man sitting painting at easel

Online Painting Explorations: Spring Remix

Spring is in the air, and we are thinking about blossoming trees and gathering outdoors. For this Spring Remix course, students will be inspired by 5 different artworks in the AGO collection as jumping off points for our own painting explorations. Students will learn a series of paint techniques along with value and form, sgraffito, hard edge painting, as well as putting elements of rhythm into landscapes, and abstraction in a portrait. Students will complete a variety of projects using acrylic paint in this foundation-level course, taught live by an AGO Artist Instructor.

Every season, we offer projects inspired by artworks in the AGO Collection, including new acquisitions as well as special exhibitions where indicated. Instructors also develop personalized approaches to their teaching techniques focused on student interests and needs. Students are encouraged to discuss their learning goals with their instructor.

Terms and Conditions of Participation in Online Courses.

Please review the Terms & Conditions for course experience optimization. 

Participants must be 18 or older. 

WEEKLY OUTLINE

Week 1: Value and Form. Introduction to materials with black and white paint, shape and form, through a still life. Students will create a greyscale and paint the moon to understand transparency.  Collect still life objects available to work from: fruit, an interesting shiny bottle, a piece of fabric (without a pattern) to place your objects on, a roll or two of paper towels as objects. And a desk lamp to light it.

Week 2: Colour and Texture. Introduction to basic colour wheel, the technique of sgraffito, and exploring other texture techniques using your own still life set up of fruit, flowers, or plants, and something textured, like a basket or fabric. And a desk lamp to light it.

Week 3: Hard Edge Painting. Using masking tape to create hard edge geometric abstract paintings. You need a ruler and masking tape. 

Week 4: Rhythm in Landscape like Emily Carr.  Bring a photo of a landscape, possibly with trees, islands, mountains, bodies of water or foggy distances.

Week 5: Abstraction of the Portrait. Use all the skills learned in previous weeks. Either have a picture of someone (side view or front view) to work from or a mirror and paint yourself.

STUDENT MATERIAL LIST 

Acrylic paints, brand of your choice, one tube of each colour, approximately 120 ml/5oz: 

  • Primary blue, cyan
  • Primary red and magenta 
  • Primary yellow 
  • Black
  • A larger tube of titanium white 240ml/10oz 
  • Optional: yellow ochre, Raw umber, Dioxazine purple 

Brushes and Other Materials:

  • 1 to 3 flat hogs hair brushes #10,12,14
  • 1 to 3 round brushes that make a nice point, taklon, #4, 8, 10
  • Any other brushes you would like use
  • Scotty shaped palette knife
  • A Palette: foam or plastic plates or trays. White is ideal. (Alternative, any flat stiff surface covered with wax paper or aluminum foil, a disposable palette pad)
  • Painting rag: cotton cloth, or paper towel
  • Water container(s): 450ml-750ml vessel
  • Pencil 
  • Ruler or a straight edge
  • Masking tape

Surfaces: 

  • 5 primed canvas boards/panels or primed stretched canvases: 12 x 16, 16 x 20, 20 x 20 or similar (You can use any size & shape, your choice).
  • A pad of paper that can take acrylic paint, approximately 12 x 16 inch (inexpensive watercolour or printmaking paper can work). Alternatively, 4 or more individual sheets about 18 x 24 inch. Cougar cover stock 200m or similar from Aboveground Art Supplies works well.

These are the recommended materials for this course. Your instructor may recommend additional optional materials on additional days. All sizes are approximate. Our Instructors will do their best to accommodate alternative materials whenever possible. 

Some suggested retailers for purchasing your art materials.

 

 

 

 

 

Members
$275.00
Public
$300.00

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COURSE SECTIONS

Fridays, - | 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm (5 weeks)

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