Ready to move past the basics and unlock the richness of oil paint? This Level 2 course is designed for adult artists who have completed an introductory oil painting class or have a foundational understanding of color mixing, paint handling, and basic composition. We will focus on bridging the gap between beginner exercises and creating finished, impactful studio works.

Who Should Enroll?

This class is for students comfortable setting up a palette, handling brushes, and mixing primary colors. You should be ready to dedicate time to more complex projects and in-depth critiques.

What We Will Cover:

Over the course of the term, we will delve deeper into the technical and theoretical aspects of oil painting:

Advanced Color Theory: Master color harmony and color temperature. Learn to mix subtle grays, vibrant complementary tones, and achieve atmospheric effects using limited palettes.
Controlling the Medium: Explore various mediums (liquins, solvent-free gels, thickeners) to control paint consistency, drying time, and finish (from thin washes to thick impasto).
Alla Prima vs. Layering: Practice the spontaneous alla prima (wet-on-wet) technique and learn the foundational principles of indirect painting (layering, glazing, and scumbling) to achieve luminous depth.
Composition and Spatial Depth: Study how to utilize aerial perspective and intentional design to create believable three-dimensional space and lead the viewer's eye through the canvas.
The Still Life and Drapery: Move from simple shapes to complex setups, focusing on rendering light on multiple forms, understanding reflected light, and convincingly painting textiles and folds.
Critique and Development: Engage in constructive critiques designed to help you analyze your own work, identify areas for technical growth, and refine your personal artistic voice.

Join this course to deepen your artistic practice, gain technical confidence, and transform your oil paintings into works with professional presence.

Supplies list:
Palette knife-plastic or metal
Palette-a disposable paper pad or wood (recommended)
Odorless solvent - small container of Gamsol
Paint medium-Liquin original (smallest bottle available)
Container for holding solvent (for brush cleaning)
Graphite pencil or charcoal

Suggested brushes:

both bristle and soft Round #2, #6 Flat or bright #2, #4, #6

Oil paints:
Alizarin crimson
Cadmium red
Cadmium yellow light
Sap green
Ultramarine blue
Raw umber
Burnt sienna
Titanium White

Painting surface: suggested size gessoed cotton canvas or gessoed board-11x14", 12"x16", 16"x20"

Roll of paper towels or rags

The Creative Underground

Ronnie O'Donnell