ActonArt

Drawing School

Advanced & Specialty Classes - Winter

Advanced and Specialty classes are technique focused and build upon the concepts and lessons taught in Foundation level classes. You can learn about each class in the descriptions below and read more about our approach to teaching students of all ages here.
• TWELVE CLASSES per Trimester
• Monday, December 2nd through Saturday, March 15th
• Many classes are available IN-STUDIO or as SIMULTANEOUS (in-studio or online) classes

Painting Classes

INTRO TO PAINTING FOR KIDS
Turning Red Painting
  • TUESDAY: 6:00-7:30pm IN-STUDIO

AGES 10 & up
• Watercolor, Acrylic and Oil Paint
• Prior drawing skills recommended

INTRO TO PAINTING

This Introduction to Painting class is designed for younger students who want to learn real painting skills. This is NOT to say it’s appropriate for very young children however. Students who have completed the Basic-2, Intermediate, or higher level classes are ideal candidates for this class. Since many artists prefer to have a simple drawing in place when starting a painting, students should have basic drawing skills in place already.

Students will learn about watercolor, acrylic, and oil paint, along with a variety of techniques.

Because each medium is distinctly different in the way it is used, technique is extremely important, and that’s what we’ll be teaching.

If you’ve got a budding painter in your home, this is a perfect way to get them started on the right path. And it’s a killer deal since we provide all the needed materials, saving you hundreds of dollars in supply costs.
WATERCOLOR PAINTING
Mario Watercolor painting
  • TUESDAY: 4:00-5:30pm IN-STUDIO


AGES 11 & up
• Prior drawing skills required

WATERCOLOR PAINTING

Introduction to Watercolor is a beginner to intermediate level painting class. This is NOT to say it’s appropriate for beginner artists however. Students with Basic to Intermediate level drawing ability are ideal candidates for this class because we will not be able to provide drawing instruction. Since many artists prefer to have a simple drawing in place when starting a painting, students must have basic drawing skills already.

Students will learn about watercolor using variety of techniques. - Blending, masking, wiping out, also combining watercolor paint with pen and watercolor pencils.  Subject matter will incorporate student interests along with still lifes, landscapes, etc.

If you’ve always wanted to try watercolor painting this is the perfect class to learn the foundation skills.
MIXED MEDIA & PAINTING
mixed media artwork
  • MONDAY: 6:00-8:00pm IN-STUDIO

AGES 13 to Adult
• Prior drawing skills required

MIXED MEDIA

Mixed Media is a unique class that offers an exploratory experience regarding both materials and techniques. Projects are intended to provide opportunities for students to use a variety of materials and learn or experiment with ways of using them. At the same time students are encouraged to follow their own creative interests regarding subject matter, composition and interpretation.

STUDENTS WILL WORK WITH:
• Mixed Media
• Paint - Watercolor, oil and acrylic
• Graphite
• Charcoal and pastel
• Fabric
• collage
• and more…

Projects will be assigned with specific learning objectives, and students will typically be able to choose their own subject matter. References and resources will always be available if needed. Projects will frequently require multiple weeks to complete. This is NOT a drawing class and there will be no planned drawing instruction as it is expected that students can already draw well enough to participate.

If you have a student who loves art and has the interest and ability to expand their own creative boundaries they will love Mixed Media.

OIL PAINTING 1
Gray Cat Painting
  • SATURDAY: 2:30-5:00pm IN-STUDIO

AGES 13 to Adult
• Prior drawing skills required

OIL PAINTING 1

LEARNING TO PAINT WITH OILS is far easier than you might think and incredibly satisfying. This full trimester introductory class is designed for teens and adults.

THESE CLASSES WILL PRESENT A SERIES OF PROJECTS, most of them multi-week, designed to teach and guide students through basic processes that are common to many oil paintings. Students will typically be able to choose their own subject matter but reference materials will always be available to assist them if needed.  We recommend that students have some drawing ability however since we will be making simple underdrawings that our paintings will be developed upon.

It’s easy to see why so many people equate oil painting with “fine art.” So many of the master artists we commonly think of worked primarily in oil paint and the iconic masterworks of centuries past tend to be paintings done in oils. It doesn’t take an art conservator to understand why oils have claimed the mantle of popularity among artists. They are remarkably versatile to work with providing artists a broad range of creative options on the canvas. The pigments mix cleanly providing rich colors with clarity and depth. Once cured the medium is stable and capable of enduring many hundreds of years without severe aging effects. The surface can even be cleaned to remove airborne grime and contaminants.

