"Capturing the Essence"
Workshops
Led by Julie T. Chapman
in conjunction with the Triple D Game Farm

** Important details / FAQs **

Past experience has taught me that this information will help participants better judge what to bring and what the workshop will be like. Please read on and then email me if you have any questions - thank you!
 
How will the workshop benefit me? We will be working from life in sketching and from photographs in painting and drawing, with critique from nationally known artist Julie T. Chapman. All levels will benefit from the experience - sound drawing skills are the foundation on which successful animal paintings are built.

This workshop is NOT about producing a finished painting in a few days. It is meant to give you FABULOUS reference material and experience with animal behavior, gesture, and anatomy so you can produce your own paintings at home.
 
What are the photo shoots like? Typically we will carpool to one of several scenic natural locations in which the shoot is held. Most of the time we are actually in a big open compound with the animal, except for animals like bears or tiger (which are behind a low fence for safety). We will get to move around and photograph the animal from all angles, and we will be able to get very close to the subject. The Triple D folks are VERY good at moving the animal around and putting it into great poses. The animals DO move continually, however, and you need to be fast on the shutter!

If you have little experience with animal photography, practice beforehand at home with a digital camera and a cat or dog...or go to a zoo. Please also be sure you thoroughly understand camera settings, exposure, and digital image formats beforehand. If not, I strongly urge you to invest a few dollars and little time in studying digital photography beforehand - for example, with Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book ($12 at Amazon).
 
How should I dress? This is Montana, and it's very casual. Plus, we will be outdoors at least part of each day in rugged field conditions.

FOR SUMMER: Plan on wearing sturdy outdoor pants, light ayers (Montana gets cool at night, even in the summer), and rugged shoes suitable for rough terrain. Check the weather before you come - if it's rainy, bring appropriate clothing and possibly warmer layers.

FOR WINTER: Layers, and lots of them! Long underwear, fleeces, insulated pants that allow you to sit/kneel on snow or cold ground comfortably, insulated boots, gloves, and a hat or ear protection.
 
What photo gear should I bring?
  • A good digital SLR camera, preferably. You can shoot with a digicam, but you may find that the camera doesn't keep up with the animals, and the settings are too limited to allow you to set exposures yourself. I use a Canon pro digital body (the EOS 1D MarkII-N).
  • An 80-210 or similar lens is ideal. I use the Canon 100-400 almost exclusively when I'm at Triple D.
  • PLENTY of memory cards. This is one area not to stint! I shoot with a 12 GB card in my camera, and always have at least an 8 GB and 4 GB card with me as backups.
  • An extra camera battery. Always.
  • A photo pack of some sort (buttpack or similar) will come in very handy for the batteries, cards, and lenses.
  • A monopod is also very handy to support the camera for the long periods we'll be shooting.
  • A spare camera body is also always a good idea. In a recent workshop, one of my participants dropped her camera from a rock ledge while hiking...and she ended up missing out on 4 or 5 of our photo sessions.
What art gear should I bring?
  • Several good LARGE (11x14 or larger) sketchpads - plan to use up paper, DON'T STINT.
  • (Optional) A sketching support such as a big clipboard.
  • A variety of sketching materials: charcoal, marker, Conte stick. DON'T bring materials that will make you "fussy" or tight, such as pencil or a technical pen. I like the Wolff carbon pencils, and participants often end up borrowing these from me.
  • Medium-valued paper plus black and white chalks for our toned-paper exercises
  • Painting kit (in your preferred medium) for several monochrome paintings.
  • (Optional) color media; easel
What other gear will I want? Daypack, water bottle, sunscreen, snacks
Should I stay at the Triple D cabin or another motel in Kalispell? This depends on your comfort level with sharing bathrooms with others. When I'm in the field I'm used to living in a camper with no bathroom facilities except the great outdoors, so a bedroom and shared bath are luxurious for me! However, this may not be your idea of a great time - so please plan accordingly.

With each workshop I've held, the cabin ends up filling right away and we all enjoy "happy hour" at the end of the day, sharing pizza and beer, talking art, and generally making the experience an "art camp".