COURSE DESCRIPTION
This is a studio course that offers painting as an investigation of the properties of light, color, application, space and mark-making through the exploration of paint. We'll work on rendering from life, photo reference and imagination and paint a variety of subject matter including: abstraction, landscape, still life, animal, portrait, figurative and more. Class periods will be split between demonstrations, critiques and individual work time. Projects are centered on the creative process and exploring painting techniques. Exercises become more complex as students work from initial sketches to more developed pieces. Upon completion of this course, students should:
- Improve their ability to see (The first step to visual understanding and communication)
- Thoroughly understand the painting process from start to finish
- Demonstrate a variety of painting techniques
- View the work of established artists and incorporate ideas into his/her own work
- Have started the process of being able to express their thoughts in visual form
- Critically assess their own art
For many, painting is not a gift that comes naturally but rather a skill that has been developed with much practice. In my class, raw talent is not as important as a desire to be creative and a determination to learn. This class would be beneficial for both the novice and those with some experience. See below for examples of student artwork from this class.
This is a studio course that offers painting as an investigation of the properties of light, color, application, space and mark-making through the exploration of paint. We'll work on rendering from life, photo reference and imagination and paint a variety of subject matter including: abstraction, landscape, still life, animal, portrait, figurative and more. Class periods will be split between demonstrations, critiques and individual work time. Projects are centered on the creative process and exploring painting techniques. Exercises become more complex as students work from initial sketches to more developed pieces. Upon completion of this course, students should:
- Improve their ability to see (The first step to visual understanding and communication)
- Thoroughly understand the painting process from start to finish
- Demonstrate a variety of painting techniques
- View the work of established artists and incorporate ideas into his/her own work
- Have started the process of being able to express their thoughts in visual form
- Critically assess their own art
For many, painting is not a gift that comes naturally but rather a skill that has been developed with much practice. In my class, raw talent is not as important as a desire to be creative and a determination to learn. This class would be beneficial for both the novice and those with some experience. See below for examples of student artwork from this class.
ASSIGNMENTS
COLOR WHEEL
Design a themed, 12 section color wheel
(possible themes: about YOU, nature, sports, music, science, movies, animals, pop culture, etc.)
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- What are some themes around which you could create your color wheel?
- What is some imagery / objects that you associate with each of the colors on the color wheel?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- Colors must be in the correct color wheel order
- In each colored section you must only use that one color with tints, shades and / or tones of that color
- Use JUST primary colors to mix the other 9 colors (3 secondary & 6 tertiary colors)
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
What can you write about your art that is NOT already visually obvious? (inspiration / opinions / thoughts)
Design a themed, 12 section color wheel
(possible themes: about YOU, nature, sports, music, science, movies, animals, pop culture, etc.)
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- What are some themes around which you could create your color wheel?
- What is some imagery / objects that you associate with each of the colors on the color wheel?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- Colors must be in the correct color wheel order
- In each colored section you must only use that one color with tints, shades and / or tones of that color
- Use JUST primary colors to mix the other 9 colors (3 secondary & 6 tertiary colors)
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
What can you write about your art that is NOT already visually obvious? (inspiration / opinions / thoughts)
FRACTURED STILL LIFE
Design an interesting composition of at least 3 objects which is fractured into at least 15 sections.
(Think of it as though you are looking at a still life through a broken mirror)
BRAINSTORMING QUESTION
- What is some imagery / objects that would be interesting to include in your fractured still life?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- Use a limited color scheme of 2-5 colors (choose 1-2 main colors with the rest as accent colors)
- Must mix tints, shades or tones of colors
- Create depth & textures by painting in layers
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
Design an interesting composition of at least 3 objects which is fractured into at least 15 sections.
(Think of it as though you are looking at a still life through a broken mirror)
BRAINSTORMING QUESTION
- What is some imagery / objects that would be interesting to include in your fractured still life?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- Use a limited color scheme of 2-5 colors (choose 1-2 main colors with the rest as accent colors)
- Must mix tints, shades or tones of colors
- Create depth & textures by painting in layers
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
ILLUSTRATED WORDS
Create an artwork inspired by a song, poem, quote or other text. Creatively combine the words with images to communicate a unified message or idea. Your design, as ALWAYS, must be an original idea, do NOT copy!
