Welcome!
In MAKING ART A PRACTICE: In and Out of the Sketchbook, we’ll spend two days drawing in the sketchbook with a focus on color, line and shape then jump out of the sketchbook to do a bigger project. We’ll draw and paint the world around us— food, clothes and the objects in our homes, plants and landscape, and people. And we’ll do so in different ways—painting using only lines, making cut-paper images using only shapes, then bringing line and shape together in different ways.
Our goal is to draw and paint in experimental ways and to get ideas for our own work. We’ll mostly work on a larger scale outside of the sketchbook and try things out. We’ll approach everything we do with a spirit of adventure and discovery!
This is a new and different class to the first “Making Art a Practice.” If you missed that one, no worries—this class is for everyone. And anyone who would like to is invited to post work on the private Facebook page for this class. At the beginning of each week, I’ll introduce the class in the online forum and offer some examples from well known artists that might inspire us as we do the exercises. We’ll all share comments and I’ll offer feedback and a few additional ideas every weekday morning.
Supplies
- (1) 5”x8.25 (Moleskine Classic Notebook with plain paper or similar)
- Drawing paper: (Any drawing pad that also takes paint is fine—e.g. the CansonXL sketchbook, or any 14”x18” pad of drawing paper that accepts all media. Highly recommend getting a ream of Dick Blick “Blick white sulfite drawing paper”. It’s $21.99 and great to work on even with watercolor.)
- Thicker paper for paint: (A pad of quality thicker paper with vellum (not plate) surface 14”x18”. ) The CansonXL large sketchbook paper would work fine. Thicker paper is even nicer to work with as it doesn’t warp. I like Strathmore 500 series 3 or 4 ply vellum surface (cold press) bristol. This has a slight tooth but is not rough like proper watercolor paper. Fabriano or Arches also good brands. Two or three 20”x30” sheets will do. Our projects will mostly be no larger than 14”x18”.)
- Card Stock: (Smooth bristol, illustration board or any smooth thicker paper for doing cut-paper collage on. Again the CansonXL heavy sketchbook paper or something similar is fine.
- Ebony drawing pencil: or 6B, 8B etc (dark, soft lead)
- Colored pencils: My favorites are Dick Blick for soft leads and rich pigments. Also Prismacolors. We don’t need many colors in this session and any brand will do.
- Neocolor watercolor crayons: A small set is fine. Not essential but they are fun to draw with and produce wonderfully rich colors when wet with brush.
- Crayola crayons: In lieu of Neocolors. A pack of 24.
- Scissors: 8” size. Cheap is fine. (Again IKEA has a great set of 3 different sized scissors for about $6.)
- Acrylic Matte Medium: A small jar is more than enough. We will use as glue. Glue stick can also be used but matte medium works best.
- Black acrylic ink or paint
- Restickable Glue Stick
- Photos of people’s faces: These can be cut from magazines or photos you have. They should be about 2” x 3”.
Note: Whatever brands you prefer are just fine!
Nuts & Bolts
Here’s how this online class works:
• As a self-study class, so you have access to all of the lessons right now and can work the lessons on your own timetable.
• You have indefinite access to this class.
• You can (optionally) share your work with Cat via email or via the class Facebook page. Since this is now a self-study class, you will need to let Cat know if you upload work, as she doesn’t check the FB page as regularly. Click this link and ask to join the group!
• Class fee is good for participants living in a single household.
Questions?
Thank you so much for being here! We are here to help in any way:
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CLASS CONTENT: If you have questions about this class please email Cat directly at [email protected].