Acrylic Painting
Course Description
Find out what’s new and great about acrylics! In the past, artists have preferred oils for good reason, color saturation and durability. Over the last few years acrylics have vastly improved, providing high quality results without the toxicity concerns and at half the price of oils! In this fun and interesting class, we will be exploring standard acrylic techniques such as masking, wet and dry brush painting, glazing, and color mixing. No previous experience is necessary. Fun and lively discussion included.
Classes organized through Sunnyvale Cupertino adult Education www.ace.fahsd.org
Location to be announced
Thurs. 6:00-9:00 PM, 3/27-5/22/08 (skip April 17, 8 sessions)Syllabus
Wk 1 Introductions & Materials:
- Introductions
- Discussion of Materials, review supplies list
- Grid painting demo: experiments w/ line thickness, and directional lines and swirls and depth illusion
- Discussion of Options & class overview: subject matter progression of difficulty:-still life, landscape, and portraiture. Step by step or open ended, music, pot luck etc.
Wk 2 Composition:
- Slides- focus on composition
- Set-up still life,
- Underpainting-blocking -in and erasing
- Clean-up & critique (focus on composition)
Wk 3 Color:
- Demo color mixing
- Set up more complex still life
- Paint
- Clean-up & critique focus on value balance & dramatic lights/shadows
Wk 4 Perspective:
- Slide show,
- Demo perspective under painting
- Set-up till life w/ table & in room
- Paint time (with guide lines)
- Clean-up and critique focus on illusion of depth
Wk 5: Portraiture & Proportion:
- Slide show
- Set-up partners for modeling
- Clean-up and critique
- B.Y.O. Art to copy next time
Wk 6 Individualized Projects:
- Slides, books & magazines for inspiration
- Color washes demo
- Drawing/ painting time
- Clean & Critique
Wk 7 Individualized Projects :
- Books & magazines for inspiration
- Watercolor technique demo
- Painting time
- Clean, Critique
Wk 8 Individualized Projects & Pot luck
- Magazines for inspiration
- No demo
- Painting time
- Clean, Critique and Eat
MATERIALS
Paint: I would suggest the small tubes until you’re sure you are in love, then go for the jars. You get what you pay for in terms of color quality (density and saturation), Golden is high end, Basic is low (but fine if you’re on a budget).Red: Cadmium Red Medium and/or Pyrrole Red
Blue: Ultramarine Blue and/or Phthalo Blue
Yellow: Cadmium Yellow Medium, and/or Nickel Azo Yellow
White: Titanium White
Black: Mars BlackSurfaces: At least six canvas boards 9”X12” or bigger for in class exercises, then your choice of canvas, paper (watercolor grade 140 lb or heavier), panel, or any other portable nontoxic surface you wish to paint on for your own projects.
Brushes: Again, price usually indicates value here but you’re in luck! Synthetic brushes are fine for acrylics. They are generally less expensive and easier to care for than the oil brushes! If you have water color or oil brushes of approximately the same size you may use them.
- #2 (1/4 inch) round
- ½ inch flat (or filbert)
- 1/4 inch flat (or filbert)
- 3/4 inch flat (or filbert)
- 1 inch flat (or filbert)
(If you want to paint bigger buy bigger brushes and surfaces.)
Other: pallet or painting knifes, spray bottle, medium sized water jar or can, rags, apron, wax paper pallet.
Ideas: You may want to find some images- photos from magazines, sketches or prints to “copy” I will also supply some for the class.
Optional: gesso, latex gloves, straight edge, stencils, scissors, medium (gloss or matt to change texture, create glazes and/or delay drying time).
Three Rules:
1. Change "I'm not good at this" to "This is new to me."
2. Doing something new and unfamiliar takes courage. Something called you here; trust it.
3. Demos are to show a way, not The way.
About the Teacher
Zoya Scholis has a BA Studio Arts, Cal State Hayward U. 1993
16 years experience teaching, 10 years facilitating workshops on creativityQuestions for the teacher? zoya@artforpersonalgrowth.com