Do you long to express yourself through art?

 

For many years I was almost afraid to share this more intimate side of my art, where I knew I would feel, well, kind of vulnerable. I think that’s the most difficult part in creating. We share a part of us that is often hidden to others. We expose a glimpse of our soul.

I believe we all have an amazing story to tell.

We all have strong emotions we may be afraid to expose, or maybe, just don’t know how.

I would like to show you my methods, and how I do this. It’s certainly not easy, and I struggle with it every time I paint. But I hope this can inspire you to try it yourself and find your own expressive voice. To really feel what you are painting, and transmit some of that through your pencil or paintbrush.

This workshop is for you if you have been looking to awaken that soulful side of your art, get out of your comfort zone, learn new techniques, and take it another step .

 

HERE IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECTS WE WILL BE DOING:

 

PROJECT 1: EXPRESSION

(warm up lesson)

IN OUR FIRST PROJECT WE WILL START WITH A WARM UP OF DIFFERENT QUICK EXPRESSIVE DRAWINGS WITH SIMPLE LIMITED TOOLS. THIS LESSON IS ALL ABOUT GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MATERIALS AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF PAPER, WHILE DISCOVERING THE VARIETY OF LIGHT STROKES OR FAST STROKES, SOFT LINES OR ANGRY LINES, ALL TO CREATE AN OUTCOME THAT REFLECTS OUR MOOD AND EMOTIONS! THIS IS A WONDERFUL PRACTICE, AND THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT VIDEOS ON DIFFERENT TOOLS AND SUBSTRATES, OF WHICH WE CAN ALSO DO IN OUR JOURNAL IF DESIRED. WITH SIMPLE MATERIALS SUCH AS CHARCOAL, WET OR DRY; PASTEL AND GESSO; OR CHARCOAL WITH WATERCOLOR. YOU’LL BE SURPRISED HOW FUN AND LIBERATING THIS EXERCISE IS!

PROJECT 2: EMOTION

NOW THAT WE LOOSENED UP WE WILL TAKING IT A LITTLE FURTHER AND PAINT A COMPLETE ACRYLIC AND MIXED MEDIA PORTRAIT. IN THIS PROJECT WE WILL STUDY FACIAL FEATURES, AND HOW TO TRANSMIT FEELINGS INTO THE FACE AND PARTICULARLY, THE EYES, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF USING HANDS IN OUR PORTRAITS TO CREATE EXTRA DRAMA AND FEELING. WHILE I SHOW YOU MY METHODS ON HOW I CREATE LUMINOUS SKIN TONES, LAYERING AND CONTRAST, WE WILL COMBINE THESE WITH ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS THAT SUGGESTS  A STORY FOR THE VIEWER TO INTERPRET. I’M SURE YOU WILL ENJOY THIS INTUITIVE PROCESS AS MUCH AS I DO!

PROJECT 3: MOVEMENT

IN THIS THIRD LESSON I WILL SHOW YOU HOW I LIKE TO CREATE MOVEMENT IN MY ART TO PORTRAY A DREAMY, EMOTIONAL EFFECT. THE PROJECT WE WILL BE DOING IS THIS PAINTING IN THE PHOTO ABOVE, WHERE I WILL SHOW YOU HOW I MAP OUT MY PAINTING COMPOSITION, DRAW A FULL-BODY PORTRAIT, AND ADD A DRAMATIC BACKGROUND THAT TELLS A VISUAL STORY AND CREATES THE MOOD OF THE PIECE. WE WILL ALSO STUDY THE IMPORTANCE OF COLOR COMBINATION, AND HOW THAT EVOKES DIFFERENT EMOTIONS TO TELL A VISUAL STORY. USING ACRYLICS TO ACHIEVE THIS, I WILL SHOW YOU HOW I CREATE A ‘GLOW EFFECT’ BY LAYERING AND CREATING CONTRAST… YOU WILL LOVE THIS ONE!

