Still Life: Drawing to Painting (Online Course) Fall 2024 w/ Lizzie Black
October 17 to November 14 (Thursdays), 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM, Eastern Time
**All sessions are live and will be recorded, students do not have to be present. All recordings will be available to students for 3 months after the final session, after 3 months the recording will be deleted.
Please check your email spam/junk folder for your Zoom invite.
Course Description
This five-week course will take you through the stages of drawing, learning about tone, perspective and expressive line. We will learn about colour mixing and paint application. Once we have developed the tools and skills needed we will work towards create a still life and composition to paint. Uncover your artistry with this step by step approach and find your own creative language.
The tutor will share reference images from other artists and her own work to inspire you.
Course Outline
Lizzie will take you through a five-week course starting with a foundation of drawing, learning about perspective and tone. She will guide you through the steps of colour mixing and applying paint to a canvas. You will create indoor still lives at home and paint them from direct observation.
2.5 hours online instruction on 5 sessions.
Recorded Demonstrations by Lizzie.
Slide presentations of examples by other artists.
Example of painting process of other paintings already finished by Lizzie.
Feedback offered during or after the sessions.
Students will work with reference photographs and visual resources provided by the teacher, available before or during each class.
Feedback given from finished work up to two weeks after last session.
Week 1 -
Starting with an introduction to Lizzie Black’s studio and work.
Drawing and Observation: Drawing is a strong foundation for painting. Keeping a sketchbook and learning through observation is key to understanding the world around us.
In this session we will learn about drawing looking at other artists work for inspiration. Finding our own expressive mark making through a series of ice breaking exercises and games. Building up a visual language on paper.
Homework: Observational sketching
Week 2 -
Tonal work: Using charcoal and graphite we will make some tonal charts and learn how to translate what we see into tonal contrasts.
How to create a feeling of depth and learn how to describe what is in front of us using tone rather than line. We will translate a black and white photo into a charcoal tonal drawing.
Homework: Tonal sketches
Week 3 -
Perspective: When you know some of the rules behind perspective this can make a huge difference in your art. Setting up a few simple still lives we will go through the basics of learning about lines of perspective and vanishing points through practical drawing activities.
Composition: We will look at some of the basic rules of composition and how we can apply these to our work. This starts with setting up our arrangements as well as looking at some of the great masters still life work as inspiration. Also, we will experiment with how to arrange our composition with the four sides of our canvas.
Week 4 -
Colour: We will go through some practical fun exercises such as making a colour wheel and learning how to mix colours by creating colour swatches. We will learn about primary and secondary colours and how to mix cools and warm hues on your palette.
We will learn about applying paint and become familiar with the qualities and consistencies of oil paint. We will experiment with how to put the paint on the canvas, different mediums and brush techniques, drying times and impasto effects.
Week 5 -
Painting together: We will create a still life with guidance on how to arrange and develop your composition drawing from previous learning.
Having learnt about colour, perspective, composition and we will paint together as a group. Feedback will be given where possible and Lizzie will paint alongside the group enabling students to watch her painting develop throughout the session.
Course Materials List
Paints
I prefer professional or artist quality paints and think you get more
value for money as the pigment content is higher. This is my
chosen selection of colours.
Titanium White
Cadmium Yellow
Yellow Ochre
Cerulean Blue
French Ultramarine
Cadmium Red
Alizarin Crimson
Burnt Sienna
Medium
I prefer low odour medium and linseed oil to slow the drying process and improve the consistency.
Sansodor (low odour)
Linseed oil or Liquin
Use 2/3 Winsor and Newton Sansodor and 1/3 Linseed oil
Jacksons Proffessional oil paint https://www.jacksonsart.com/search/?q=jacksons%20oil%20paint
Brushes
Have a collection Assorted flat/square/round and heavy bristled/ one small rigger brush for detail. I prefer using Pro arte brushes.
Art canvas panels
Have an assortment of at least 5 medium canvases/panels. 10 x 12 inches- 12 x 16 inches
I prefer Cotton canvas panels medium texture. 4mm
https://www.jacksonsart.com/jackson-s-premium-cotton-canvas-art-boards
I paint a ground on my canvas panels before I start to paint. I use acrylic paint yellow ochre with a black paint mixed with gesso. The gesso is optional. I can show you how to prepare these during the sessions. You will need a medium sized decorators brush to apply.
Other art materials
A sketchbook
Soft pencils (2B-4B)
Assorted charcoal
A putty rubber or soft rubber
Cartridge paper A3 or above
Masking tape
Equipment
Palette and table easel or Painting box
Floor easel or French easel or Pochade box if you prefer to stand
A palette knife
Rags or kitchen towel