Acrylic Painting I — Quick Reference Notes
Course Orientation and Goals
The class is designed to be outcome-driven from the start: know where we’re going, see how that guides my teaching and discussions about painting as a practice toward your goals, and be prepared to take notes or photos as needed. We’ll cover names and pronouns to respect everyone’s identity, and you’ll be able to correct or update your name in the system so I’m using what you go by. The course uses acrylics for practical reasons (class size, ventilation, disposal) and to keep the studio safe and manageable, but the skills you learn are transferable to other media. The aim is to strengthen your drawing background and extend it with value, light, and form to create believable objects, while teaching you to observe—even though the work isn’t 100% observational. We’ll also include at least one non-observational unit to support creativity. We’ll emphasize using light and color to convey dimension and a sense of illumination, and you’ll learn how to connect to what you’re painting.
Medium, Practice, and Observational Focus
We work with acrylic paints due to classroom realities and safety, but the skills you gain transfer to other mediums. The emphasis is on complementary practice to your drawing work, extending your ability to render value, light, and form. Observational work is foundational, but not exclusive: there will be non-observational elements to broaden your approach. You’ll learn to use light, color, and brushwork to create depth and atmosphere, while still allowing room for personal expression.
Structure and Rhythm of Units
Each unit runs just under a month. The rhythm is roughly: about for skill-building on smaller substrates, followed by about on the main painting. The first unit is the shortest; later units extend the time as you gain stamina and confidence. We’ll alternate between small studies (on paper or acrylic pads) and larger canvas paintings. We usually culminate with a class exhibition, typically in October into November, sometimes with campus-wide installations and a walking-open event. Canvas work marks a mind-shift and readiness to wire and hang pieces for exhibition. If you miss a class, you can check the calendar, email me, and we’ll plan a makeup.
Still Life and Perception with White Objects
We begin with a white-object still life to avoid color overwhelm and to focus on light, shadow, and subtle color shifts. Even white objects show warmth, coolness, and color reflections, so you’ll learn to read neutrals and color interactions without the distraction of saturated color. Highlights aren’t simply white; you’ll see cooler or warmer tints (blue, pink) in reflections. Color-mixing practice starts here, with the idea of treating color like puzzle pieces—each section develops separately but contributes to a cohesive whole. We’ll also explore simple box setups to control scale, line of sight, and edge relationships while you learn to crop mentally to fit the composition.
Setup, Composition, and Box as Contained World
A box setup creates a contained world for your subjects, guiding scale, line of sight, and edge relationships. You can keep objects simple to learn light or craft a more elaborate mini-world as your confidence grows. You’ll learn to move your gaze back and forth between the setup and your painting to maintain accuracy, and you’ll start to understand how composition and framing influence what you see on the canvas. The box also helps you see how to crop within the edge of the canvas and how to interpret orientation when you frame your scene.
From Observation to Expressive Work and Landscape
While observation remains central, we also explore expressive strategies that push beyond exact copies. The course includes a mixed-media unit with several small panels to shift toward texture, collage, or other materials, and later moves into landscape where expressive brushwork and underpainting come into play. Landscape invites richer texture and color relationships and provides opportunities for personal voice. You’ll create work with varying degrees of realism and personal interpretation, using light, shadow, color, and mood to communicate your vision.
Personal Voice, Portfolio, and Cross-Class Learning
Developing a personal expressive voice is a process, not a race. You’ll see growth across paintings as your style emerges. For portfolios, most schools want strong observational work, so we emphasize painting from observation and limit reliance on photographs. You’ll learn to balance observational accuracy with expressive decisions, and you’ll discover how skills from painting inform other courses (e.g., figure drawing, digital rendering). The goal is steady progression toward a distinct, confident voice rather than a rushed “perfect” style.
Materials, Tools, and Budget
A core component of the class is assembling a concise, versatile palette. Recommended base colors include two yellows, two reds, two blues, a neutral, and a large tube of Titanium White (5 oz). Specific pigments typically include Napthol Red, Quinacridone Magenta, Phthalo Blue, and Burnt Umber (with variants of yellow to offer warmer and cooler neutrals). The exact tube labels may vary, but aim for single-pigment yellows, reds, and blues to maximize clean color mixing. For surfaces, you’ll start with acrylic paper pads for skill-building and switch to canvas for main paintings. A pack of about and is recommended, along with a few larger canvases later on. Brushes should include at least: a filbert, two rounds, and a bright; longer handles can improve control for painting larger areas, while shorter handles aid precision and closer work. Use acrylic-specific brushes (flat, bristle brushes) and avoid low-quality jars; tubes are preferred for heavy-body acrylics. Mixing surfaces like small plates, wax paper, or plastic mixing trays are helpful; project mixing trays should be easy to clean and allow color migration. We also cover storage: vertical canvas storage with name labeling on the wood (not the plastic) to keep belongings organized and secure.
Color Mixing Chart and Color Theory
A color-mixing chart will be introduced on Wednesday to help you understand color relationships and how to nudge colors to create gradients and neutrals. You'll practice adding white to achieve different values and progress toward color-to-color mixing. This chart will be projected during class and made available for review; a printable version may be provided. The exercise is designed to deepen your control of values, temperature, and saturation, with an emphasis on achieving depth and dimensionality in your paintings.
Class Logistics, Submissions, and Studio Etiquette
Most work will be photographed and submitted via Blackboard; blue or yellow highlights in the calendar indicate submission deadlines. We’ll discuss best practices for photographing and turning in your work. For studio etiquette, no food is allowed in the space; water and closed cups are permitted. We store canvases vertically, with your name on the wood to prevent mix-ups. The schedule is precise to preserve the rhythm of the course; if disruptions occur (weather, power outages), I’ll adjust, and you’ll stay on track by reviewing the calendar and communicating via email if you miss a class.
Mindset and Growth in the Studio
Learning is often uncomfortable as you move beyond your familiar methods. You’ll encounter moments of frustration, but they’re part of growth; mistakes are valuable learning tools. Stay curious, ask questions, and push yourself to explore new directions. The instructor emphasizes supporting your exploration, sustaining momentum, and ultimately discovering your own expressive potential through steady practice and reflection.