Oil Painting for Beginners, a Zoom Class (one hour)

Instructor: Michael J. Russel - Artist, Russel Mountain Gallery

Class Description:

Have you always wanted to paint like Monet or Michelangelo?  Let’s get started!  This class will show you the basics of oil painting and color mixing.  Mike will teach you the basics of color mixing: primary and secondary colors and achieving perspective with colors.  Then he’ll show you different kinds of brushes and how they’re used.  Additionally, Mike will show you how to prep a canvas for painting, and block in the major colors, moving from broader areas to finer details.  Finally, Mike will show you how to lay in your darks and highlights to achieve the right values.

What should I bring?  Here’s your shopping list: *IF YOU DON'T HAVE OILS, BRING ANY PAINT OR COLORS YOU HAVE!

• Paints: Titanium White, Alizarin Crimson OR Quinacridone Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Cadmium Lemon, Yellow Ochre, Turquoise OR Cerulean Blue hue, Burnt Siena, Veridian Green

• Brushes:

o For beginners, I would recommend getting a package set of brushes from an art store like Michaels or Blicks.  Get various sizes and shapes – a large flat, rounds of several sizes from medium to small, Filberts from medium to small, a medium dagger, a medium-to-small fan.  As you paint, you’re going to progress from large to small brushes, so make sure you have the right shape of brush to achieve the effects you want!  Finally, make sure the brushes are made for oil paints.

• Canvas: 11x14 or 16x20-inch, Paper Towels, Wax paper, Palette – Use a small board (about 12x12 inches).  You can also use a large plate, although that would be tight.

About Your Instructor:

Mike Russel is an artist-at-residence for Culturally.  Mike served for twenty years in the United States Air Force as an officer and pilot.  His experiences flying large cargo aircraft across the world continues to inspire his artistic work.  Mike’s artistic talents are largely self-taught, but he is grounded in the foundational skills used by the masters.  Mike looks at the world differently.  His sweeping landscapes and broad, colorful strokes are motivated by the Impressionists of the past, Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, and Picasso, viewing the world through the same non-traditional lens.  Mike lives with his wife in his hometown of Colorado Springs, Colorado, where the majestic Pike’s Peak watches overhead.  Mike’s artwork can be viewed on CulturallyArts.com, or on his website: RusselMountainGallery.com.

Syllabus:

• Intro – Who am I?  Why am I in love with painting?  (5 min/5 min)

• Paints – An introduction, laying them onto the palette (5 min/10 min)

• Brushes – An introduction, different size and shapes to achieve different effects (5 min/15 min)

• Primary Colors – Mixing to achieve secondary colors; Mixing a natural black, emphasizing how the natural black is the center of the palette; Showing how to make a natural brown by combine color opposites (10 min/25 min)

• Color perspective – Vivid to dull colors (5 min/30 min)

• Prepping a canvas – Show how to Gesso a canvas, if needed, and stain a canvas using a medium burnt umber wash.  (5 min/35 min)

• Drawing the picture onto the canvas using the burnt umber wash (3 min/ 38 min)

• Blocking in the major color areas (7 min/45 min)

• Laying in the darks and highlights (10 min/55 min)

• Summary (5 min/60 min)