We provide all needed supplies including water soluble oil paints that allow for easy soap and water clean-up at the end of a day of painting. No more toxic solvents and noxious fumes. Life is good, and oil painting is great!
OIL PAINTING 2
Still Life oil painting
  • SATURDAY: 5:30-8:00pm IN-STUDIO

AGES 14 to Adult
• Prior drawing skills required

OIL PAINTING 2

THIS CLASS WILL PRESENT A SERIES OF PROJECTS, most of them multi-week, designed to teach and guide students through processes that are common to many oil paintings. Students will typically be able to choose their own subject matter but reference materials will always be available to assist them if needed.  We recommend that students have some prior painting experience as we will be building on the techniques learned in Oil 1.

It’s easy to see why so many people equate oil painting with “fine art.” So many of the master artists we commonly think of worked primarily in oil paint and the iconic masterworks of centuries past tend to be paintings done in oils. It doesn’t take an art conservator to understand why oils have claimed the mantle of popularity among artists. They are remarkably versatile to work with providing artists a broad range of creative options on the canvas. The pigments mix cleanly providing rich colors with clarity and depth. Once cured the medium is stable and capable of enduring many hundreds of years without severe aging effects. The surface can even be cleaned to remove airborne grime and contaminants.

We provide all needed supplies including water soluble oil paints that allow for easy soap and water clean-up at the end of a day of painting. No more toxic solvents and noxious fumes. Life is good, and oil painting is great!

If you have ever found yourself attracted to the idea of learning to paint with oils this is a perfect opportunity. The price is right, the instructor is top notch and the curriculum is serious but completely approachable for intermediate level painters. We hope you'll join us!

Portrait Classes

INTRO TO PORTRAIT DRAWING
colored pencil portrait
  • WEDNESDAY: 6:00-7:30 pm SIMULTANEOUS

AGES 11 (minimum) to Adult

INTRO TO PORTRAIT DRAWING

Our Intro To Portrait Drawing class is designed for Intermediate and higher level students who have a desire to spend time focusing exclusively on drawing faces. Portraits are an engaging challenge that many people are attracted to. Students will learn how to use both predictable proportions, and specific measurements to make portraits that are very good likenesses of their subjects. Every project in this class will be a portrait drawing, including front-on, ¾ view, and profiles.

Students should have a solid working knowledge of concepts including: Line, Light and Shadow, Texture, Perspective and Proportion. Because this kind of drawing requires patience and attention to detail students should have the ability to stay on task for a full 1.5 hours.

Learning to draw accurate portraits is a skill building class. Many students will see significant improvements in their overall drawing skills as a result of a class like this.
FACES, FEATURES & FIGURES
Drawing study of eyes
  • TUESDAY: 4:00-5:30pm SIMULTANEOUS

AGES 14 to Adult
Previous drawing experience is strongly recommended.
• all supplies included In Studio

FACES, FEATURES & FIGURES

Faces, Features, Figures is an intermediate level drawing class that focuses on the human body using various types of materials. It breaks down not only what we see on the surface, but the important structural layers that lie beneath. While it is not required to take the class for the entire fall-winter-spring, each trimester has it’s particular focus: in the fall, students will focus on the head and facial features (eyes, mouth, hair, etc). In the winter, the body is broken down into smaller sections (upper torso, legs, hands) to dive deep into the anatomy of the feature. In the spring, the whole body comes together and we discuss methods for drawing the whole form together, as well as talking about fabric folds and having several sessions with a live, clothed model.

Part 1: Faces — 12 classes, Early Sept. to Early Dec.
Front view, 3/4 view, profile, foreshortened, highlighted, shadowed, with expressions, male, female, you name it...

Part 2: Features — 12 classes, Early Dec. to mid-March
Hands, feet, hair, fabric folds, body foreshortening and distortion, overall integration of faces, figures and features.

Part 3: Figures — 12 classes, Mid-March to late Jun.
Stick-figure, point to point, gestural, anatomy (light), bodies in motion, perspective, proportion, and more...
PORTRAIT PAINTING
portrait painting
  • FRIDAY: 5:30-8:00pm IN-STUDIO

AGES 14 to Adult
• Oil, acrylic, and watercolor paint
• Prior portrait drawing experience required

PORTRAIT PAINTING

This class is intended for students who have already taken the Portrait Drawing and/or the Faces, Figures, and Features Classes or have enough experience with portraits that they already know how to use both predictable proportions, and specific measurements to make portraits that are accurate likenesses of their subjects.

Our Portrait Painting class is designed for students who have a desire to spend time focusing exclusively on painting faces. Portraits are an engaging challenge that many people are attracted to.

