Drawing 

  • 6B drawing pencils

  • Pressed charcoal

  • Soft eraser

  • Sketchbook (at least 8" x 10")

Painting Supplies

For Watercolor:

  • Arches paper, 140 lb. or

  • watercolor block/pad (11 X 14)

  • Jar for water

  • Plastic mixing palette with wells

  • Paper towels

Brushes

Red or white sable (assorted sizes) #4, #6, #8,

Paints

  • Ultramarine Blue

  • Cadmium Yellow or Transparent Yellow

  • Alizarin Crimson

  • Hookers Green

Optional colors:

  •  Cadmium Orange

  • Cobalt Blue

  • Lemon Yellow

  • Ultramarine Violet

  • Yellow Ochre

Miscellaneous Supplies

  • Box for supplies

  • Jar for brushes

  • Ruler

  • Utility knife

 

Syllabus for Beginning Drawing

Text: Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain by Betty Edwards (optional)

Contour Drawing, Chapters 1-6, pencil, hands: Homework, Hand Dance. Use right brain techniques to develop eye-hand coordination. Draw at least 3 hands in different positions across the page and pay attention to composition. Practice with blind contour before your drawing homework.

Contour Drawing, sticking ink, plant: Homework, use a stick and indkto draw a plant on large brown wrapping paper or torn shopping bag. Bits smeared white chalk can become simple highlights.

Negative Space Drawing. Plant, keys, chair. Homework: negative apace drawing of a chair with edges hitting at least three sides. A different way of seeing opens up the right brain and visualizing negative space is a great aid to composition. Chapter 7

Tone and Value: Pencil, black and white photos, value scale. Create a value scale from white to black in at least 8 steps. Homework: Tonal drawing of black and white photo. The use of values from white black increases the illusion of 3-dimension on a flat page.

Tone and Value: Pencil and charcoal drawing of ping pong ball and white napkin. Homework: Pencil drawing of still life - white egg, pingpong ball and white napkin. Chapter 10

Drapery: Hanging cloth. One in class and one at home. Recognizing the variety of values in drapery is great training for tonal drawing.

Drapery: Fabric draped on a chair. One in class and one at home.

All techniques will be demonstrated and all homework will be evaluated and gently critiqued.

Syllabus for Beginning Watercolor Painting

Color Wheel: Create a color wheel to begin understanding color mixing and the emotional impact of color.

Washes: Learn the techniques of Blended and Graded washes, Wet into Wet and Wet onto Dry washes. Practice at home. Create a plaid painting of all your colors to better understand how colors mix and transparency and opacity of certain colors.

Color Value Studies: Create a value study of a color from lightest to darkest in at least 8 steps. Paint spheres and cubes using graded values to increase the illusion of three- dimensions. Practice 2 more colors at home.

What is Chroma: Paint a chroma scale to better understand the dullness or brightness of a color ; Very useful for creating crest shadows and cast shadows. Create a chroma scale of a different color at home.

Monochromatic painting: Brown paper bag. Pay attention to composition, value and watercolor skills. (Teacher demo)

Monochromatic painting; Hanging Drapery. Pay attention to composition, value and watercolor skills. Do one at home. (Teacher demo)

Simple Still Life: Arrange a white napkin, brown or white paper bag and pingpong ball for a simple still life. Photograph it to finish at home.

All techniques will be demonstrated and homework will be evaluated with gentle critiques.

Syllabus for Intermediate and Advanced Watercolor Painting

September - December, 2024

Snow and Ice: In water color, leaving the white paper for “white” spaces in a the painting is a fun and typical technique. Shadows on snow are particularly beautiful shades of blue and purple. From your personal photos, Crete a snow scene after seeing snow images and watching a demo. 2 weeks

Birds: Taking bird paintings out of the realm of sweet and cute is your challenge! Bring in photos of unusual birds, flocks of birds or unusual settings for birds. See images of bird paintings, watch a demo and create a painting. 2 weeks

Koi: Painting watery images width watercolor is fun and challenging. Darks of the water, orange values of the fish, ripple and wave patterns, bubbles and high contrast will be the goals to Create watery scenes with your fish. Find your personal photos of koi ponds and go for it! Watch and see images of koi paintings and a demo. 2 weeks

May -June, 2024. (5 weeks)

Victorian Cage Card: Use painting and paper craft to create this wonderful interactive greeting card/sculpture. Find 2 images from personal photos that relate, to create two different paintings. (bud/flower, acorn/oak tree, popcorn kernels/popcorn pieces, etc.). See images of cage cards, and watch demos of paper cutting technique and painting. Bring in thinner drawing paper for cutting practice and first painting, and thicker watercolor paper, 140-300 lb., for second painting. If you do not have watercolor or drawing experience, “play” with your imagery and keep it simple . (Bring all watercolor supplies. While quality supplies are always desirable, less expensive supplies will work for this project. ) 3 weeks

“Cook” Your Colors: Paint with natural dyes like beet juice, boiled onion skins, coffee and tea. Begin experimenting at home with different vegetables and fruits whose juice creates beautiful colors. Try blueberries, cranberries and pomegranates. See what kind of green boiled spinach makes. Cook these down to thin concentrates, put them in jars and bring to class to create paintings of natural objects, maybe the fruits or vegetables you used to make the dye. Bring in watercolor paints just in case desired colors are missing. Watch a demo of a painting of a natural object. 2 weeks

Suggested Supplies for Adult Drawing and Painting