Acrylic Workshops

Acrylic Workshop Outline for March 4, 2011.

Overview

I am offering a series of five semi-private acrylic workshops for experienced artists currently using acrylics or any other painting medium.  For folks new to acrylics, the workshops will provide hands on experience on how to work with this fast drying, versatile medium. Experienced acrylic artists will learn new methods and approaches to get the most from this wonderful paint.  I will share with you all of the painting processes and methods I have developed over 30 years of painting.  You can see my paintings and processes on my art site: www.donsfineart.com.

Prerequisites

The student must have two to three years of painting experience, a basic knowledge of drawing, composition and color theory; and a willingness to try something different and out of their comfort zone in the creative arts.

Objectives

Each workshop will focus on specific methods to get the most from this versatile medium. The workshops are best taken in order as each workshop will build on the lessons of the previous workshop. There will be homework assignments at the end of some sessions.  These completed assignments will be needed for the following session.

• The workshops will be held once a week in my studio at 100 Mountain Village Road, Windham, NH.

• The workshops will be held on Friday evenings.

• The workshops will start promptly at 6:30 PM, and end at 9:00 PM.

• The workshops are two-and one-half hours each, for a total of twelve and one half hours instruction.

• Maximum class size is five.

• The cost for the series of five workshops is $125 for 5 weeks, 12.5 hours of instruction.

• An initial deposit of $25 is required to reserve a space and is non-refundable in case of cancellation. The remainder ($100) is due at the first class.  There is a registration form at the back of this brochure.

• Weather driven cancellation: When conditions force the closing of the local school system, there will be no workshop that evening.  A make up session will be added to the end of the workshops.

Contact Information: Telephone 603-890-6883 or e-mail at donsfineart@comcast.net

You can visit my Web Site www.donsfineart.com

Workshop Outlines

Workshop #1:  We’ll focus on the following;

1. The importance of a well-prepared painting surface.
2. The basic set of useful tools (Handout A).
3. The properties of acrylic paint (Handout B).
4. Surface preparation (canvas boards, Masonite, canvas and cotton duck).
5. Obtaining the texture of the painting surface, rough to ultra-smooth.
6. You will prepare two canvas boards and two stretched canvases using gesso, short nap rollers, styrene scrapers and “wet” water.
7. Paint additives, “wet water”, acrylic medium and extending or shortening the paint’s drying time.
8. The use of hair dryer, rags, sponges and paper towels.

Supplies you need to bring to workshop #1:

• Basic group of acrylic colors (Handout C).
• A pallet or pallet papers.
• Two (2) 16 X 20 canvas boards.
• Two (2) 16 X 20 stretched canvases; Winsor Newton or Fredrick are preferred.
• One (1) Lowe Cornel, Ultra Round brush: either a number 10, 12 or 14 size or equivalent.  These can be purchased at A. C. Moore’s (don’t forget to use those weekly coupons).
• Any of your favorite brushes you like to use.
• An old dish towel or soft rag.
• A glass pickle jar or equivalent.
• A photograph (or two), or small still life project.

Workshop #2:  Focus on getting the image you want to paint onto the canvas.

1. Using photographs as a starting point for a painting.
2. Determining the size of the finished drawing.
3. Deciding what to leave in or out of the painting.
4. Scaling up a drawing or photograph.
5. Transferring the drawing to paper.
6. Labeling the grid on the photograph and drawing paper.
7. Mapping key points on the photograph/paper.
8. Getting the drawing on the canvas.
9. Make your own “carbon” paper.
10. Transferring the drawing from the paper to the canvas (this is where the good canvas preparation pays off).

Supplies you need to bring to workshop #2:

1. • A 12 inch ruler
   • A few pencils
   • Eraser
   • A photograph or picture with one or two simple objects you want to paint.

Workshop #3:  This workshop will focus on the following.

1. Choosing the color to tone the canvas.
2. Why it helps to wet the back of the canvas.
3. Toning the canvas.
4. Random pattern backgrounds.
5. Use of the large and small spray bottles to create visual texture.
6. Putting on the first wash.
7. Laying on additional washes and textures.
8. The use of “scumbles” of various colors to build up visual interest on skies or other large areas.

Supplies you need to bring to workshop #3:

• One or two of the prepared canvas or canvas boards.
• A photograph or drawing of a subject you want to paint.
• Your brushes, paints and pallet.
• More rags.

Workshop #4:  This workshop will focus on the following.

1. Brushes.
2. Brush control.
3. Painting directly with no preliminary drawing.
4. Painting wet-in wet.
5. Painting with a “scumble”.
6. When to use a “dry brush” stroke.
7. Developing a visually neutral background for a still life painting.
8. Using opposite color washes to under-paint an object to improve the color and visual complexity of the painted surface.

Supplies you need to bring to workshop #4:

• One or two of the prepared canvas or canvas boards.
• A photograph or drawing of a subject you want to paint.
• Your brushes and paints.

Workshop # 5:  Putting it all together:

Painting textures and rendering surfaces such as rocks, wood, metal, trees, skies, feathers, water, fir.  If time permits, we will have a review of previous workshops with a question and answer session.

Supplies you need to bring to workshop #5:

• One or two of the prepared canvas or canvas boards.
• A photograph or drawing of a subject you want to paint.
• Your brushes and paints.