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- What is your favorite lyric or poem?
- Why are those words so memorable?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- Must include words with your images. If you have fewer words they should be larger and painted but if you have a lot of text you can hand write it smaller with pen / marker.
- Your text should be artistic in nature; look up calligraphy and research different fonts for ideas.
- Create depth & textures by painting in layers
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
Create an artwork inspired by a song, poem, quote or other text. Creatively combine the words with images to communicate a unified message or idea. Your design, as ALWAYS, must be an original idea, do NOT copy!
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- What is your favorite lyric or poem?
- Why are those words so memorable?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- Must include words with your images. If you have fewer words they should be larger and painted but if you have a lot of text you can hand write it smaller with pen / marker.
- Your text should be artistic in nature; look up calligraphy and research different fonts for ideas.
- Create depth & textures by painting in layers
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
PAINTED COLLAGE
For this mixed media piece, you will first cut & paste imagery from books, magazines or other printed sources for your background. Then paint a wash over the collage. (a wash is a THIN layer of paint, you will still see the collage but it will look foggy) Next, you should paint something interesting as the main focus. (a person, animal or scene would probably be best, something like a baseball or other simple object is NOT recommended)
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- What theme / imagery would be interesting for this assignment?
- How do you plan to visually / conceptually connect the background imagery with the main subject?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- Your painting must be the focal point
- The collage must work with the painting to add conceptual and / or visual depth
- Create depth & textures by painting in layers
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
For this mixed media piece, you will first cut & paste imagery from books, magazines or other printed sources for your background. Then paint a wash over the collage. (a wash is a THIN layer of paint, you will still see the collage but it will look foggy) Next, you should paint something interesting as the main focus. (a person, animal or scene would probably be best, something like a baseball or other simple object is NOT recommended)
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- What theme / imagery would be interesting for this assignment?
- How do you plan to visually / conceptually connect the background imagery with the main subject?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- Your painting must be the focal point
- The collage must work with the painting to add conceptual and / or visual depth
- Create depth & textures by painting in layers
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
FAUVISM PORTRAIT
Fauvism is the style of les Fauves (French for "the wild beasts"), a group of early 20th-century modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong color over the representational or realistic values retained by Impressionism.
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- You have to choose one person or animal to paint, who / what is it?
- What fauvism color scheme would work well with that person / animal?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- Human or animal portrait (close-up of the face)
- Fauvism color scheme (vibrant / non-natural colors)
- Mix your colors including tints & shades (at least 3 values)
- Create depth & textures by painting in layers
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
Fauvism is the style of les Fauves (French for "the wild beasts"), a group of early 20th-century modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong color over the representational or realistic values retained by Impressionism.
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- You have to choose one person or animal to paint, who / what is it?
- What fauvism color scheme would work well with that person / animal?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- Human or animal portrait (close-up of the face)
- Fauvism color scheme (vibrant / non-natural colors)
- Mix your colors including tints & shades (at least 3 values)
- Create depth & textures by painting in layers
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
SPIRIT ANIMAL
In certain spiritual traditions or cultures, spirit animal refers to a spirit which helps guide or protect a person on a journey and whose characteristics that person shares or embodies. Spirit animals often appear to people in their dreams.
Research at least 5 spirit animals. Find an animal that you feel connected to or similar to in some way and then create a work of art that incorporates both a human figure / portrait (that represents you) AND at least one animal. Creatively connect the human & animal in the composition.
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- What mammals, reptile, bird, fish and insect do you feel connected to or interested in?
- Have you had a memorable experience with an animal, that is not a pet?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- Do research & work from multiple references
- Include both a human figure / portrait (that represents you) AND an animal(s)
- Make the figure and / or animal doing something that is connected to you (a sport, reading, play videogames, etc)
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
In certain spiritual traditions or cultures, spirit animal refers to a spirit which helps guide or protect a person on a journey and whose characteristics that person shares or embodies. Spirit animals often appear to people in their dreams.
Research at least 5 spirit animals. Find an animal that you feel connected to or similar to in some way and then create a work of art that incorporates both a human figure / portrait (that represents you) AND at least one animal. Creatively connect the human & animal in the composition.
