Painting course for ASP candidates

Lesson plan:

1. Introduction to the class. Characteristics of painting techniques: pastel, tempera, gouache, acrylic, oil, stained glass, fresco, mosaic, collage, assemblage.

2. Composition. Its types and determinants. Characteristics of compositional systems.

3. Perspective. Golden division. The construction of the subject. Methods of measuring proportions. A set of solids drawn from two different points of observation.

4. Perspective sketches of their chosen objects in different arrangements.

5. Light and shadow. Exercises on the basis of illuminated solids – “traveling light” in relation to the object – illumination from the right, from the left, from behind – the object seen “against the light”. Observation of the shadow of an object.

6. The issue of value – brightness of color, intensity of light in relation to shadow, weight of color – still life in gray – monochrome painting.

7. Still life in black and white – painting on gray cardboard – exercise using gray background – acrylic.

8. Still life in white – painting using white cardboard.

9. Still life in black – painting using black cardboards.

10. Monochromatic composition on the basis of different colored still life.

11. Flat and spatial composition – still life of geometric nature – white and black – acrylic. Exercises preceded by slides.

12. Open and closed composition – painting compositions from imagination – acrylic. Exercises preceded by slides.

13. Ascending and descending composition – painting compositions from imagination – acrylic. Exercises preceded by slides.

14. Theory of color. Hue vs. color. Circle of colors. Primary, derivative, complementary, contrasting, warm, cold colors, van Bezold’s phenomenon and other optical illusions, relativity of colors – slides.

15. Flat color composition inspired by still life, composed of simple solids and planes -contrasting and harmonizing colors. Contrasting on the basis of warm – cool, dark – light.

16. Still life in ancient and modern painting – slides. Building space with color, still life made on the basis of 3 primary colors – red, blue, yellow – mixing of individual colors – acrylic.

17. Still life in a warm range of colors – sketches – study – acrylic.

18. Still life in a cool range of colors – sketches – study – acrylic.

19. Still life in a warm and cool range of colors – gouache, tempera or acrylic.

20. Still life in contrasting colors – interaction of colors – sketches – study – acrylic.

21. Still life with a color accent – a choice of two still lifes , for example, in reds or greens – acrylic, tempera or gouache.

22. Still life with theme – candidates are to set up a still life, adding the props they have brought – mixed technique – introducing into the painting composition, elements of drawing and collage.

23. Still life with fruit – egg tempera. Characteristics of the technique.

24. The figure – introduction. Variety of ways of depicting the figure in painting – slides. Basic issues: measuring proportions, construction, figure sitting, standing, lying down – preliminary sketches in pencil, pastel, dry brush.

25. The figure – holistic vision – monochromatic painting sketches.

26. The figure – holistic vision – painting sketches in color.

27. The issue of portraiture in painting. Portrait of a child. Anatomy of the head. Facial expressions and facial expressions – slides.

28. Portrait based on the model – painting sketches using white and black with the use of soft and strong lighting. Self-portrait in painting inspirations – slides.

29. Self-portrait in any painting technique.

30. Painting study of the figure – a model with a still life – the whole or a selected fragment. Capturing the character of the portrayed person – the face and hands of the model . Holistic, formal and perceptive vision – acrylic.

31. Oil technique – introduction. Slides in an abbreviated manner showing the wide range of possibilities of the medium. Characteristics of the technique. Basic knowledge of oil painting technology. Practical news – organization of the workshop. Preparation of the sub-image – stretching linen canvas on the loom, re-sticking, priming. Preparation of oil paint.

32. Still life – quick painting sketches with change of places – oil technique.

33. Still life with fruit – sketches and study made on a sub-image – oil technique.

34. Still life in the convention of Dutch still life – detail study – oil technique.

35. Still life in a selected convention, such as cubist, surrealist, op-art – mixed technique – introduction of elements of drawing and collage into the composition.

36. Study of thematic still life, set by the students – acrylic or oil technique.

37. Nude in painting – slides. Topics in anatomy: human skeleton, comparison of the body structure of a child and an adult, general principles of muscle structure, muscles front view, muscles rear view, side view. Anatomy in practice – exercises with a moving doll – sketches.

38. Nude – monochrome painting – sketches – study.

39. Nude – dry pastel in color.

40. Nude – sketches – study – oil technique.

41. Figure in the interior – study in oil technique.

42. Technique of painting icons with elements of gilding with metal hits on the mikstion – copy of an icon.

43. Pastels in the history of painting and contemporary artists – slides. Color palette, finger painting. Still life using a white ground.

44. Still life using colored ground – pastel.

45. Portrait using colored ground – pastel.

46. Water color. A brief history of watercolor painting and modern masters of watercolor – slides. Techniques and methods of painting with watercolor. Instruments and tools, lavaging. Valor painting using one color.

47. Lavendered still life – watercolor.

48. Landscape – old and modern masters – slides.

49. Urban landscape – aerial perspective – plein air.

50. Collage – slides. Abstract composition inspired by music, literature, film or still life from the studio.

51. Copy. Classes consisting of making a copy, of a chosen painting in the convention of realism – getting acquainted with the methods of transferring the image to a sub-painting.

52. Hyperrealism in painting – painting on the basis of photography. Painters of the 1970s, as well as contemporary works of hyperrealists – slides.

53. Painting on the basis of photography – students will take a photograph of one or more objects. The task is to faithfully reproduce the photograph on a sub-image, taking into account the scaling of the object – oil technique.

The class will include the screening of six episodes of the documentary series “The Power of Art” by Professor Simon Schama: Rembrandt, David, Carravagio, Bernini, van Gogh, Turner, Picasso, Rothko. The BBC series has been highly praised by critics and has received many prestigious awards for best documentary series. The projection of individual episodes will take place between given blocks of classes – a total of 6 blocks.