6 sessions – 90 minute each session – limited to 6-7 students
Instructor: Olja Stipanovic
DATES: February 5th, 2018 – March 12th 2018
Mondays, 7.30pm-9pm
Cost: $300 (Weekly installments may be arranged in-studio)
Overview:
This introduction to oil painting provides students with an opportunity to explore and understand this challenging medium. In this course we will engage with technical, practical, and concept based problems involved with the practice of oil painting. Participants will become familiar with oil painting through a variety of assignments that highlight technology, methods, chemistry, color, surface, space, and volume composition. Students explore a range of oil color specific challenges and processes through painting [unconventional] still life assignments. Each session will allow one-on-one time for discussion of your studio work and targeted study or troubleshooting. Techniques include underpainting, oil sketching, small studies, glazes, direct painting and finishing with varied textural applications of paint. Great emphasis is placed on artistic process and technical skill building.
February 5th, 2018 – Session # 1 – The cookout
Students will learn the basic elements [anatomy] of an oil painting. We will prepare several variations of support [stretchers – wooden frame, hardboard, plywood, canvas (cotton duck or linen) and paper] to be used in following sessions.
Students will learn how to construct stretchers, stretch canvas and apply primers. We will try both traditional primer using rabbit skin glue [that is not what it is made of, but it is animal derived collagen] and calcium carbonate [half chalk ground] as well as modern acrylic gesso. Each student will start preparing one traditional canvas that will be used for the final project.
February 12th, 2018 – Session # 2 – Finishing the primers and Underpainting
Students will try a value study, grisaille, sepia and other underpainting techniques. Students complete monochrome still life. Discussion and demonstration of color value and high key painting.
February 19th, 2018* – Session# 3 – Pigment/Color
Students will learn about the basic pigments and binders– what to look for when buying or making paints. Permanence. Understanding color through use of a Limited Palette – students pick one natural pigment and make their own oil color paint that will be the dominant color in the assignment. Mixing colors.
February 26th, 2018 – Session #4 – Deep space
Texture – creating impasto, spatula work, dry-brush scumbling, reflective glazes, blending, matt surface. Glazing mediums. Drying times and paint application techniques.
March 5th, 2018 – Session # 5 – Painting on the stretched canvas
Students start painting on the traditionally prepared canvas. Assignment will include everything learned so far.
March 12th, 2018 – Session #6
Intermediate and final painting and varnishing. Q& A. Basic oil painting recipes.
* February 19th – Presidents Day: if we find that too many people are absent for this session we will push the series one week forward and have the last class end on March 19th instead of 12th.
Supply list:
STUDIO provided:
RSG, chalk, priming brushes, rags, pans, jars, containers, brush soap, some canvas and some brushes, one plywood board per participant, drop cloth/protective paper, canvas stretching tools – staple gun, canvas pliers, L-squares, scissors, screwdrivers, cleaning supplies, pencils, palette paper or tray, easels, support boards, clips, charcoal pencils, props, still life materials, spot-lights, drying rack/space, storage space for class supplies.
STUDENT provided:
BRING BY FIRST CLASS
Painting surfaces – at least one set of heavy duty professional stretchers [I suggest 10” x 10”, 12”x 12” or 14”X 14” stretchers – larger sizes might need cross braces and more supplies to prepare properly].
· Wood frame panels, painting boards, Masonite boards] DO NOT BUY pre-stretched gessoed canvas like fredrix and similar]
· Acrylic gesso – [pint or larger]
· Gesso brush 1 ½” or 2”
· Canvas – cotton duck or linen – half yard or one yard
· Apron or some other comfortable protective clothing
BRING BY SECOND CLASS
· One set of oil paints [Titanium White- [lots of – buy a big tube], Ivory Black, Cadmium Red, Permanent Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Pthalo Blue, Cadmium Yellow Light, and Cadmium Yellow. Buy each of these colors in 200ml tubes. Technically those are all the colors you need, but you should also get a few greens and browns until you learn more about mixing colors. Pick up some Permanent Green Light, Viridian, Burnt Umber, and Burnt Sienna to round out your palette.
· Brushes: two small, two medium, and two large – natural bristles
· Turpentine [for thinning paint]
· Turpenoid or Mineral Spirits (solvents for cleaning)
· Linen seed oil – cold pressed, 8oz or larger
· Stand oil – small bottle [this is not a substitute for linen seed oil]
· One Gamblin Artist’s Colors Dry Pigment – you choose the color
· Cobalt drier
· 1-2 spatulas and palette knives
· Apron or some other comfortable protective clothing
· Sketching and drawing paper
· Damar varnish
· Cotton rags and sponges
Please bring as many supplies as you can to first class – you will be given safe storage space, so you do not have to carry your supplies every time. Decide if you want to buy small quantities or plan to share/save with another student.
I suggest Utrecht www.utrechtart.com or Artist & Craftsman supply https://www.artistcraftsman.com
Any prep or shopping questions please email: oljas004@gmail.com