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- What mammals, reptile, bird, fish and insect do you feel connected to or interested in?
- Have you had a memorable experience with an animal, that is not a pet?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- Do research & work from multiple references
- Include both a human figure / portrait (that represents you) AND an animal(s)
- Make the figure and / or animal doing something that is connected to you (a sport, reading, play videogames, etc)
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
MEMORY
Create a painting that is inspired by a personal memory. It could be a vacation you went on, a holiday or family celebration, it could be of a specific person, place or thing. Whatever the subject is, it should have personal meaning to you and be based on something from your past.
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- What are some of your fondest memories?
- What role do people, location and activities play in your memories?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- You MUST work from photo reference (ideally photos you took, however if you don't have photos of this memory then still work from photos to recreate this memory)
- Create depth & textures by painting in layers
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
Create a painting that is inspired by a personal memory. It could be a vacation you went on, a holiday or family celebration, it could be of a specific person, place or thing. Whatever the subject is, it should have personal meaning to you and be based on something from your past.
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- What are some of your fondest memories?
- What role do people, location and activities play in your memories?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- You MUST work from photo reference (ideally photos you took, however if you don't have photos of this memory then still work from photos to recreate this memory)
- Create depth & textures by painting in layers
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
FOUND OBJECT
Find an object on which you can paint. The item could be a dull object, an old article of clothing, something you find in nature or even something you literally dig out of the garbage / recycling. You can also find a world of possibilities at D.I. for just 5 - 10 dollars. What you paint on the object should either visually or conceptually be connected to the object.
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- What house hold objects do you think would be fun to paint on?
- What specific imagery would you paint on those objects that would visually / conceptual be connected to that object?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- If your object is flat, you must paint on more than 1 side
- Create depth & textures by painting in layers
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
Find an object on which you can paint. The item could be a dull object, an old article of clothing, something you find in nature or even something you literally dig out of the garbage / recycling. You can also find a world of possibilities at D.I. for just 5 - 10 dollars. What you paint on the object should either visually or conceptually be connected to the object.
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- What house hold objects do you think would be fun to paint on?
- What specific imagery would you paint on those objects that would visually / conceptual be connected to that object?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- If your object is flat, you must paint on more than 1 side
- Create depth & textures by painting in layers
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
SURREALISM
After watching both of the videos below, create a surrealistic scene which includes transformation, dislocation and juxtaposition. The end result should be dream-like or nightmarish. Explore the idea of symbolism and your unconscious mind. The more strange, kooky, random, eerie, appropriately shocking and otherworldly the better!
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- What is the most INSANE (and appropriate) dream / nightmare you've ever had?
- What is the most bizarre scene you recall from a movie, show or book?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- You must include all 3 surrealistic elements listed below and each one must be visually separate from the others.
Transformation - Physically alter / change how something looks (bicycle with a jet engine)
Dislocation - Put something where it doesn't belong or in an unusual place (bicycle under water)
Juxtaposition - Place two things together that would be a strange combination (a fish riding a bicycle)
- Must have a foreground, midground and a background.
- Work from multiple references
- Create depth & textures by painting in layers
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
After watching both of the videos below, create a surrealistic scene which includes transformation, dislocation and juxtaposition. The end result should be dream-like or nightmarish. Explore the idea of symbolism and your unconscious mind. The more strange, kooky, random, eerie, appropriately shocking and otherworldly the better!
BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS
- What is the most INSANE (and appropriate) dream / nightmare you've ever had?
- What is the most bizarre scene you recall from a movie, show or book?
Requirements
- AT LEAST 6 HOURS
- You must include all 3 surrealistic elements listed below and each one must be visually separate from the others.
Transformation - Physically alter / change how something looks (bicycle with a jet engine)
Dislocation - Put something where it doesn't belong or in an unusual place (bicycle under water)
Juxtaposition - Place two things together that would be a strange combination (a fish riding a bicycle)
- Must have a foreground, midground and a background.
- Work from multiple references
- Create depth & textures by painting in layers
- Must include an artist statement: At least 3-5 sentences which help others better understand & appreciate your art.
INSTRUCTIONAL
INSPIRATIONAL