Break into Oils

This class is perfect for intermediate painters who have yet to break into the wonderful world of oil paints.

Oils can seem intimidating when you don't know them yet, but in this class we will come to learn that they can be quite simple and incredibly rewarding to work with once you get to know them better. Their smooth and buttery consistency, their highly pigmented vibrant colors, and their long-lasting workability, will make you glad you gave them a chance.  Open to teens and adults, Some painting experience required, but none in oils 

I'll start at the very beginning, and over the span of four two-hour long classes, walk you through all the tools and techniques that you need to complete your own still life painting that you can take home with you. All materials will be provided by Artwaves, so all you need to bring is a passion for art and willingness to try new things! Along with your finished painting, you'll leave this class with valuable knowledge you can apply to countless more oil paintings in the future. In these four classes we will explore:

Class 1: 

• What oil paint is, what makes it unique, and why artists prefer it to other paints.
• What colors to include in your pallet, and what different types of color pallets, such as a primary pallet or a Zorn pallet, offer you.
• What transparency and opacity mean in the context of oil paints, and what that means for your color mixing, drying time, and the painting techniques you can use. 
• What oil mediums are, which ones to pick, and how they alter the paint's behavior.

Class 2:

• Why pallet knives are useful for mixing paint, and how you can use one. 
• What an underpainting is, what kind of paint you should use for it, and how to create one to set yourself up for success.
• What "Grisaille" and "Alla Prima" mean, how they differ from each other, and what benefits each of them have. 

Class 3:

• Why accurate values are so important in paintings, and how you can achieve them in your own work. 
• How color behaves in shadows, in bright light, and in the transitional space between the two.
• When to mix transitional hues and when to blend the paint on the canvas. 
• How to express form with brush techniques. 

Class 4:

• How things like scumbling and glazing can create depth and add richness to your painting, and when to use them. 
• How texture and detail can draw the eye, and can bring your composition into focus.
• And finally, what techniques you can use to add the finishing touches to your painting, in order to take home a one-of-a-kind masterpiece of your own making. 

Your Instructor

Malina Voter, at 25, has been painting for the vast majority of their life. Based in Ellsworth, they have found inspiration in both nature and humanity, painting everything from majestic landscapes to the beautiful mundanities of everyday life.