Introduction to Acrylic Painting

Greetings.
I look forward to introducing each of you to one of the most versatile and user friendly art media in use today. This blog is an outline for the first six weeks that you work with me, as an introduction to acrylic media.

As your become familiar with the tools and techniques necessary to express yourself with acrylic paint I hope to work with each of you individually to determine your creative goals. We'll consider the following questions: What subject matter will you choose to paint as you gain more experience and confidence with this media? What type of painting inspires you? Who is your favorite painter?

Below you will find the outline for the introductory six week session of acrylic painting. This course may be repeated and if you've taken it before I look forward to working with you one on one to consider the questions posed above and to coach you in the techniques you'll need to reach those goals. Please feel free to contact me or comment here if you have any questions about the materials, outline, etc.

Week 1:
Orientation / Tools and Materials
We will review and demonstrate all the materials included on the acrylic class materials list today as well as the curriculum for the course. If you haven't worked with color in many years be sure to bring a plastic color wheel. It will be very helpful for the first painting problem

Goals:
Learn to use a palette knife to mix acrylic color and medium.
Completion of the color exercises described below in your sketchbook

Week 2:
Introduction to painting a Still Life
Bring:
*Fruits or vegetables to class whose shape and color delight you. Organic but inedible forms such as
gourds or pumpkins are also acceptable
*Everything on your materials list, most essentially a stretched canvas

Goals:
*Learn to think about composition and use charcoal or pencil for thumbnail drawings to plan a
painting in your sketchbook
*Introduction to the stages of an acrylic painting, use of charcoal to compose on your canvas,
use of complimentary color as the underpainting.
*Completion of underpainting of still life

Week 3:
Work on Still Life / Introduction to Homage Painting
Bring:
*Still life canvas and subject matter as well as all painting materials

Goals
*Continue to paint Still Life, development of local color, light and shadow
*Research consider subject matter for Homage Painting

Week 4:
Complete Still Life / Complete underpainting on Homage Painting

Bring:

*Still life canvas, subject matter, painting materials, a minimum of 3 reproductions to consider for HOMAGE painting and a new canvas for sketching your homage composition

Goals

*Demonstration of glazing techniques

*Glaze and complete Still Life painting

*Introduction to grid technique

*Begin Homage Painting / Sketch composition of Homage subject matter onto canvas

*Show and Tell of Still Life Painting

Week 5:
Continue Homage Painting

Bring:

*Still life canvas if its not finished

*Homage Canvas

* All subject matter (reproduction you are working from) and painting materials

Goals

*Continue to paint Homage Painting

*Completion of underpainting and discussion/demo of the style and techniques used by the artist you've

chosen to study

Week 6:
Finished Paintings / Show and Tell

Bring:

*Homage Canvas

* All subject matter and painting materials

Goals

*Glazing and Completion of Homage Painting.

*Show and Tell of your Progress and discussion of your creative goals

Acrylic Materials List

An introduction to Color and Tone in Acrylic Painting

During the first session of our Acrylic Studio we will explore mixing paint to achieve color and tone. This will be achieved by creating the series of tonal and chromatic scales described below.

You'll begin with black, white, transparent medium and red, yellow and blue. Each color should be mixed with 80 percent paint to 20 percent medium. Mix enough paint to create a series of 7 one by one inch swatches which touch as the notes do below Try to mix paint that is opaque and smooth in its application to the paper or canvas If it is too streaky or thick you'll need to extend the paint by adding more medium and wetting your brush.

Goal: To complete the sets of tonal and chromatic scales listed below during our first studio session.

Examining Grayscale and Tone / Light to Dark

GRAY SCALE EXERCISE

All paint should be extended with 20 percent transparent medium before beginning!

A. Black to White in seven notes. The first swatch should be black, the last white and the middle of the seven swatches should be mid tone gray, such as the fifth note from the left above.

B. Black to White in seven notes using NO WHITE PAINT, only transparent medium. The first swatch should be black, the last white, using ONLY the medium and the middle of the seven swatches should be mid tone gray, such as the fifth note from the left above - these notes will be the consistentcy of stained glass, trasparent and relying on the white of the paper and the amount of black you use to acheive their tonal range.

C. Monochromatic Scale: Red to Black in seven notes. The mid tone should be close to maroon in color.

D. Monochromatic Scale: Red to White in seven notes. The mid tone should be close to pink in color.

E. Red to White in seven notes using NO WHITE PAINT. The mid tone should be close to pink in color using only transparent medium. The first swatch should be red, the last white, using ONLY the medium and red in various amounts. The color will resemble stained glass - trasparent and relying on the white of the paper and the amount of red you use to acheive tonal range.

F. Complimentary Scale - Red on one end of the scale, Green on the other. This middle should show a an earth color and a progression of neurtral colors which become redder or greener depending on which end of the scale they are heading toward.

G. Secondary Scale - Add Red to one end of the scale, Yellow to the other and the middle color should be Orange. The colors between Orange and Red should be gradually redder, between Orange and Yellow should be gradually warmer with more yellow!

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Grayscale Dark to Light

Tonal Relativity

Monochromatic Color

Tone in relation to Color

Color Wheel with Complimentary Arrows

The Still Life and FOOD as subject matter in a painting

Visit this link to view a gallery of still life paintings which emphasize color, form, composition, etc. This collection of paintings serve as examples for your first painting problem in the introduction to acrylic painting course.

Consider which paintings are your favorites. Why? Is it the subject matter of the painting, the type of food? The color the painter used? The background and composition?

The best lessons can be learned from asking oneself these questions when looking at a painting. For the best experience visit the "Small French Painting" collection at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art! There are also a number of accomplished still life painters in Virginia. You'll find excellent examples here and here.

I have included other still life paintings by known and unknown painters below. Which paintings interest you most in  style and approach. Please feel free to leave a comment on the link below!