Painting course for hobbyists

Those taking the course should master basic issues such as how to compose an image, proportions, building space with color, how to compose colors. Reproduction albums will be provided at the class. In addition, there will be slide presentations of paintings by ancient and contemporary artists.

The aim of the classes is to master basic painting techniques, improve the workshop and shape one’s own creative attitude.

The course is intended to encourage individual creative exploration, new solutions, gaining new experiences and expanding one’s artistic awareness.

The works in each class, can be made in the painting technique chosen by the student.

Class schedule:

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. Ways of measuring proportions.

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

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

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

7. Still life in white – painting using white cardboard – acrylic.

8. Still life in black – painting using black cardboards – acrylic.

9. Monochromatic composition based on different colored still life – acrylic, gouache or tempera.

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

11. 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.

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

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

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

15.Still life in contrasting colors – interaction of colors – study preceded by sketches – acrylic.

16.Still life in a selected monochromatic range – two still lifes of choice, e.g. in reds, greens – acrylic or other painting technique.

17. Still life thematic – still life with flowers and mirror – slides – sketches – study.

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

19. still life with fruit – egg tempera. Characteristics of the technique.

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

21. figure – seeing the whole – monochromatic painting sketches.

22. figure – holistic vision – painting sketches in color.

23. The figure in the interior – still life model, a shot of the whole or a selected fragment – acrylic.

24. The issue of portraiture in painting. Portrait of a child. Anatomy of the head. Facial expressions and facial expressions – slides. Portrait based on the model – painting sketches using white and black, using soft and strong lighting.

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

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

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

28. still life in a selected convention, such as Dutch still life – sketches – study on a sub-painting – oil technique.

29. figure in the interior – study – oil technique.

 30. 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, rear view, side view.

31. nude – dry pastel in color – sketches.

32. nude – monochrome painting – white and black – sketches – study.

33. nude – sketches – study – oil technique.

34. The technique of painting icons with elements of gilding with metal hits on the mikstion – a copy of an icon.

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

 36. still life using colored ground – pastel.

37. portrait using colored ground – pastel.

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

39. lavaged still life – watercolor.

40. landscape – ancient and modern masters – slides.

41. cityscape – aerial perspective – plein air.

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

43 Copy. Classes to make a copy, selected by yourself, of a painting in the convention of realism – getting acquainted with the methods of transferring the image to the sub-image.

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

45 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.

In the program of the class, there will be a 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.