Price - $375
Open to all Levels, Beginner thru Advanced
Learn new techniques that will help you create looser, more expressive paintings
“My Paintings are too tight— HOW DO I LOOSEN UP?”
In my years of teaching, this is the most-asked question. Everyone wants to create fresh, expressive, “just dashed off the easel” paintings. Although my book “How to paint fast, loose and bold” explains an approach that focuses on simplified values. However, what works for one artist doesn’t always work for the other. This workshop offers simple ways to get looser using several tried-and-true techniques not included in the book.
The problem with trying to paint looser
I didn’t start out as a “loose” painter. Like many artists, I began my art journey by learning how to render objects around the house. The more I practiced, the more accurate (and tighter) my drawings became. This seemed to be the key to learning “how to be an artist”. When I decided to try my hand at painting, my accurate rendering skills were naturally the only ones I knew. The more I utilized these drawing skills in painting, the tighter and more realistic the results.
However, as I became more accomplished I started realizing that a successful painting is much more than an exact accounting of shapes and details. I longed to interpret my subject rather than transcribe it like a camera. It seemed like it would be easy to paint more loosely … but it wasn’t as easy as I imagined! Through experimentation and trial and error, I taught myself specific techniques and processes, which gradually became second nature and resulted in the painterly style I’ve become known for.
Experiment, explore and letting go of old habits
Over the years I have continued to explore any and all methods that will offer a more expressive artistic outcome. I’ve spent countless hours experimenting using various types of tools to apply the paint, tried unique surfaces, added textural pastes, gels and extenders, incorporated mixed media and collage, etc. My book Modern Acrylics explains the array of additives and textures that can be used with your acrylic or oil paintings that will yield a more textural and tactile outcome. However this workshop will not cover that territory. The instruction for this workshop will focus specifically on simple techniques that will have an immediate loosening up effect - using only brushes and paint, and in some cases an acrylic or oil medium.
Most students develop a painting by tightening up details
because they have never learned “loosening up” skills.
If you have a tendency to focus on small tight details, and your paintings feel too photographic at the expense of a more artistic interpretation, the lessons in this workshop will offer new methods for you to experiment with, to “free up” and get a more painterly outcome. These techniques and exercises, both old and new, have led to the looser style of my paintings.
Some techniques you may find more useful than others, but they will all result in a more personal, expressive style, and they all involve a certain amount of learning how to simplify - or simply lose some control. As a great painter once said, “Simple is not easy”. These techniques are not exotic or complicated, however if they are new to you they may seem so. Everything takes practice. Just as learning how to draw details accurately took time and effort, learning how to loosen up and simplify requires the same. Experimenting with the homework exercises is key.
You will learn by watching video demonstrations, slideshow presentations, and will be given targeted homework exercises. Questions will be addressed in our private Facebook Group, where the homework projects of your fellow classmates will be posted - which is a very effective way to learn and grow.
Workshop Topics and Outline:
Week 1: BIG Tool Techniques
Week 2: Lose the Edge Techniques
Week 3: The Copy & Repeat Techniques
Week 4: Chaos to Calm Techniques
This is an online workshop. All classes begin at 1PM, EST. Please enter the Zoom meeting room at least 5 minutes prior.
Overview:
• This workshop includes live online Zoom meetings, instructional video demonstrations / slideshow presentations, Q & A period, and targeted homework assignments (optional).
•Each class is approx. 90 minutes in length. All classes will be recorded so if you miss the live meeting, you can watch the video recording when time allows. Recordings will be available for 4 months.
• Students can post images, ask questions and get feedback in the private Facebook group.
The workshop is suitable for all levels and is most suited to oil, acrylic and gouache painters, although the techniques are universal for any media. Watercolor/pastel artists may have to adapt some of the tools to correlate with their particular media characteristics.
Techniques explained and demonstrated in this workshop focus on methods that I have used to create looser, more expressive paintings. The goal of the workshop is to teach students techniques that will help them achieve a more expressive interpretation of their own artistic style.
BEFORE YOU SIGN UP:
Please read the FAQ page before signing up. It covers questions about critiques, zoom, refunds, etc.
Payment:
The cost for the workshop is $450. Please pay by Paypal or credit card.
When you loosen up and learn how to play - rather than copy every detail - its a joyous ride!