Painting for Everyone in Oils or Acrylics with Ash Frost

This painting course is open to anyone, from beginners to those with prior experience who are seeking a painting studio experience and to learn from an experienced art tutor. Over the 8 weeks, the course will explore some fundamentals including tone and colour, perspective and proportions and finding structure in the painting. We will also look at drawing exercises to help discover gestures and movement in the work.  Students can work on their own subject or seek direction from their tutor.

Note: Tutor Michael Simms will be guiding students in weeks 5 and 6 of term 4 2024.

What to expect

• Each week the class will start with a short demonstration and tutorial and then, students will be given the option to proceed with their own work or create a work based on the week's program.
• Over the course, students will learn compositional techniques to help establish ideas for new paintings from a wide range of genres including still life, interiors, landscape, portrait and figure studies.
• While this is an 8 week term, students are welcome to attend class on a casual basis and pay per class. When you book for 3 or more sessions in one transaction you will get a 10% discount. (No other discounts apply.)

What you will achieve

Students will:

• Learn to bring colour, light and energy into paintings
• Learn about composition, colour harmony and more
• Learn approaches to applying paint and mark-making
• Learn about classical and modern master painters
• Understand the methods that can move a painting from representation to abstraction
• Learn to work from a range of sources including drawings, oil sketches and black and white photographs

Material List

Note: While this is a comprehensive list for artists who have built up their materials kit, for students new to this course please bring what you have to the first class and you can discuss the list with your tutor depending on your personal learning goals.

• Pencil/charcoal and some paper or an A4 sketchbook
• Palette – A4 or A3 size clear perspex, traditional timber palette or disposable. (Avoid using plates as a palette)
• Rags (lots!), Masking tape, about 4 jumbo bulldog clips
• Brushes (variety of sizes with a few bigger ones as well as small/thin ones for details)
• Palette knives, at least two.
• For supports: it's a good idea to have a range of boards or canvases from as small as 20cm up to 60cm.
• 3-4 sheets of white or off-white Stonehenge paper 56x76cm
• Reference material: Bring a variety of pictures/photos/drawings of landscapes and interiors that inspire you – plus any sketches you may have done.
• Paints: Students may use acrylic or oil paints only. Please use student quality or better paints.
• If using oils and you're sensitive, please bring a box of disposable gloves.
• Clean up: Use soap and some heavy-duty scourers. 
• Optional: A colour wheel and Greyscale chart

The following list will provide you with the essential colours in oil or acrylic

• Warm red (In order of preference 1. Cadmium Red, or, Vermillion or Spectrum Red );
• Cool Red (1. Quixonachrome Magenta or 2.Alizarin Crimson);
• Cool Blue (1. Cobalt Teal or 2. Cerulean Blue or 3. Tasman Blue)
• Warm Blue (1. Ultramarine Blue or 2. Cobalt Blue);
• Cool Yellow (1. Lemon Yellow or Cadmium Yellow Light);
• Warm Yellow (1. Yellow Ochre, 2. Cadmium Yellow Deep or 3. Spectrum Yellow,)
• Titanium White
• Raw Umber or Burnt Umber, either one is fine. We mix this with your blue to make a black.

The following list will provide you with some extra colours that are worth buying

• An additional white - Zinc White
• Some additional earth colours including Transparent Red Oxide, Burnt Sienna
• Some additional secondary colours include Phthalo Green or Viridian green, Quixonachrome Violet or Spectrum Violet, Cadmium Orange or spectrum orange

If working in acrylics

• Acrylic mediums: Glaze painting medium, impasto medium, crackle medium

If working in oils

• Oil mediums: Gamsol solvent, linseed oil and liquin. Do not bring any other mediums as these may release airborne toxins
• Oil painters should wear disposable gloves, and have some paper towels and a couple of lidded jars to recycle solvent.

About studio classes

Our class sizes are small, ensuring you receive the individual tuition you need. We have a maximum of 12 students per class.

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