Painting: Water Media

Course Description:
Beginning Water Media
Gouache, Acrylics, Watercolor & Ink-wash painting, we do it all! Exercises encourage experimentation and play. Demonstrations or lectures are given on technique, composition, color theory, art history and design.  Some supplies are provided with $5.00 materials fee. You will need watercolor paper, one 3/4inch flat brush, one #6 Round brush and a (cheap is ok) watercolor set. All levels welcome. This is a fun and skill-enhancing class done in a friendly cooperative workshop format.
Times: Offered Mondays days (9/14-11/ 2) from 1-4PM 8- 3 hr. meetings
ACE site: 591 W. Fremont Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94087
Fee: $66 for those age 18-49, $30 for those 50 or older
Instructor: Zoya scholis
Contact: zoya@ ArtforpersonalGrowth.com 

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

Please note, this syllabus is used as an example. Each session and class is 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 
• "Crtiique" 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 Pyrrole Red
Blue: Ultramarine Blue and Phthalo Blue
Yellow: Cadmium Yellow Medium, and Nickel Azo Yellow
White: Titanium White
Black: Mars or Lamp Black

Surfaces: 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 (at least six).

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