Working In Series (Online Course) Fall 2025 w/ Robin Cheers
September 2 to September 30 (Tuesdays), 1:00 PM to 3:30 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/ORyLHH6ifkc
Course Description
The goal of this course is to focus our creative time and energy into creating works in series. Working in a series can help an artist develop consistency in their style and their voice. By focusing on a specific idea or subject, students have an ongoing source of inspiration and don’t struggle with not knowing what to paint next. Exploring something specific allows an artist to become familiar and comfortable with a subject, and, I think, more willing to be more expressive and more likely to have a breakthrough.
Students will pick a subject or material that will be the focus for the following weeks’ exercises. I would love to see quantity over quality as students explore ideas, techniques and materials in their theme. The more you create, the better you get.
Hopefully students will have a sense of accomplishment, a better sense of what drives them to create, and a small body of work to share at the end of the course.
Course Outline
Week 1 -
Find your inspiration. Is there a favorite subject you want to explore? If you’re used to painting one thing at a time, and sort of randomly engaged, then this is an opportunity to really dig deep into a subject that excites you. I will share my experiences with working in series and demonstrate some techniques that help me start to unlock my creativity.
HW - Gather materials – reference photos, collage elements, books that inspire, and plan your theme for the coming weeks. Make some sketches, thumbnails or small color studies. Set a goal for the number of works you want to create.
Week 2 -
This week’s demonstration will focus on composition and design. How to make decisions that lead your viewer to your center of interest and what you want them to see and feel when looking at your works.
HW – Work on your ideas in quick succession if you can this week. Explore the same scene in 3 different ways, working concurrently if you can.
Week 3 -
This week we will focus on color exploration – the emotion of color, creating atmosphere and effects. We’ll also talk about energy, enthusiasm, and making time for art.
HW – Continue to explore your theme. Making multiple small paintings.
Week 4 -
This week we delve into mark making, tools, and textures and how they can apply to your work both in initial planning stages and while applying paint to canvas.
We will also talk about how to critique our own work. This is a great time to take an overall look at what we’ve done so far. I’ll share ways to evaluate the work without being judgmental.
HW – Continue to explore your theme by painting a larger piece or two this week based on your earlier studies and your self-critiques.
Week 5 -
Reviewing all we’ve done over the course of the previous weeks, my final demonstration to bring all the techniques and ideas together one more time. We will also talk about “What next?”
We’ll discuss the next steps in your journey with this series. Maybe you’d like to share this series in an exhibition or use the ideas to apply for grants or residencies. Maybe you want to start another series. Final goals will be to name your paintings and summarize your series in a short statement.
Course Materials List
Reference/Preparation
Spend some time thinking about your goals and a theme for the coming weeks. You might want to explore still life, or a special spot outdoors, you might want to think in more abstract ways, color families, a certain size or proportion, a certain subject. Something that you can find or create reference for and explore in depth with each piece relating to the theme. Gather materials – reference photos, collage elements, and books that inspire. Make some sketches, thumbnails or small color studies.
Colors:
Students can use their usual palette with at least the following colors. But use any colors that inspire!
Cadmium Red Light or Napthol Red*
Permanent Alizirin Crimson
Cad, Hansa* or Winsor Yellow
Permanent Orange*
Ultramarine Blue
Manganese Violet
Kings Blue
Pthalo, Viridian or Winsor Green
and
Titanium White
Tools/Brushes:
Variety of long handled brushes #4 - #10 (filbert, round, egbert etc)
- Hog Bristle: will lay down lots of paint, take some abuse, and leave visible stroke marks.
- Synthetic or Sable/Mongoose: used for glazing, fine details and smooth soft strokes (better for acrylics).
Chip brushes 1-2”
Small to medium size spatula palette knife
Scraping tools – Princeton Catalyst wedges, plastic cards, bowl scraper, color scrapers, putty knife
Viva or Job Squad paper towels
Surfaces:
Canvas pad, linen or cotton canvas, oil/acrylic paper, carton board or heavy watercolor paper, old paintings to work overtop
Mediums:
Gamblin Solvent Free Gel* or linseed or walnut/alkyd, cold wax
Gamsol or Turpenoid OMS
Sundries:
Wood, glass or paper palette
Jar for solvents/water
Sketchbook
* These are what I use for my palette to avoid strong odors, and heavy metals like cadmium, cobalt, etc. for a safer studio. Students may use whatever materials they are most comfortable and familiar with.
