Günther Haidenthaller: Watercolor en Plein Air, Simplified
Fri September 19, 2025 @ 9:00 am – Sat September 20, 2025 @ 9:00 am
Cost: $250 (Two day workshop)
9:00a – 4:00p; Break for lunch: 12:00–1:00 pm
Maximum of 20 / Minimum of 6 – All ability levels
Watercolor has a reputation for being “hard” which is completely undeserved. Yes, it’s a bit unforgiving, but not difficult. We will first cover the basics of composition/design and dialing in the values. Then we’ll get out there into the great outdoors and go hands-on! I’ll do a short demo in how to create background washes with a variety of interesting colors, soft or even lost edges by painting wet in wet, then hard-edged darker shapes for color and temperature contrast, and establishing correct, believable values. Then I’ll turn you loose to find your own inspiration.
The hardest part of painting on location is the local Utah desert environment, where keeping the paper wet and manageable becomes your greatest challenge. But at the end of the day, it’s all about just having fun staining paper!
Miscellaneous information: (basic supplies list)
Use what you’re currently most comfortable with, but here are my suggestions:
• Paint – I personally prefer tube over pan watercolors, Daniel Smith is very reliable for consistency. My palette contains cold and warm versions of the basic primaries; Hansa Yellow Light (cold), Indian Yellow (warm), Pyrrol Scarlet (warm), Alizarin Crimson (cold), Ultramarine Blue (warm), Phthalo Blue (cold), sometimes Cobalt Blue (somewhere in between cold and warm, but makes for brilliant skies). I’ve also been known to use Raw Umber, Payne’s Gray, Burnt Sienna, and Yellow Ochre, but those are mostly for special monochrome effects.
• Brushes – General rule of thumb is use a brush bigger than what you’re comfortable with…teaches you to be bold with your brush strokes! For large-area washes, I like a long flat 1” wide synthetic or blend (the cheaper ones with the clear plastic handles work fine!) or a #6 Squirrel Mop or Quill. For laying in the basic shapes and even some of the details, a #3–#12 long round work well. Then, for the smallest details (tree branches, sticks, twigs, power lines, etc.) a #0–#2 round or what’s known as a “rigger” are perfect for calligraphic mark making.
• Paper – From long, sad experience, I’ve learned that if you skimp and buy the cheapest pad of sketch paper, you’ll be sorry. Strathmore makes a variety of fine watercolor papers, but my all-time favorite is Arches 140lb. or 300lb. 100% cotton rag cold press, which comes in several size blocks/pads. Tape your sheet to a larger piece of ½” gator board or Masonite, then clamp that into your French easel, or other plein air easel system.
• Other stuff – A pint-size water bucket or cup (empty Tang® containers work great!), a roll of paper towels, a plastic garbage bag, an umbrella or pop-up canopy, maybe a comfortable chair (lots of people use those, but I can’t sit when painting!) and a large brimmed hat to keep the sun and glare off you round out your must-haves.
Günther Johannes Haidenthaller emigrated with his family from Austria as a child, and grew up drawing and painting. He studied illustration and advertising design at Utah State University, and spent 27 years as a designer and art director. Günther left full time employment in 2015 to pursue his passion for painting.
Günther works in watercolor, oils, pencil, pen and ink, and yes–crayons! His art can be found in private collections around the United States and in Europe. He is a member of Oil Painters of America (OPA), American Impressionist Society (AIS), is currently the president of the Utah Watercolor Society, vice president of the Intermountain Society of Artists, and Board member of the Midway Art Association. He makes his home in Alpine, Utah.
You can see more of his work at https://www.vonhaiderthalfineart.com
Register Now
