An introduction to picture making with water-mixable oils. Over two days you will learn a number of exercises, techniques and methods so that you can continue to experiment, explore, learn and grow on your own after the workshop. Every artist is self-taught. It's to your advantage to become a good teacher.

1. State the concept - what it is you hope to capture. Not what is the subject.

2. Thumbnail sketching - try several compositions in just a few minutes.

What is the painting about? Not what subject are you painting. What mood, emotion, atmosphere do you want to evoke? What inspired you to paint this picture? Write the concept down so you can check if you're on track as you paint. This is the most important step. You can borrow a concept from an old master's painting, a photograph or a movie.

Using pencil or pen on paper make a number of small, quick sketches in which you explore ways to best depict your concept, at least three. Divide your rectangle into only a few large shapes and values, no more than five or six, less if possible. Try horizontal, vertical, square formats. No detail. Try out compositions and imagine how you would paint the final. Decide high key, mid key or low key. Notan can be included in this category, small sketches with only three shapes each a different value. To aid in planning your picture you will need to be familiar with the elements and principles of art listed in 9. below.

A very flexible, fluid and forgiving way to draw that is much like painting...and it's fun! A great way to practice picture making. You will learn to work with values alone to make a picture, an important thing to know for good painting.

Materials needed: 4B pencil; felt-tip markers, fine and broad; Vine Charcoal, fat and thin Chamois; Stumps; Conte, black and white; Erasers, Extra Soft and kneaded; Paper Towel; Sketch book, Fingers and can of Hair Spray for fixative.

Using just three primary colors plus black and white has two big advantages. The color scheme is automatically harmonized and you will become very good at mixing color. Starting with French Ultramarine Blue, Yellow Lemon and Permanent Rose secondary colors can be mixed: green, orange, and purple, plus any other color. These are called 'hues'. Mixed colors will not be as intense or saturated as those you can buy in a tube, but for painting realistically they are fine.

Most of the time you will want to paint with grays rather than full intensity color. Many colors you put on the canvas will be mixed from all three primaries in different proportions. For example, the green mixed with Ultramarine and Yellow will need to be toned down by adding Rose. Rose is called the 'compliment' of green because it is on the opposite side of the color wheel. Other useful grays can be mixed with a gray made from black and white plus red, for example, or some other color. All of these grays are called 'tones'. Tones are more pleasing to the eye. They are complex, subtle and sophisticated. You may want to pre-mix a medium gray in cool and warm versions to save time. Tints are made by adding white to any color. Shades are made by adding black to any color.

Applying paint with no concept or goal in mind allows you to just play with paint. The final out come is of no importance...having fun is. At some point you may see the suggestion of something, a face, a river, a figure. You can reinforce that image or let it go. Now is the time to go a little bit wild. Try things you would not try in a real painting. Experiment, be impulsive.

Painting without reference material is a good way to improve your memory and powers of observation. It allows you to focus on the canvas and the 2D design problem.

A simplified version of the traditional painting process. You are already familiar with this type of art. It's used in cartoons, funny papers, comic books, Manga, stained glass, posters, Hokusai woodblock prints and Japanese cloisonne.

The most difficult task in painting is simplifying and clarifying the profusion and ambiguities of nature as you try to reduce it all to a two dimensional surface. Mapping means to make an outline of the important shapes, organizing your design into concrete shapes with clear and distinct boundaries. The line is black and more or less of uniform thickness. Each enclosed area is painted in a solid color. Adjustments can be made if needed. Finally, color variation, gradation, etc. may be added within each area. This exercise requires you to think in a way that is very useful for your growth as a designer of two dimensional space.

This is one of the many ways to make a painting.

1. Gesture and Movement - Use a pencil, move it lightly and loosely. Don't draw the object rather find the movement in the composition, feel out the boundaries of the canvas. This will link the subject with the canvas in your mind.

