.” ~Amy W.

October 10-12, 2014

In this workshop Seamus will be working individually with each artist, helping you to set up your own composition and to work toward a finished painting. With demonstrations throughout, group instruction will focus on topics such as using thumbnails and composition, as well as beginning, reaching a mid-point, and finishing a work. Each phase can provide different challenges but also refreshing insight to your work; how each of these phases affect and transform the final product will be discussed.

This workshop is for you if you are looking to concentrate on:

• Refining your end result from step one
• Fully utilizing thumbnails
• Generating important reflection points throughout a painting

This workshop is useful for painters who have some confidence in their abilities and are looking for direction with their ongoing work; emphasis on oil paints, other media welcome. Some painting experience necessary. Please see materials list for suggested supplies – some easels are available.

Instructor: Seamus Berkeley is an international award winning painter and portrait specialist with studios in Berkeley, CA and Taos, NM.

Please register online now—class is limited to 12 students.

Convenient bicycle friendly Berkeley location, bus stops within 2 blocks and available street parking.

For more information, call 510.984.1850 or email.

“Seamus’ classes are fun and conducive to learning and wanting to succeed. He encourages the students to learn from each other and there has been a lot of good will and friendship built up among the students.” ~Patricia B.

August 15-17, 2014

Perspective is important for everything you paint because in every subject, there is a point of view and a horizon line. At this workshop, learn simple techniques for identifying and capturing a perspective that adds great interest to your paintings. Seamus will cover how to identify the vanishing point, horizon line, create perspective in foreshortening, shadows and ellipses. This is an opportunity to approach your paintings in a whole new way.

As with all classes instructed by Seamus Berkeley, the intent will be on learning the fundamentals, leaving you, the artist, to develop your unique expression and vision. Focal points of this workshop will be:

• Orchestrating a cohesive composition
• Proper set up & measuring
• Perspective from every angle: vanishing points, foreshortening, shadows & ellipses
• Expanding your confidence painting still life and real world environments

Join Seamus Berkeley in order to learn from a lifetime of painting, and to better orient yourself in front of the canvas; Seamus’s skillful advice and delight in teaching might just push you toward surmounting hurdles within your work which have been (knowingly or not) holding you back from accelerating to the next level.

This workshop is useful for painters at all levels; emphasis on oil paints, other media welcome. Some painting experience necessary. Please see materials list for suggested supplies – some easels are available.

Instructor: Seamus Berkeley as an international award winning painter and portrait specialist with studios in Berkeley, CA and Taos, NM.

Please register online now—class is limited to 12 students.

Convenient bicycle friendly Berkeley location, bus stops within 2 blocks and available street parking.

For more information, call 510.984.1850 or email.

“He gives good attention to each student and the individual work during the class, as well as occasional painting technique demonstrations. The location is convenient with plenty of parking. The other students have a range of abilities, and they add to the overall class atmosphere.” ~Gina P.

June 20-22, 2014

Continuing in this fundamentals series, this workshop will concentrate on composition: how to organize your ideas for a painting, on the canvas. Areas covered include planning the setup, measuring, and placement of desired subjects on the canvas. Thinking outside the box is always welcomed! Studying composition with an experienced painter and alongside other students may help inspire and challenge you to push the limits of your personal palette of creativity.

Attend this workshop if you want to:

• Learn specific tools for measuring space on your canvas
• Be exposed to new techniques for placing and orienting your subjects
• Think differently about your blank canvas: the opportunities are endless!

The workshop will include demonstration, as well as group and individual instruction.

This workshop is useful for painters at all levels; emphasis on oil paints, other media welcome. Some painting experience necessary. Please see materials list for suggested supplies – some easels are available.

Instructor: Seamus Berkeley as an international award winning painter and portrait specialist with studios in Berkeley, CA and Taos, NM.

Please register online now—class is limited to 12 students.

Convenient bicycle friendly Berkeley location, bus stops within 2 blocks and available street parking.

For more information, call 510.984.1850 or email.

“Seamus Berkeley’s oil painting classes are well organized, clear and provide a supportive atmosphere for learning.” ~Gina P.

May 23-25, 2014

We often tend to focus on the beauty of the color of objects and light and shy away from investigating the darks. Overlooking this aspect of our environment tends to limit the range of our expression.

We will explore how to assess values, and then how to create that corresponding value with the paint. We’ll also practice letting go of the hesitancy to use the full range of values. This practice creates more dynamic paintings.

In this workshop, you can expect to:

• Redefine contrast among lights, darks, shadows & find balance on a canvas
• Differentiate between hue values and the end result values of your materials
• Challenge your understanding of contrast in a painting

Taking a deeper look into the darks and learning how to integrate them correctly, according to your artistic vision (and regardless of subject) can enrich and enliven all of your paintings. Definitely fun… and a bit of a challenge!

The workshop will include demonstration, as well as group and individual instruction.

This series is useful for both beginning and intermediate painters; emphasis on oil paints, other media welcome. Some painting experience necessary. Please see materials list for suggested supplies – some easels are available.

This workshop is useful for both beginning and intermediate painters. Some painting experience necessary. Group and individual instruction provided, with demonstrations throughout; emphasis on oil painting, all media welcome.

Instructor: Seamus Berkeley as an international award winning painter and portrait specialist with studios in Berkeley, CA and Taos, NM.

Please register online now—class is limited to 12 students.

Convenient bicycle friendly Berkeley location, bus stops within 2 blocks and available street parking.

For more information, call 510.984.1850 or email.

“The opportunity to study with Seamus Berkeley is a gift. An accomplished Fine Artist, Seamus shares his vast knowledge by effectively demonstrating a wide variety of oil painting techniques and tools..” ~Maggie C.