INTRODUCTION TO OIL PAINTING
$149.00
- Self-Study
- Instructor – Sarah Sedwick
- 4+ Hours of Instruction
- Lifetime Access/Downloadable Content
- Private Facebook Group
- #sarahsedwick
- Course Price – $149
Description
Do You Often Feel Intimidated by the Thought of Painting in Oils? Would You Like to Approach Your Painting with More Confidence and Ease?
Whether you're brand new to oil paint, returning to painting, or an experienced artist looking to add oils to your repertoire, this workshop is for you! Explore topics including studio materials and color mixing, and learn to create the illusion of 3 dimensional form in a loose, realistic style. Alla prima painting - in which a piece is finished in one sitting - is perfect for painters of all levels. Find out why oils are actually the easiest painting medium of them all!
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students will be introduced to the following concepts:
- Familiarize yourself with everything you’ll need to begin your oil painting journey!
- Set up and light your still life
- Observe the action of light on your still life
- Mix a black from the three primary colors
- Combine that “black” mixture with white to create a five value scale
- Focus on seeing color as value
- Mix a full spectrum palette from your three primaries
- Create a color wheel chart that can be used as a great studio reference
- Walk through Sarah’s three step alla prima process
COURSE OPEN - SELF-STUDY
Lifetime Access - Download All Content
Cost - $149
DESCRIPTION OF LESSONS
THE SPHERE
Let’s begin this workshop with a fun black and white exercise, painting a simple geometric shape - the sphere - on a white background.
Geometric shapes are the basis of so many forms in nature. Studying the way light travels over the sphere will really help you create the illusion of round form - on anything - from apples to faces! We’ll paint the sphere with a value scale - black to white - in five steps. First, you’ll mix a “black” from the three colors on your palette, then add white to change the value until you have two lights, a midtone, and two darks. Mix a lot of paint - you’ll be using it in the next lesson as well!
THE APPLE IN BLACK AND WHITE
Let’s take our five step black and white palette to a colorful subject! Understanding that all color has value is the key to capturing accurate value relationships - the fundamental building blocks of realistic painting. So, think of your eyes as a black and white camera. Squinting helps a lot!
If you don’t have an apple, it’s absolutely OK to use an orange, a lemon, a pear - or any other fruit!
DIVE INTO COLOR!
Now that you’ve spent time studying the values in your apples, it’s time to move on to color! First, you’ll create a color wheel chart, a great reference for your studio wall. We will complete this activity by mixing a full spectrum from your three primary colors.
THE APPLE IN COLOR
Next, you’ll mix some custom colors, perfect for painting your apple. All that preparation pays off! Sarah will demo on a half-sheet of 9 x 12” Arches Oil Paper. Paint on any surface you choose! For this lesson we will take inspiration from Magritte and paint a Granny Smith. After that we will paint a Delicious Red apple. Who can resist that beautiful red!?
SHIFTING LIGHT
Shifting Light is an exercise in which you’ll paint the still life in the same position, three times, in three different lighting situations. Working from a printed contour drawing - or creating your own - you’ll take be able to take drawing out of the equation and focus instead on big color/value shapes. Observing how changing the lighting can change the whole feeling of a still life is key here.
I’ll be spending about 30 minutes on each study, but take as much time as you need. If you feel yourself getting bogged down, I suggest setting a timer, just to keep things moving!
PAINTING ALLA PRIMA
It’s time for Sarah’s three simple steps for alla prima, or direct painting, in oils! First: color mixing, second: the block-in or underpainting - sketching out your composition on the canvas. And third: laying down all that brilliant color!
No matter how simple or complex the subject, the rule is the same: you can paint it any color you want, as long as you match the value relationships you’re observing. So, keep squinting!
COURSE OPEN - SELF-STUDY
Lifetime Access - Download All Content
Cost - $149
MEET SARAH SEDWICK - ARTIST/INSTRUCTOR
A prolific painter of still life and portraits, Sarah has been teaching workshops on alla prima painting around the country since 2013, and also offers an online art mentorship program.
Based in Eugene, Oregon since 2007, Sarah was born in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2001, she earned a BFA from Maryland Institute, College of Art. Her oil paintings explore the simple beauty of everyday objects, and are most often inspired by color combinations and perceptual effects. All are painted from life.