2. Outline - Similar to mapping, the outline will give structure to the picture. Locate the line where two values meet. Use a paint brush with a dark paint. More contrast between two areas of value means a darker line will separate them. Less contrast between two areas of value means a thinner and lighter line will separate them. Don't focus on drawing objects...let it happen as you outline the value shapes.

3. Underpaint - Scumble on light color thinly, use side of the brush. Establish a color scheme...discover what colors look good together. The outline will be mostly covered.

4. Reconstruct - Redo the outline as before.

5. Paint - Using thicker paint this time repaint the picture.

As each stroke of color is laid down you should automatically assess the effect on the colors that are already there. Does it fit in, does it add to or take away from? This determination is not done intellectually, not with logic and reasoning. You rely on how it feels to you. You exercise your aesthetic sense. It may help to step back to get a fresh look. Then correct the Value, the Color, the Drawing or Edges. At some point you may become aware that the composition is not working, but you may not be able to locate the problem. Now is the time to use logic and reasoning by doing an evaluation based on the elements and principles of art. Ask yourself a series of questions. Is my color scheme unified? Do I need to add gradation? Do I have enough contrast, rhythm, harmony, etc.? Are my values working? So on down the list until you locate problems and fix them. It may help to set the canvas aside for a few days, look in a mirror or change the light. No one can paint better than his ability to critique.

Here is a list of the elements of art:

Line, Shape, Value, Color, Movement, Size, Pattern.

Here is a list of the principles of art:

Unity, Harmony, Contrast, Rhythm, Repetition, Gradation, Balance, Dominance.

A list of common difficulties and mistakes from Richard Schmid's book, 'Alla Prima', All I Know About Painting which may help you identify what is causing problems...

Careless drawing, not measuring.
Too many sharp edges.
Trying to paint things instead of color shapes.
Painting more values than are necessary.
Incorrect temperature changes.
Inventing impossible color.
Miserly paint, too little.
Unsuitable brushes.
Poorly Stretched canvas.
Painting over life-size without a good reason.
Allowing too little time.
Working too close, not stepping back to view your work.
Overworking what should be left alone.
Working from inadequate photos.
Poor working light.
Not squinting for values and edges.
Too many highlights.
Painting shadows too light.
Muddy, wrong temperature, color.
Inappropriate paint thickness.
Excessively-thinned paint.
Cheap canvas, very absorbent canvas.
Painting too fast.
Painting very small without proper brushes.
Aimless brushstrokes.
Faking it.
Showing off.
Working from photos taken by others.
Excessive glare on the canvas.
Changing conditions in the subject or movement of a model.
Deficient palette - poor selection of pigments.
Trying to paint what is not possible to paint.
Timidity and lack of confidence - fear of making a mistake.
Painting under excessive pressure or distraction.
Wobbly easel.
Not cleaning palette and brushes while working.
Confusion - trying to do everything at once.
Trying to paint too much, especially detail.
Trying to paint what you don't want to paint.

If you find yourself getting frustrated, go back to the basics. If your paintings are not working out it is almost always a problem with values, but think about color, drawing and edges, too. Go back to charcoal drawing or monochromatic painting. Increase your understanding of values and their importance. If the value is right you can use almost any color. Take the pressure off by doing a series of random paintings or paintings from imagination. Be prepared to sacrifice any part to improve the whole. If you spend hours on a tree rendering it beautifully only to notice it competes with the equally rendered barn, the tree must go. If you've worked for hours, tried everything and it's still a disaster, be bold...scrape all the paint off, wipe it down to the canvas. You should still have a ghost image left to use as a guide for starting over. After you get some experience your time is better spent in planning the painting than actually painting. You will find a lot of instructional material on my website: www.buildart.com/blog.htm

More Learning Activities

1. Copy an old master's painting.

2. Paint on location, en plein air.

3. Study art history.

4. Memorize and understand the elements and principles of art.

5. Attend life drawing sessions.

6. Frequent galleries and museums.

7. Study art instruction books and videos.

8. Join a critique group.

9. Take a small sketch book with you.