Students should have a solid working knowledge of concepts including: Line, Light and Shadow, Texture, Perspective and Proportion.

THESE CLASSES WILL PRESENT A SERIES OF PROJECTS, most of them multi-week, designed to teach and guide students through basic processes that are common to many oil paintings.

Every project in this class will be a portrait painting, including front-on, ¾ view, profiles and facial features.

Most paintings will start with an underpainting in one of three traditional methods – Brunaille (Sepia), Grisaille (Gray scale) or the Dead Palette (earth tone primary colors). Color and tone will then be built up in glazes to create lifelike skin tones and textures.

Occasional Alla Prima (one day) paintings will be completed during the trimester.

It’s easy to see why so many people equate oil painting with “fine art.” So many of the master artists we commonly think of worked primarily in oil paint and the iconic masterworks of centuries past tend to be paintings done in oils. It doesn’t take an art conservator to understand why oils have claimed the mantle of popularity among artists. They are remarkably versatile to work with providing artists a broad range of creative options on the canvas. The pigments mix cleanly providing rich colors with clarity and depth. Once cured the medium is stable and capable of enduring many hundreds of years without severe aging effects. The surface can even be cleaned to remove airborne grime and contaminants.

On top of all these benefits, today we even use AP certified, non-toxic, Winsor & Newton water soluble oil paints that allow for easy soap and water clean-up at the end of a day of painting. No more toxic solvents and noxious fumes. Life is good, and oil painting is great!

Specialty Classes

*NEW* INTRO TO PROCREATE (Digital Art Class)
Digital Drawing Class
  • FRIDAY: 4:30-6:00pm IN-STUDIO
Supplies NOT included

Students must purchase and bring the following to class - iPad, Apple Pencil, Procreate app


AGES 12 to Adult
• Prior drawing experience suggested

INTRO TO PROCREATE

Learn the basics of digital art with Procreate, taught by our experienced illustrator Jess! With Procreate, students can explore a realm of possibilities and learn how to use different tools to discover their unique art style. Students will need an iPad and an Apple Pencil, as well as the Procreate app on their device to attend this class. Each week, they will be given a project that teaches them how to use a different feature of the app. Although the class is Procreate-focused, many tools the program uses are similar to other apps such as Photoshop or Clip Studio Paint. This class is best suited for students ages 12+ who want to elevate their drawing skills by exploring the digital medium, though students who already have experience with Procreate may also learn something new.

SKETCHBOOKING
sketchbook Drawing
  • SATURDAY: 11:00am-12:00pm SIMULTANEOUS

AGES 12 to Adult
• Prior drawing experience suggested

SKETCHBOOKING

Do you have a pile of sketchbooks sitting in your closet that you have no idea what to do with? Maybe you’re not sure what to draw in them, or they don’t quite fit your drawing lifestyle - this is the class for you! In Sketchbooking we not only discover techniques to promote creativity and beat back “artist block” - but also how to create our own sketchbooks that fit our preferred materials, drawing styles… and backpacks! In addition to the creative and practical uses found within a sketchbook, they will practice several methods of book making to create sketch or art books. (Previous drawing experience is recommended but not required. This class also requires manual dexterity that involves cutting, folding, threading and stitching.)
PRINTMAKING
PRINTMAKING Press
  • MONDAY: 6:00-8:00pm IN-STUDIO

AGES 13 to Adult
• Prior drawing skills required

PRINTMAKING

This class will take students through the printmaking processes of Monoprinting, Linocut, and Drypoint. Making prints is especially fun since there’s always that anticipation and surprise of the FIRST print made! Monoprints are ALL first prints, but Linocuts and Drypoints offer students the opportunity to create repeat prints and variations. Subject matter will be student’s choice. There’s nothing quite like printmaking where one “original” can make multiple pieces of art.

Printmaking is a unique class that offers an exploratory experience regarding both materials and techniques. Projects are intended to provide opportunities for students to use a few distantly different ways of making prints and learn or experiment with ways of using them. At the same time students are encouraged to follow their own creative interests regarding subject matter, composition and interpretation.

STUDENTS WILL WORK WITH:
• Printmaking materials and techniques

Projects will be assigned with specific learning objectives, and students will typically be able to choose their own subject matter. References and resources will always be available if needed. Projects will require multiple weeks to complete. This is NOT a drawing class and there will be no planned drawing instruction as it is expected that students can already draw well enough to participate.

