Acrylic & Oil Painting

Course Description

In this fun and interesting class, we will be exploring standard painting techniques such as masking, wet and dry brush painting, knife painting, glazing, and color mixing. Lectures, demonstrations and exercises change weekly. Individualized guidance and critique are offered when appropriate.

Current classes are organized through Sunnyvale Cupertino adult Education www.ace.fahsd.org

Please note, this syllabus is used is used as an example. Each class is changed, adjusted and modified.

Wk 1 Introductions & Materials:

• Class overview and discussion
• Discussion of Materials, review supplies  list
• How to set-up
• Introductions
• Grid painting demo: experiments w/ line thickness, and directional lines and swirls and depth illusion 
• "Critique" what we notice while doing this exercise

Wk 2 Composition: 

• Composition
• Set-up one object 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 Black

Surfaces: 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 BIG 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 creativity

Questions for the teacher? zoya@artforpersonalgrowth.com