PROJECT 4: DRAMA

IN THIS PROJECT WE WILL BE DRAWING A MALE PORTRAIT! I THINK WE OFTEN TEND TO SHY AWAY FROM PAINTING A MALE FACE BECAUSE IT’S SCARY! I ADMIT IT.. BUT IT’S NOT AS DIFFICULT AS IT SEEMS, AS LONG AS WE NOTICE THE DIFFERENCES AND APPLY THIS WHEN DRAWING AND PAINTING. I WILL SHOW YOU MY TECHNIQUES AND HOW I PLAN THIS. AND, WE WILL BE PAINTING NONE OTHER THAN MY HANDSOME BROTHER, WHO KINDLY GAVE US HIS PERMISSION TO USE THE PHOTO FROM HIS NEW FILM, “THE PASSPORT”…(THANKS MIKE!)  SO WE WILL BEGIN WITH A CHARCOAL DRAWING WARM UP, AND THEN GO ON TO PAINTING HIM WITH ACRYLICS. NOW LET’S HAVE SOME FUN!

PROJECT 5: (BONUS LESSON) TEXTURE

(ALL VIDEOS DOWNLOADABLE!)

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN IN THIS CLASS

We will be covering several topics and techniques such as:

• Expressive, intuitive portraits
• Creating movement in a full-body painting
• Layering with acrylics
• Creating a visual story with simple elements
• The importance of facial expression
• Creating contrast through layering
• Quick sketching and with simple tools, and how to transmit emotions through different strokes
•  Drawing and painting a male portrait
• Drawing and painting hands and how this can add drama to our portraits
• how to create luminosity and a glowing effect with acrylics
• Painting a female portrait and expressive eyes
• Adding a dramatic backdrop to tell our story
• And much more….

 

WHAT KIND OF SUPPLIES TO I NEED FOR THIS WORKSHOP?

YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO BUYING EVERYTHING ON THE LIST, MANY THINGS MIGHT BE SUBSTITUTED FOR MATERIALS YOU ALREADY HAVE!

• Charcoal* (charcoal pencils, various sizes and types, white charcoal, kneaded eraser, blending stump)
• XL charcoal and/or XL graphite (certainly not necessary, but fun to use)
• Watercolor paper* (either in loose sheets or in a block, I use both cold and hot press in the different lessons)
• A watercolor journal and/or any different types of your favorite paper (I will be using handmade Khadi paper in some of the warm up lessons as well)
• Pastel paper or just cardstock paper for charcoal drawing
• Acrylics – Some of your favorite colors plus the primary colors
• Paintbrushes
• Watercolors…one or two of your favorite colors. (I used black and a red)
• an ink pen (preferably water proof. I use a fountain pen from Platinum)
• Color pencils (or pastel pencils)
• White gesso
• Glazing medium
• Stencils and paper ephemera or napkins
• matt gel medium
• Inktense blocks or water-soluble crayons (for the bonus lesson)

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

1. Once I sign up, will I receive instant access? – Yes you can login to your classroom and begin right away!
2. Will we do the exact artworks shown on this page? –  Yes
3.    Is this workshop also suitable for beginner artists? Absolutely! I go through all the projects step by step. This is both for beginners who want to learn new techniques and discover ways to create expressively, but also for experienced artists who are interested in expanding their skills with new ways of expression, while getting some inspiration boosts.
4. Will these videos be downloadable? Yes
5. How many videos will there be? Around 20+
6. For how long will the class be available? For as long as I’m in business (A lifetime hopefully)
7. Will there be a dedicated Facebook group? Absolutely! You will get an email with the link to sign up on the 20th of February. You are not required to join, but it is highly recommended as I will be able to give feedback and support there. It is also a great way to connect with others from the workshop, and share your work or get inspired from others.       
8. Can I sell the work I created in this workshop? Absolutely, I will be happy if you do! Please be sure to mention which lesson and class it was inspired from.   
9. Do I have to buy everything on the supply list? Of course not, you can use the tools you have! I would suggest though that you have at least some of the “essentials” for the class.

I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU IN CLASS!