An Introduction to Painting

In week one, Steve will show you the materials needed to complete helpful drawing exercises before you get into the painting process. Steve will answer important questions to prepare you for a life-long journey as an artist. Then, you will learn to use direct and indirect light to model the forms through Steve’s demonstration of a simple sphere.

In week two, Steve will walk you through the tools and materials needed for painting. You will learn to control how fast your paint dries with mediums and explore the best solutions for cleaning your brushes. Then, Steve will teach you the essentials of capturing lights and shadows using oil paint. You will work with a single light source and practice basic color mixing.

In week three, Steve will illustrate the light and shadow theory by painting a simple bowl in oil. You will learn to break up your scene into simple three-dimensional forms and analyze each form as a series of planes and values.

In week four, you will learn to paint a human figure focusing on the torso and pelvis. You will apply your understanding of simple forms such as cylinders and ovoids to construct the figure. Steve will demonstrate the use of shadow patterns, halftones, and gradation to bring your painting to life.

In week five, Steve will demonstrate a painting sketch of a snowman in black and white. He will show you how to work with positive and negative spaces. You’ll learn to render the transition between the darks and the lights for a clear and readable painting.

In week six, Steve will teach you how to create tonal compositional studies. You will watch Steve analyze the works of master artists Dean Cornwell and Jean Siméon Chardin. He will show you the importance of value grouping in creating powerful and dramatic paintings.

In week seven, you will examine a painting by the Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn. Steve will analyze the artist’s use of shadows and approach to value. You will learn to control your values using only black, white, and grey paints, then practice emphasizing certain features within your painting.

In week eight, Steve will be creating a study of a Thomas Eakins painting. Steve will teach you how to use symmetry as an artistic tool to anchor the forms. You will practice breaking down the figure into a series of simplified shapes and planes upon which a light source interacts.

In week nine, Steve will introduce you to the Rub Out technique; it is popular among the Brown School artists. The process begins by adding tones to the canvas and then wiping them out to create halftones and highlights. Then, you will watch Steve apply the technique in a study of a painting by Frank Duveneck.

In week ten, you will discover comprehensive insights into oil painting. First, Steve will teach you about color theory. He will demonstrate different approaches to painting, including the Brown School and the Impressionist. Then, you will watch Steve lecture on the critical process of mixing colors to achieve the desired tone and temperature.

In week 11, Steve will teach you about the different types of color palettes. Specifically, you will learn about the indoor color palette used by the Brown School masters and the outdoor color palette, which employs the use of more colors. Then, Steve will analyze a painting by Swedish master Anders Zorn and demonstrate Zorn’s approach to color.

In week 12, Steve will give an in-depth lecture on the outdoor color theory of impressionist artists. You will explore a formula these painters take on; light equals color. Steve will teach you ways to use warm and cool colors in conjunction to improve your paintings.