Her teaching philosophy is simple: the more you paint, the more yoU improve - so find ways to make painting as enjoyable as possible! Let go of perfectionism, and watch the results unfold.
PRIVATE GROUP JUST FOR YOU!
This course will have a private Facebook group just for you! This course is a self-study, so Sarah may or may not be active in the group. Teachers are active during the first four weeks when a course opens. However, students are signing up all of the time and you can see past and present work and comments.
COURSE SUPPLIES
Below is a list of the supplies that I will be using for the projects in this course. However, you are always encouraged to use what you have on hand.
Canvases or other painting surfaces:
- Stretched canvas, canvas board, a pad of canvas paper, Arches oil paper, Ampersand gessobord, and cradled wood panels (primed), are all great surfaces for this workshop.
- I’ll be working on both Arches oil paper and a Masterpiece canvas hardcore pro panel in Monterrey cotton.
Paint
- I recommend M. Graham brand. These are the colors I’ll be using in the workshop.
- Titanium white
- Alizarin Crimson
- Ultramarine Blue
- Cadmium yellow
Brushes
- I use Princeton Summit Series 6100 white Taklon (synthetic, white bristles, green handles), but I encourage you to use what you’re comfortable with. I’ll be working with a #2 round and a #4 flat.Palette
Solvent
Medium
Palette
Palette knife
Other Supplies:
- Glass jar with tight-fitting lid, or any container, for Gamsol
- Rags or paper towels (I like disposable blue shop towels, available at hardware stores)
- Viewfinder: The Viewcatcher by The Color Wheel *optional*
- Easel and side table
- Clip light or desk lamp
- Lightbulbs: I’ll be using 75 watt LED’s 3000K.
- A few simple still life objects. I’ll be painting a granny smith apple, a red delicious apple, and some lemons.
- A white styrofoam sphere. This is easy to find at craft stores, in the floral department!
- A few sheets of colored paper for backgrounds
A standing easel, or tabletop easel if you like to sit down to paint. I recommend the Leder Easel for lightweight portability. (See my demo video below)
GOOD TO HAVE: Plastic clamps 3-5” in size. Masking tape. Sketchbook and pencil, Sharpie marker.
Along with all of these supplies, I also have my favorite easel that I wanted to share about! What I love about the LederEasel is that I can travel with it, and it is so compact! I have created a short video to share more about this easel with you, and a link to purchase if you are interested!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON ACCESSING CLASSES AND SELLING WORK CREATED IN THIS COURSE:
**Upon purchasing your course, you will be asked to create an account and go through the purchase process (even if the cost is $0 for a free course). If you have already created an account, after purchase your course will IMMEDIATELY be available under “LOGIN” at the top right-hand of karabullockart.com.
**If your course does not show up, please email us at karabullockart@gmail.com
**Due to the nature of the immediate availability of the course, all purchases are nonrefundable.
**Please talk to the artist of the course about his/her policy on selling artwork created in this course prior to selling any works created during course. Some artists will allow it, while others do not. Thank you for your support.
Polly George (verified owner) –
I loved this class. Sarah is a great teacher. Her method is so easy to follow and her comment spot on. I will be reviewing these videos often.
Mika Denny –
I loved this class! Sarah is fun to watch and definitely not only knows how to paint but also how to teach! She really helps you understand the process. Highly recommend.
Kimberly Taylor (verified owner) –
This is a great class. Sarah really teaches value, light and shadow. I learned so much from her suggestions.
Elizabeth A. Smith (verified owner) –
This was my intro to oil painting – wow. Sarah is so clear and concise in her instructions. I signed up for her Boot Camp Class after I took this one. Hooked on oils and still life now. Thank you Sarah
Kathy Sullivan (verified owner) –
This course is a very informative and in-depth introduction to oil painting. I love all of Sarah’s tips and tricks along the way and how she breaks the process down into easy steps. I’m so glad I signed up!
Chantal Vincent (verified owner) –
I’ve been trying different oil courses but yours are the best – Excellent explanations, clear demos and good pace. Thank you so much