If you have a student who loves art and has the interest and ability to expand their own creative boundaries they will love Printmaking.
CHARCOAL & PASTEL
Sleepy Puppy pastel Drawing
  • SATURDAY: 12:00-2:00pm IN-STUDIO

AGES 13 to Adult
• Prior drawing skills recommended

CHARCOAL & PASTEL

Charcoal Drawing, is a foundation class for students who want to develop their ability to see and represent a full range of light and shadow on paper. Charcoal is quite likely the oldest drawing medium. It provides unparalleled flexibility and the ability to work fast. Because of this studio artists frequently use charcoal studies as a starting point for developing new ideas. Managing this smudge-prone material also helps students develop “clean” habits that carry over into other mediums as well.

We've included Pastel painting in this class as well since the working characteristics are so similar, however color and color theory are huge subjects that are too large for the scope of this class. While color picking and blending will be covered it will be in a fairly simple presentation.

Anyone considering an art school or arts major would benefit from working in charcoal and pastel before college! Some project artwork from this class may be useful for portfolios.
 
COLORED PENCIL DRAWING
Colored Pencil Tree Drawing
  • THURSDAY: 4:00-5:30pm SIMULTANEOUS
AGES 12 to Adult
•all supplies included In Studio

COLORED PENCIL DRAWING

A popular but often misunderstood medium, color pencils are easy to come by and easy to use! In this class we will learn about techniques for using the pencils, how to blend, choose the right colors, and different mark-making techniques to create texture and depth. While previous drawing skill is not required, it is highly recommended as this is a medium and technique focused class. Class involves use of drawing materials (colored pencils) and potentially markers.

Portfolio Classes

PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT
portfoilio development class
  • THURSDAY: 6:00-8:00pm IN-STUDIO RECOMMENDED

AGES 15 & up
• all supplies included In Studio

PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT

Portfolio Development is for students entering their junior or senior year of high school (or beyond! We welcome students who are looking to build portfolios who are already enrolled in higher education as well) who have intentions of applying to art programs that require a portfolio submission. Students will be guided on how to create a gameplan for their portfolio, make achievable deadlines and brainstorm projects that will meet their needs. They are given the freedom to work independently on projects for their specific portfolio requirements, while still having the resource of the teacher for feedback and assistance.Students will be encouraged to engage with each other with their unique projects, as well as participate in critique every four weeks. They will learn to both give and receive feedback gracefully but helpfully. Previous skill in technical media is recommended for this class. (This class runs concurrently with the Studio Arts class.)
ADVANCED PAINTING
Still life oil painting
  • SATURDAY: 5:30-8pm IN-STUDIO

AGES 14 to Adult
• Oil, acrylic, and/or watercolor paint
• Prior painting experience required

ADVANCED PAINTING

ADVANCED PAINTING is a high-level, fine art painting class for students who have previously taken painting classes at Acton Art (Oil Painting1 & 2, Portrait Painting, Watercolor Painting, Mixed Media and Painting) or have taken painting classes elsewhere and have demonstrated understanding of paint application, underpainting layers and glazing levels.

This class is for students who wish to further develop their technical painting skills and techniques.

Advanced Painting students are expected to be able to work independently. Paintings should be original ideas, where students either paint from still lives they’ve constructed, reference photos they’ve taken themselves, or sketches and thumbnails they’ve brainstormed prior to the start of each class. Students should be ready to start painting at the beginning of each class, not spend class time thumbnailing ideas.

Projects in this class may take weeks to complete since students will be expected to fully develop the art though multiple layers, glazes, and scumbles. Students will be the primary decision makers regarding the execution of their artwork. There may however be specific learning objectives presented to challenge them and direct them toward useful experiences.

For Oil paint we will be using AP certified, non-toxic, Winsor & Newton water soluble oil paints that allow for easy soap and water clean-up at the end of a day of painting. No more toxic solvents and noxious fumes.
ADVANCED STUDIO ART
advanced studio artwork
  • THURSDAY: 6:00-8:00pm IN-STUDIO RECOMMENDED

AGES 15 & up
• all supplies included In Studio

ADVANCED STUDIO ART

Studio Arts is a high level class for students 16+ who have previously studied more technical classes, and now wish for an environment to explore themes and style. In this class, students will be tasked with creating their own concepts for projects (with the availability of prompts for each critique section) that will follow an area of study, genre or skill-set they want to develop. The teacher will help guide the student on their process, give advice on how to reach their goals and provide feedback during weekly sessions. Students will be encouraged to engage with each other with their unique projects, as well as participate in critique every four weeks. They will learn to both give and receive feedback gracefully but helpfully. Previous skill in technical media is required for this class. (This class runs concurrently with the Portfolio Development class.)


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