Saturday Painting

For this class, you can purchase your own supplies (see below) or have them provided and ready for your use. Select the option you prefer when reserving your class.

This painting class provides an introduction to painting and is followed by an interactive open format that encourages and provides live discussion and guidance. Acrylic paint is the primary medium used for this class, but I encourage the exploration and use of other painting mediums to experience the advantages of each.

This painting class introduces students to painting, techniques, and concepts, with emphasis on artistic expression. I will guide you through color theory, perspective, composition, figure/ground relationships, and spatial concepts. You will learn how to paint by using reference images (figurative paintings you admire or photos you have taken). With practice and guided instruction, you will be able to capture your surroundings and further express yourself through painting.

I recommend having a variety of sizes for each shape (rounds, filberts, and brights) to more fully experiment and experience the variety of brushstrokes possible. Given the circumstances, any brush (including the most common rounds) will enable you to learn the fundamentals taught in this class. When I began painting in acrylics (I first learned to paint using watercolors), after much research, I began with three brush widths for each shape above; 1/4”, 1/2”, and 7/8”. You will learn that there is a strong correlation with increasing the sizes of your brushes as you increase the size of your canvas. For any painting up to 18” x 24”, you will find the above brush sizes very capable. However, you may end up needing even smaller brushes if you decide to paint finer details.

I use Golden Heavy Body Acrylics in our in-person classes as they are highly-regarded and respected by artists. (I use them exclusively.) Given the circumstances, any paint (including what you find outside of art stores), that contains red, yellow, blue, white, and black, will enable you to learn the fundamentals taught in this class.

I recommend using an 11” x 14” or 12” x 16” primed canvas. I find this size to be the most comfortable and manageable for our students. Given the circumstances, you can use any canvas size. Typically larger canvases take longer to complete. You can also paint on just about anything including paper, cardboard, wood, metal, glass, and walls. Multi-packs of 3/4” thick canvases are a recommended option.

Our students are provided with gray-toned palette paper for our in-person classes. Another alternative is wax paper (for easy disposal and clean up), ceramic and glass plates, and plastic and metal palettes.