Discover how a portrait is so much more than simply recording proportions, it can be one of the most expressive drawings you can create. We will focus on identifying the simple patterns and forms that are the basis for a well-designed portrait, students will learn through demonstration to use form, value, and line to develop expression. Students should bring a printed photo or an image on iPad/tablet to work from. Images with clear lighting are easiest but working with images in all lighting situations will be addressed.
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Oil Painting Basics
This class provides insight into oil painting for beginners starting out in oils to experienced painters developing techniques. During a demonstration of developing composition, participants discover the results of painting wet in wet and creating form with color. By understanding how the paints work, students will be able to translate what they see into finished oil paintings. Emphasis will be on employing a full range of techniques to create an expressive painting. Students can choose to work from their own photos or from still life.
Landscape Painting
How do artists capture the mood and light effects in landscape? In this workshop, participants explore how to use color and form to create an expressive landscape painting. A demonstration shows how to see color and simple shapes as a starting point and how to create atmospheric perspective and depth while developing individual styles. The class can be offered as an oil painting or a watercolor class.
Exploring the Mellon Collection: I Spy through Herbert Haseltine’s Eye
This workshop begins with I Spy with My Artist’s Eye, a warm-up game that helps students see the world of nature through their “artist eyes.” Through this exercise, students learn to identify an “artist’s alphabet” of the elements and shapes found in nature. (A poster serves as a quick reference during the sessions.) Once the students have begun to use their “artist eyes,” they explore Herbert Haseltine’s animal sculptures through slides and photographs. Inspired by his work, they create an animal using the “animal alphabet.” These drawings are transferred to watercolor paper and painted with watercolors and oil pastels using a resist technique. The finished work is mounted on a brightly colored card stock, which “frames” the piece. A dramatic finish (optional) is provided as the students use colored paper clips to join the squares to form a paper quilt.
Exploring the Mellon Collection: I Spy through George Catlin’s Eye
In this workshop, students study the paintings of George Catlin through slides and photographs. After learning about Catlin’s interest in preserving and documenting the life and culture of the North American native tribes, students explore aspects of their own lives that they would most want to document and share with another culture, as Catlin did when he visited Europe. Students create tempera paintings on cardboard that reflect what they have learned and discovered.
Encaustic Painting & Mixed Media Lab
Encaustic painting is an ancient process that dates back to 5th century BC. Pigmented beeswax is heated on a griddle and applied to rigid panels with brushes. The results yield luminous, richly layered work that has its own unique character. Students will learn classic encaustic painting techniques and explore how to combine them with contemporary processes, such as surface embellishment, image transfer, incising, collaging, and creating marks and images with oil paint, pastels, markers, and inks. It is an ideal complement or stand-alone process for oil painters, printmakers, collagists, sculptors, watercolorists, and other artists. So that students can continue their exploration of this versatile medium on their own, this lab provides information on supply sources, setting up a studio for encaustic work, safety guidelines, framing, and exhibition considerations. For high school and above.
Drawing for the Rest of Us: An Introduction to Drawing
If you can write, you can draw! Drawing is just another form of visual communication, a skill that can be developed by anyone. This workshop is an introduction to basic drawing tools, drawing warm-up exercises, and techniques that can be used to help you build a foundation to experience the joy of drawing.
Botanical Watercolors
This workshop teaches basic watercolor techniques through exercises designed to help the participant understand the different color properties and improve brush control. Information on paper, paint, and drawing techniques used in botanical art will be discussed. Basic drawing skills are required to draw the botanical specimen from which you will paint an elegant botanical watercolor.
An Introduction to Drawing in the Manga-Anime Style
Do you love reading manga or watching anime, and wish that you could create your own stories and characters? This workshop is for anyone who is interested in drawing in the Japanese Manga-Anime style. Students are introduced to the techniques used by manga and anime artists to help transform their ideas into manga-style drawings. Some drawing experience is helpful, but not necessary for this workshop.
Abstract Watercolor Exploration
Watercolors have the reputation of being the most challenging painting medium. The unforgiving white of the paper and the uncontrollable nature of water make this medium intimidating. Through a series of exercises, participants will learn how forgiving white paper can be and how to control water and pigment. Focusing on color and composition, participants will practice techniques while creating small and large abstract paintings. This class is designed to motivate every participant to love watercolors.