September 2 to September 30 (Tuesdays), 1:00 PM to 3:30 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/ORyLHH6ifkc
Course Description
The goal of this course is to focus our creative time and energy into creating works in series. Working in a series can help an artist develop consistency in their style and their voice. By focusing on a specific idea or subject, students have an ongoing source of inspiration and don’t struggle with not knowing what to paint next. Exploring something specific allows an artist to become familiar and comfortable with a subject, and, I think, more willing to be more expressive and more likely to have a breakthrough.
Students will pick a subject or material that will be the focus for the following weeks’ exercises. I would love to see quantity over quality as students explore ideas, techniques and materials in their theme. The more you create, the better you get.
Hopefully students will have a sense of accomplishment, a better sense of what drives them to create, and a small body of work to share at the end of the course.
Course Outline
Week 1 -
Find your inspiration. Is there a favorite subject you want to explore? If you’re used to painting one thing at a time, and sort of randomly engaged, then this is an opportunity to really dig deep into a subject that excites you. I will share my experiences with working in series and demonstrate some techniques that help me start to unlock my creativity.
HW - Gather materials – reference photos, collage elements, books that inspire, and plan your theme for the coming weeks. Make some sketches, thumbnails or small color studies. Set a goal for the number of works you want to create.
Week 2 -
This week’s demonstration will focus on composition and design. How to make decisions that lead your viewer to your center of interest and what you want them to see and feel when looking at your works.
HW – Work on your ideas in quick succession if you can this week. Explore the same scene in 3 different ways, working concurrently if you can.
Week 3 -
This week we will focus on color exploration – the emotion of color, creating atmosphere and effects. We’ll also talk about energy, enthusiasm, and making time for art.
HW – Continue to explore your theme. Making multiple small paintings.
Week 4 -
This week we delve into mark making, tools, and textures and how they can apply to your work both in initial planning stages and while applying paint to canvas.
We will also talk about how to critique our own work. This is a great time to take an overall look at what we’ve done so far. I’ll share ways to evaluate the work without being judgmental.
HW – Continue to explore your theme by painting a larger piece or two this week based on your earlier studies and your self-critiques.
Week 5 -
Reviewing all we’ve done over the course of the previous weeks, my final demonstration to bring all the techniques and ideas together one more time. We will also talk about “What next?”
We’ll discuss the next steps in your journey with this series. Maybe you’d like to share this series in an exhibition or use the ideas to apply for grants or residencies. Maybe you want to start another series. Final goals will be to name your paintings and summarize your series in a short statement.
Course Materials List
Reference/Preparation
Spend some time thinking about your goals and a theme for the coming weeks. You might want to explore still life, or a special spot outdoors, you might want to think in more abstract ways, color families, a certain size or proportion, a certain subject. Something that you can find or create reference for and explore in depth with each piece relating to the theme. Gather materials – reference photos, collage elements, and books that inspire. Make some sketches, thumbnails or small color studies.
Colors:
Students can use their usual palette with at least the following colors. But use any colors that inspire!
Cadmium Red Light or Napthol Red*
Permanent Alizirin Crimson
Cad, Hansa* or Winsor Yellow
Permanent Orange*
Ultramarine Blue
Manganese Violet
Kings Blue
Pthalo, Viridian or Winsor Green
and
Titanium White
Tools/Brushes:
Variety of long handled brushes #4 - #10 (filbert, round, egbert etc)
- Hog Bristle: will lay down lots of paint, take some abuse, and leave visible stroke marks.
- Synthetic or Sable/Mongoose: used for glazing, fine details and smooth soft strokes (better for acrylics).
Chip brushes 1-2”
Small to medium size spatula palette knife
Scraping tools – Princeton Catalyst wedges, plastic cards, bowl scraper, color scrapers, putty knife
Viva or Job Squad paper towels
Surfaces:
Canvas pad, linen or cotton canvas, oil/acrylic paper, carton board or heavy watercolor paper, old paintings to work overtop
Mediums:
Gamblin Solvent Free Gel* or linseed or walnut/alkyd, cold wax
Gamsol or Turpenoid OMS
Sundries:
Wood, glass or paper palette
Jar for solvents/water
Sketchbook
* These are what I use for my palette to avoid strong odors, and heavy metals like cadmium, cobalt, etc. for a safer studio. Students may use whatever materials they are most comfortable and familiar with.
