- Teacher: Ruthie V.
- Course Length: 8 sessions
- Class Days: Thursday, starting January 23rd
- Time: 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Artists have always had the license to borrow and transform ideas. Picasso famously reimagined Velázquez’s Las Meninas in a series of 58 paintings, dissecting its composition, forms, and spatial relationships to uncover new creative possibilities. In this course, you’ll explore like Picasso did – riffing off great work. In each series, you’ll play with essential artistic elements—composition, movement, flow, color, form, and energy—through focused studies of great paintings.
Each week, you’ll hone in on one element, uncovering the choices behind colors, shapes, and structure. This isn’t about following rules but enjoying inspirations that guide great painters. By isolating and reinterpreting what excites you, you’ll simplify complex ideas and create space for deeper creativity.
This method has helped many artists find their voice—not by copying, but by taking one aspect of a painting and riffing on it. Your single-element studies will become original works of art, offering rich material for further exploration. Whether you aim to produce standalone pieces or develop a larger series, this approach provides tools and inspiration to sustain your practice for years.
You’ll work from direct observation of paintings, blending observation with abstraction and artistic play to develop your ideas further. Personal interpretation is central, encouraging you to expand your skills and challenge familiar boundaries.
Prerequisites:
This course builds on skills from SAL’s Beginning Drawing and Painting classes. If you’ve taken Beginning Painting 1 and 2 (if you’re painting), or Beginning Drawing and Beginning Figure Drawing (if you’re drawing), you’re in the right place!
Not sure if this is the right fit? Just ask. I’ll be happy to help you figure it out.
Looking forward to painting (or drawing) with you soon!
– Ruthie
Materials List:
Artists will be creating drawings and paintings. If unsure, Day 1: bring drawing supplies and we’ll talk about the rest of the course. Expect to use good materials for each study, as many could end up to be artworks in their own right.
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- Pencil and drawing paper (for studies).
- Colored pencils or a big box of crayons (for studies).
- Transfer Paper: Use for transferring shapes to your drawing.
- Folder or big sketchbook: For handouts and notes.
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- Canvas Pad
- Watercolor Paper: For color studies
- Palette Knife: Plastic is ok, but metal, trowel-shaped palette knife is nicer for you.
- Palette Keeper: Sta-Wet Oil or Acrylic Palette Keeper (to keep paints fresh).
- Please bring – Paper Towels (Viva Signature Cloth highly recommended)
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- Ensure you have warm and cool variations of primary colors (red, blue, yellow) and green.
- Medium for oil: M Graham Oil Color/Walnut/Alkyd Medium 4oz (supplied in beginning oil kit, replenish if needed)
- Medium for acrylic: Retarder to allow more working time.
Beginning Oil kit colors: (replenish if needed) Gamblin 1980
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- Cadmium Yellow: Warm, orangish yellow.
- Napthol Red: Warm, bright red.
- Quinacridone Magenta: Cool, violet-leaning red.
- Ultramarine Blue: Warm, violet-leaning blue.
- Phthalo Blue: Cool, green-leaning blue.
- Burnt Sienna: Warm earth tone.
- Yellow Ochre: Muted, warm yellow
- Titanium White
Beginning Acrylic kit colors: (replenish if needed) Utrecht
Please note: this is an updated list for future Beginning Acrylic kits. If you have the previous kit some of these colors will be new.
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- Napthol Crimson Red: Warm, bright red.
- Cadmium Yellow: Warm, orangish yellow.
- Lemon Yellow: Cool yellow
- Phthalo Green: Cool blue
- Phthalo Blue: Cool blue
- Ultramarine Blue: Warm blue
- Magenta: Cool red
- Titanium White
Recommended Additions to kit colors for Warm/Cool Variations: These are new colors to add (or replenish)
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- Cool Yellow: Lemon Yellow (or Hansa Yellow Light) (new to oil)
- Cool Red: Quinacridone Magenta (new to acrylic)
- Bridging Cool Red: Quinacridone Red (new to oil and acrylic)
- Neutral Blue: Cerulean Blue (new to oil and acrylic)
- Cool Green: Phthalo Green (new to oil)
- Cool White: Zinc White (new to oil and acrylic)
