PAINTING CLASSES
Learn traditional painting techniques using acrylics.
All levels welcome.
WHEN: Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm, 8 classes total.
Dates:
October 1st - 1st class
October 8th - class
October 15th - class
October 22nd - class
October 29th - class
November 5th - no class
November 12th - class
November 19th - no class
November 26 - no class
December 3rd - class
December 10th - last class
COST AND PAYMENT: The cost is $250.00. The class will be limited to 10 students.
Classes must be prepaid and students will be accepted on a first come first serve basis.
Please make check payable to Chris Miles and mail to:
Chris Miles
949 Gregson Ave.
Salt Lake City, UT 84106
WHERE: Rockwood Studios: 1064 E. 2100 S. Salt Lake City, UT. Main Floor.
INSTRUCTOR: Chris Miles. To see my work go to www.chrismiles.net
ABOUT THE CLASSES: In these classes you will be painting your own choice of subject
matter, either from photos, your own drawings, still life set ups, or any combination of these.
The focus of the class will be representational painting. Acrylics are suitable for almost all
styles of representational painting. Much of what will be taught in the class is also
applicable to oil painting. The list of materials below is the minimum you will need for the
class. Bring these the first day. Feel free to bring any other materials if you have them.
Bring a subject to paint the first day and also samples of your work or the kind of thing you
would like to do if you have some so I can get an idea where you are coming from and what
you want to learn . The first class will be general information about acrylic painting, a
painting demonstration which will show you how to use all of the materials, and then we
will begin painting. The second class will be a lesson on color and will give you the
language that will enable us to communicate about color as I am helping you with your
painting. Other day's lessons will include drawing fundamentals, painting textures such as
grass, stone , hair, etc, painting smooth gradations such as skies, and preparing surfaces to
paint on. Some later classes will be geared toward particular things students want to learn. I
will bring books on various artists to each class for inspiration and to illustrate painting
techniques. If you have questions call (801) 953-4422 or e-mail me.
Materials
PAINTS: Any brand will work, Liquitex, Utrecht, and Golden are higher quality. Some paint
companies such as Grumbacher and Utrecht make a "student" line of paint which has less
pigment and is a little less
expensive. These are also
adequate for the class. I
think a minimum set would
be 7 colors: black, white,
light yellow (Cadmium
Yellow Light or Lemon
Yellow), red, a warm blue
(e.g. Ultramarine), a cool
blue (e.g. Thalo), and
purple or violet.
BRUSHES: All types of
brushes can potentially be
used to produce different
effects. Generally, short
handled brushes are for water
based media - acrylic and
watercolors, and long handled
brushes are made for oils. I
use short handles
"rounds" (round pointy
brushes) the most, I like
synthetic hair brushes better
than natural hair brushes
because I find they keep a
nicer point. They are also
much cheaper. The big round
brush on the right has been
used so much it has lost it's
point but it's still good for
washes and scumbling. I like
long handled bristle "flats" or
"brights" (flats with rounded
corners) for painting large
areas of larger paintings. If you are buying your very first brushes I would buy one #8 short
handled round and one #8 long handled bristle bright.
SURFACES TO PAINT ON: Good surfaces include stretched canvas coated with gesso,
canvas board, and gessoed hardboard. If aren't sure what you want to paint on I would
recommend canvas board from a craft or art store in sizes "8x10" or 11"x 14". These are
inexpensive and yet of high quality, and are pre-gessoed, making them ready to use.
SEALED PALETTE: You need a sealed palette to keep the paints you are working with in.
The one below on the left is a Masterson Sealed Palette and is the kind I use and like best.
It requires a sponge and special paper which are sold separately. These are kind of pricey,
remember to use your 40% off coupon if you shop at Roberts or Michael's. The most
economical sealed palette is tupperware and a wet paper towel. A sponge placed under
the paper towel will make the paint last longer -2 weeks or so. In either case if you want to
keep your paints longer than 2 weeks add 2 or 3 tablespoons ammonia underneath the
sponge to prevent molding.
PALETTE PAPER: Disposable palette paper,
seen on the right, is used to mix paints on. This
paper is designed specifically for acrylics and has
a wax-like surface that resists water so the paint
doesn't soak into it. ( By contrast, the paper that
goes in the sealed palette absorbs water. Water
absorbs through from the sponge and in this way
prevents the paint from drying out) The gray paints
seen above were mixed with a palette knife on
palette paper and then put into the sealed palette.
8"x10" and 9"x12" are good sizes for palette
paper.
PALETTE KNIFE: I use the style on the left the
most but I think it's just a matter of personal
preference.
WATER CONTAINER : Plastic jugs with holes cut
work well.
SPRAY BOTTLE: You need one spray bottle. The
finer the mist the better. Spray bottles from hair
salon supply stores tend to be of a higher quality
and have a finer mist.
You can see something about how I use these materials at How I Work