September 2 to September 30 (Tuesdays), 1:00 PM to 3:30 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/ORyLHH6ifkc
Course Description
The goal of this course is to focus our creative time and energy into creating works in series. Working in a series can help an artist develop consistency in their style and their voice. By focusing on a specific idea or subject, students have an ongoing source of inspiration and don’t struggle with not knowing what to paint next. Exploring something specific allows an artist to become familiar and comfortable with a subject, and, I think, more willing to be more expressive and more likely to have a breakthrough.
Students will pick a subject or material that will be the focus for the following weeks’ exercises. I would love to see quantity over quality as students explore ideas, techniques and materials in their theme. The more you create, the better you get.
Hopefully students will have a sense of accomplishment, a better sense of what drives them to create, and a small body of work to share at the end of the course.
Course Outline
Week 1 -
Find your inspiration. Is there a favorite subject you want to explore? If you’re used to painting one thing at a time, and sort of randomly engaged, then this is an opportunity to really dig deep into a subject that excites you. I will share my experiences with working in series and demonstrate some techniques that help me start to unlock my creativity.
HW - Gather materials – reference photos, collage elements, books that inspire, and plan your theme for the coming weeks. Make some sketches, thumbnails or small color studies. Set a goal for the number of works you want to create.
Week 2 -
This week’s demonstration will focus on composition and design. How to make decisions that lead your viewer to your center of interest and what you want them to see and feel when looking at your works.
HW – Work on your ideas in quick succession if you can this week. Explore the same scene in 3 different ways, working concurrently if you can.
Week 3 -
This week we will focus on color exploration – the emotion of color, creating atmosphere and effects. We’ll also talk about energy, enthusiasm, and making time for art.
HW – Continue to explore your theme. Making multiple small paintings.
Week 4 -
This week we delve into mark making, tools, and textures and how they can apply to your work both in initial planning stages and while applying paint to canvas.
We will also talk about how to critique our own work. This is a great time to take an overall look at what we’ve done so far. I’ll share ways to evaluate the work without being judgmental.
HW – Continue to explore your theme by painting a larger piece or two this week based on your earlier studies and your self-critiques.
Week 5 -
Reviewing all we’ve done over the course of the previous weeks, my final demonstration to bring all the techniques and ideas together one more time. We will also talk about “What next?”
We’ll discuss the next steps in your journey with this series. Maybe you’d like to share this series in an exhibition or use the ideas to apply for grants or residencies. Maybe you want to start another series. Final goals will be to name your paintings and summarize your series in a short statement.
Course Materials List
Reference/Preparation
Spend some time thinking about your goals and a theme for the coming weeks. You might want to explore still life, or a special spot outdoors, you might want to think in more abstract ways, color families, a certain size or proportion, a certain subject. Something that you can find or create reference for and explore in depth with each piece relating to the theme. Gather materials – reference photos, collage elements, and books that inspire. Make some sketches, thumbnails or small color studies.
Colors:
Students can use their usual palette with at least the following colors. But use any colors that inspire!
Cadmium Red Light or Napthol Red*
Permanent Alizirin Crimson
Cad, Hansa* or Winsor Yellow
Permanent Orange*
Ultramarine Blue
Manganese Violet
Kings Blue
Pthalo, Viridian or Winsor Green
and
Titanium White
Tools/Brushes:
Variety of long handled brushes #4 - #10 (filbert, round, egbert etc)
- Hog Bristle: will lay down lots of paint, take some abuse, and leave visible stroke marks.
- Synthetic or Sable/Mongoose: used for glazing, fine details and smooth soft strokes (better for acrylics).
Chip brushes 1-2”
Small to medium size spatula palette knife
Scraping tools – Princeton Catalyst wedges, plastic cards, bowl scraper, color scrapers, putty knife
Viva or Job Squad paper towels
Surfaces:
Canvas pad, linen or cotton canvas, oil/acrylic paper, carton board or heavy watercolor paper, old paintings to work overtop
Mediums:
Gamblin Solvent Free Gel* or linseed or walnut/alkyd, cold wax
Gamsol or Turpenoid OMS
Sundries:
Wood, glass or paper palette
Jar for solvents/water
Sketchbook
* These are what I use for my palette to avoid strong odors, and heavy metals like cadmium, cobalt, etc. for a safer studio. Students may use whatever materials they are most comfortable and familiar with.