Spring 2008

I hope everyone is ready for a new semester of painting; I am looking forward to getting back to class.

If you are new to my classes and need a suggested equipment list, look in the archives on the right and click on the Equipment List entry and it will have all you will need to start painting. This is a basic list for both classes just to get you started and if you already have equipment from years back or from other classes, it is perfectly okay to use what you have with a couple of caveats: You can use old oil painting brushes in acrylics IF you have cleaned them well and used soap and water to get out most of the oil from the bristles, however, because some of the oil will always be up under the metal part of the brush, oil brushes cannot be used in watercolor no matter how clean you think you’ve gotten them. Also, check your paints if you haven’t used them in a while. Even with the caps on, they can harden and be unusable and you will need to buy new paint.

Regarding what paint to buy: Most brands of paint are acceptable whether acrylic or watercolor, it really depends on how much you want to pay, however, there is an acceptation to that statement when it comes to the acrylic paints and buying what is called “student grade” paints, most of the major brands of paint have some form of “student” quality paint and they are okay though the “Basic” thin and you need to use more paint to cover the same amount of canvas. If you are want a more transparent look to your acrylics, then the Basic paint would be okay, just know this when you are in the store buying supplies.

I will have one “follow along” project for each class which will accomplish a couple of things – I hope. First, we won’t have to rush to finish a painting to start the next one and, second, it will give students time to find something they want to paint and have time to get help in class on their own projects. These “follow along” projects are optional which I base my demos on but they are not a requisite for students, if students have something else they would rather work on they are free to do so and just watch the demo as instruction on how to work the media.

I have posted the two new projects on the pictures page (http://picasaweb.google.com/artclasspics/ClassProjects) to get you started. I’ve included a basic drawing and a reference photo you can work from. As we progress on these projects, I will update this blog with a transcript of what we did in class so you can keep if you miss class or if you need a refresher on what we covered.

If you have any questions regarding the projects please feel free to e-mail me at ArtbyLerri@aol.com . Hope to see you soon.