Painting with Water-Based Media

Dive into the wonderful world of water-based media painting.  Experiment with acrylic paint or watercolor and learn about the different properties they offer. All are quick-drying and easy to clean up. Acrylic paint is super versatile, and watercolor delivers shimmering transparency.

This six-week painting class is ideal for beginner and intermediate student-artists who want to learn from scratch or improve their painting skills through a step-by-step process.

Class will review the use of materials, brushes, and tools. On a very hands-on method, students will learn painting in layers, painting wet paint into wet paint, direct painting and all the fundamentals of painting, including composition. Students will also study Master paintings to understand the techniques and processes employed for successful paintings.

Everyone will be free to express their ideas and creativity through the use of values, edges, color, light, mediums, and aerial perspective. In addition, class will discuss, unity, contrast, dominance, repetition, harmony, balance and gradation.

Subjects will include still life, portraits, figures, interiors, and landscapes. Students will be evaluated during each class while painting with individual instruction and demonstrations. Each session will conclude with a class critique, where each student will evaluate and respond to their work and that of their peers.

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Conceptualize and complete water-media based artwork.
• Apply acrylic or watercolor techniques to achieve desired results.
• Use references from life or photographs to paint representational or abstract images.
• Make informed decisions about materials, brushes and other painting tools.
• Develop a more critical eye for art in general.

Class Breakdown:

Class 1

Materials review, value scale, brushwork, blending, underpainting, painting in layers vs direct painting.

Class 2

Color wheel, warm colors, cool colors, primary colors, secondary colors, tertiary colors, limited palette.

Class 3

Still life, the importance of shapes, shadow shapes, form shadows, cast shadows.

Class 4

Landscape, 1 point and 2 points linear perspective, aerial perspective.

Class 5

Portrait, lights and darks, hard, soft, firm, lost edges, symmetry.

Class 6

Copy an Old Masters Painting.

Materials List

If you wish to work with Acrylics:

• Acrylic paints 4 oz or 8 oz: Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White, Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow, Alizarin Crimson, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna.
• 1 medium size palette knife
• 1 set of 3-4 brushes for acrylic or oil ( synthetic quality is best, flat style, sizes 4 to 14)
• Disposable paper palette for acrylics ( 11″ x 14″)
• 2HB pencils, one eraser, one sharpener
• 3 Stretched canvas(16” x 20”)
• 1x 4 oz jar of matte or gloss medium
• Small plastic container for water
• Paper towel roll

If you wish to work with Watercolor

• Basic watercolor tube set ( 6 pieces)
• 1 set of 3 brushes for watercolor small, medium, and large.
• A watercolor paper pad or block 11” x 14” approx. Cold press 140 lb or 300 gm
• 1 HB or soft pencil
• Grey kneaded eraser
• 1 Plastic container for water
• Palette or plastic plate for mixing
• Paper towels
• Masking tape

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR 

Will McGaul has been a professional art instructor since 2011. Will has exhibited in California and Florida. He is a member of the Miami Watercolor Society and the Gold Coast Watercolor Society. Will loves to share his passion for drawing and painting in his classes and workshops, and at the same time, simplifying the process and making it fun.