Capturing Light in a Still Life Painting (Online Course) Fall 2025 w/ Garima Parakh

September 1 to September 22 (Mondays), 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.

DEMO: https://youtu.be/SMBfWimgDaA

Course Description

We will talk about types of composition and color schemes to depict the desired feeling of light.

You will learn how to identify colors and mix them with ease using logical steps.

I will show you how to set up a still life in different lighting conditions.

You will discover the three main stages of my painting process and how to bring the painting to completion.

Course Outline

Week 1 -

We will start with a talk on composition and look at slides of my favorite painters. I will do a demo on a simple still-life object in high-contrast vs low-contrast lighting. After a demo, students will finish class by creating a value study in greyscale.

Week 2 -

We will learn color mixing using only three colors. Following a demo, students will paint a limited palette version of the still life.

Week 3 -

I will show how to set up a compelling still life in different lighting conditions - back-lit, side-lit, and front-lit. There will be a demonstration in full color. Students can follow along or set up their own.

Week 4 -

We will talk about the final steps necessary to complete the painting like contrast, edge work, and details. The final demo will encompass a more complex still life and how I add the finishing touches.

Each class will consist of a painting demonstration where students are welcome to simply watch or paint along. Homework will consist of creating a painting similar to the one demonstrated in class. Each student will receive feedback on their homework.

Course Materials List

An easel for holding the painting surface

A glass palette for mixing paint

Currently, I use the U-go Easel with a grey glass palette

Oil paints :

Titanium White

Ultramarine Blue

Dioxazine Violet

Pthalo Blue

Permanent Alizarin

Quinacridone Rose

Indian Yellow

Cadmium Yellow Lemon

Cadmium Yellow

Cadmium Red

I use the following but are not a must: Michael Harding Warm White, Titanium White, Indian Yellow, Winsor Newton Winsor Violet, Permanent Rose, Cadmium Scarlet, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Lemon, Ultramarine Blue, Pthalo Blue, Gamblin Permanent Alizarin

Brushes - Good quality Bristle (Natural or Synthetic) brushes sizes 2, 4, 6, and 8 are preferred. Few soft synthetic mongoose brushes (not a must).

I use Robert Simmons Signet and Silver Bristlon brushes

Canvas panels or gesso boards. Any of these sizes work 5x7 to 8X10.

Few brands I use are Centurion Oil Primed panels, Ampersand Gessobord

The odorless solvent in a metal or glass jar with a lid

The brand I use is Monalisa Odorless Solvent for cleaning brushes and to thin paint in the initial stages of painting

Viva paper towels and Gloves

The brand I use for gloves is Semperforce Black Nitrile Gloves

Palette knife mixing paint and cleaning glass palette

I use Blick RGM Long diamond shape palette knife

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