Don’t be afraid of texture, of thick luscious buttery layers of color, one on top of another. Right away we will open tubes and squeeze out paint to learn about this special and versatile medium. Starting with a value scale, and a simple still life in black and white in class #1.

Building on that foundation we will add personal subject items in class 2. We can expand our palette (choice of colors) – and—our subject matter while defining our preferences for paint handling. Paint handling is the very personal preference for more or less opacity vs transparency. We will discuss ways to thin the paint.

The final 2 classes will lean into a subject of the student’s choice: portrait, landscape, or still life that follows in the vein of the students newly discovered signature approach. We will keep our first 2 exercises a hand as a guide.

Materials not provided. Please bring the following:

4 11 x 14 gesso boards or stretched canvas of similar size.

Student grade set of oil paints, any brand.

Set of natural bristle brushes ¼ inch, ½ inch, 1 inch approximately.

Palette knife for mixing paint.

odorless mineral spirits.

palette – can be a piece of plywood or disposable paper ones.

5 or more lint free cotton rags.

Soup cans for cleaning brushes.

Description and supply list coming soon!

Break free from rigid techniques and discover the joy of expressive, textured painting combining cold wax and oil paint. Embrace spontaneity and create richly layered works with depth and movement. Step-by-step, you'll explore intuitive mark-making and the unique properties of cold wax to build dynamic composition.

Tammy will provide two 12"x12" painting panels, 1 sheet of oil paper, and 1 rubber stamp for students. The price of this kit is included in tuition.

In addition to what is being provided, please bring the following materials to class:

Paint: Student-grade oil paints like Gamblin's 1980 or Winsor & Newton's Winton are fine, or professional grade. Water mixable oils or acrylics are not suitable for this course. 

- Titanium White 

- Ultramarine Blue

- Permanent Rose

- Dioxazine Purple

- Cadmium Yellow Light or Hansa Yellow

- Cadmium Red Light or Napthol Red

Palette: One 12" x 16" x 3/32" piece of clear sheet glass for the palette (most locations of Home Depot carry this precut glass). Check online for availability. Do not bring frame glass which may break easily. 

- Ordorless Mineral Spirits (Tammy recommends Gamsol for least toxicity)

- Plastic stencils of various types

- Gamblin Cold Wax (4 oz. will do)

- Catalyst Wedge (shape 6)

- #4 filbert oil painting brush, Simply Simmons is a durable, economical choice

- 4" soft rubber brayer

- Straight-edge razor for cleaning palette

- Disposable nitrile gloves 

Optional: 

- Pointed scraping tool (Anything with a point)

- Old comb or other items you have that might make interesting marks

- Blue Painters Tape

- Paper Towels

- Putty Knife

- Msc. art stamps if you have them

If you are interested in taking your oil painting skills to the next level, this class is for you. This class builds on foundational knowledge of oil painting and will cover advanced color theory, composition, and brushwork using complex subjects, landscapes, still life arrangements, and the human form. 

Advanced color theory will deal with creating sophisticated palettes using different color schemes like split complementary, analogous colors and using color temperature to create form. Composition refers to the sophisticated arrangement of visual elements—like line, shape, color, value, and space—within a painting as it related to the principles of design, like balance, emphasis, rhythm, unity and contrast. Knowledge of advanced color theory and composition can help students refine their oil painting skills.

Materials not provided. Please bring the following:

- Oil paints: Cadmium red, quinacridone rose, cadmium lemon Yellow, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, phthalo blue, titanium white and burnt umber to start.

- Brushes: flat 6 or 8, filbert 4 and/or 6 and liner. Sizes will vary depending on the size of your painting.

- Brush washer. Palette knife. A palette. Gamsol (solvent), a mason jar for storing used Gamsol. Two 8x10 panel or canvas

If you feel intimidated by the thought of painting in oils, this class is for you. You will learn how to approach your painting with more confidence and ease by learning the fundamentals techniques to oil painting; how to organize a palette, how to mix color, how to achieve color harmony, how to create form and manipulate values effectively.

Participation in DF I and DF II highly recommended first.

Materials not included. Please bring the following supplies:

Oil paints: Cadmium Red, Quinacridone rose, Cadmium Lemon Yellow, Yellow ochre, Ultramarine Blue, phthalo blue, Burnt Umber, titanium White (required)

Painting Palette (required)

Turpenoid jar (required)

Brushes and a palette knife (required)

Several Canvas boards or oil paper of various sizes (required)

Linseed or another painting medium (required)

Paper towels (required)

This stand-alone class features a live nude model and will cover how to immediately begin to capture shape using a limited color palette of oil paints. The alla prima technique is a wonderful way at a first attempt at this medium and subject matter. You'll get instruction on using value to convey directions of movement and tensions in the pose.

Materials provided by The Drawing Studio. 

If you feel intimidated by the thought of figure painting live nude models in oils, this class is for you.

We'll go over fundamentals of oil painting, like learning to mix color, and organizing a limited color palette. Then learn to immediately begin to capture shape by converging shapes to “build” the figure. You'll get instruction on using value to convey directions of movement and tensions in the pose. This class focuses on approaches that give us our first understanding of how to think of three- dimensional form as we learn to pain it on a two-dimensional surface.

Materials not included. Please bring the following supplies:

- Oil paints: yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, alizarine crimson, white and burnt umber to start.

- Brushes: flat 6 or 8, filbert 4 and/or 6 and liner. Sizes will vary depending on the size of your painting.

- Brush washer Palette knife A palette, Gamsol (solvent), a mason jar for storing used Gamsol. Two mid-sized panel or canvas