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1. The Color Wheel

Introduction to color theory – think you know the primary colors? Think again! We’ll mix new colors, test them out on the canvas, and see what happens. No pressure to paint anything recognizable. You might be surprised what other people see in your painting!

2. Monochrome and a Fork

A great way to let go of worry about the finished product and enjoy painting is to do an entire painting with one color. We’ll learn about brushwork by drawing whatever you want on the blank canvas, letting your brush run out of paint, then using a little more paint, and finally squirting a pile of heavy body paint right in the middle of your canvas so you can play with it like mud as you spread it across the canvas with your brush. Once your canvas is covered in a thick layer, we’ll use plasticware to make lines and patterns. This will set the foundation for day 3.

3. Dry Rub

Now that you have a thick monochrome base with interesting brushstrokes and ridges, we’ll paint other colors on top with a nearly dry brush. The result is a bit like a leaf rubbing. Again, the end result isn’t the goal here, but people often end up displaying these at home, so maybe pick your colors accordingly.

4. Gradient

Time for a challenge! Fill your canvas with a two-color gradient. This is harder than it looks, but good news: it’s also impossible to do it wrong. No matter what happens, you will have invented some new colors, you’ll discover some interesting brushstrokes in the process, and you’ll have a great backdrop for part 2 of this painting.

5. Syringe & Knife

No brushes today! You’ll use a plastic syringe (like the ones that come with infant Tylenol) to draw lines and swirls on top of your gradient, then use a paint knife to scrape and drag color around. This is a very fun session!

At the end of day 5, you will have three paintings. Keep your two favorites, and say goodbye to the third.

6. Switch & Stick

You will adopt a painting from another class and use your newly acquired painting skills to breathe new life into it. Brushes, plasticware, syringes, and paint knives will all be available. You have already painted on top of dried paint on days 3 and 5, so if you discovered something you enjoyed, try it again! Relax, enjoy the music or the conversation, and play with paint.