The Art of Sketching & Painting

This package provides an in-depth exploration of the drawing and/or painting aspects of visual arts, with a focus on the mediums graphite and oil. Through a tailored experience oriented towards both skill building and the student’s individual artistic interests, they will learn to engage in constructive examination and construction of pieces, and gain perspective in both their creative works and the world around them.

Level 1 includes the following techniques:

Graphite Sketching 1:
– Graphite shading and rendering, and the different value gradations
– Directional light and shadow, including reflective light
– Constructing three dimensional, geometric objects
– Use of tortillons, precision and kneaded erasers to achieve a smoother transition between shadows
– Application of matte fixative to preserve pieces and prevent smudging

Oil Painting 1:
– Maintenance and storage of artistic space and supplies, as oil requires more tools, careful cleaning, and stain on most surfaces.
– Identifying proper canvas size based on artistic goal
– Primary color mixing, with an introduction to color theory
– Blending of compatible secondary colors, and how to identify whether they create either earthy or vibrant tones
– How to use different brushes for soft edges, sharp edges, or fine lines.

The Level 2 option below require prior experience with the visual arts and the desired medium(s), which will be assessed prior to Session 1. It is strongly recommended to take the above Level 1 classes if the student is not familiar with the foundational skills of said medium(s). Otherwise, the student can take both the Level 1 and Level 2 classes within one medium for one class package, instead of taking classes for two mediums.

Graphite Sketching 2:
– Hatching and crosshatching, or stippling (stippling is optional as it is time consuming) to create the illusion of form
– One point perspective with 3D shapes
– Creating works from colored reference photos
– The circle technique to identify black and white value
– An introduction to black and white charcoal

Oil Painting 2:
– How and when to layer pigments
– Using a palette knife to create texture
– Using graphite sketching and gesso to give more structure to paintings before using oils
– An introduction to underpainting
– Sfumato and impasto construction techniques, as needed