New Class! Making Art out of Snapshots

Pretty much everyone who learns to draw, here in our modern world, starts out by drawing from photos. And pretty much everyone gives up because, let's face it, copying photos gets really darn boring after a while.

But what if you could transform your snapshots, instead of just copying them?

This was a boring, blurry snapshot. Now it's a whimsical little painting in watercolor, pen, and Crayolas.

That's what you'll do in this fun mixed media class for beginners and up. Get out your overstuffed image libraries and start a new adventure.

I'll show you how to:

Choose a picture to work from
Pick out the Good Parts of the shot and ignore the rest
Use a grid to get accurate proportions no matter what size your art is
Have fun with colorful media like watercolors, pencils, acrylics, and even Crayola crayons!

Class is five Tuesday evenings, Feb. 10 to March 10, 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Dancing Goat Coffeehouse, 699 7th Street E, St. Paul -- right by Metro State University.

Tuition $75; limited to six students. Email me here for a materials list, or bring your own existing art materials if you prefer.

Workshop in Door County, WI, July 8 - 10

When I'm not painting in oil, I work in mixed media by default. This began in 2008 when I wanted to improve my painting, so I went back to drawing, using dramatic light and shadow to sharpen my sense of composition.

The problem was, I hated shading in all those shadows. So I started toning my paper with acrylic matte medium and some paint, and then working over that in charcoal, pastels, chalk, whatever I had on hand. The results were magical, and I've been happily mixing up media ever since. Acrylic and Prismacolor pencils? Sure! Watercolors, pencils and pastel? Absolutely; that's what the horse in this post is.

These techniques have attracted some attention. The Peninsula School of Art in Door County, WI, invited me to put on a three-day workshop there. I am honored and very excited. Click the link above for their site, where you can find more information and register.

If you're feeling stuck or bored, mixed media can break you out of that and make art fun again.

If you've been drawing, and wondering how to transition into painting, the light/dark layering approach I use is a very good bridge to help you get there.

If you're still learning to draw, that same approach can help build your confidence in a way that will surprise you.

Bloomington Theatre & Art Center News

Saturday, this is where I was, at Bloomington Heritage Days with BTAC, doing a drawing demo:

 

The dog's name is Charlie and he belongs to Gail Weber of Twin Cities TOSCA. I'll post photos when the portrait is fully finished.

MY DRAWING WORKSHOP is on Saturday, Oct. 6th, and you can sign up here. One-day workshops are great if your schedule doesn't allow for a regular class. We'll be doing the same dark/light on tan paper method you see in my animal portraits. A very old technique and easier than you'd imagine.

 

I was at the event to publicize the BTAC's art classes. There are a lot of them, and we have excellent instructors!  Go check out the catalog

Bright Brush with Twine

Bright Brush with Twine, charcoal and pastel on newsprint, about 14 x 10"

This is the result of my promise to my students that, while we would of necessity be doing still life setups for drawing class, this would not mean "wine bottles and fruit."

Ever taken art classes? How did it go?

Most of you know that I teach adult beginners and some intermediate classes (those are much harder to fill because the vast majority of people are beginners).

There are some things I've heard over and over again about peoples' previous experiences:

"My instructor said I had no talent."

"Someone made fun of me and I quit."

"I didn't really learn much."

"It was great, but then I [got married/moved/had a child/insert other life-altering event]."

Because I'm always looking to improve as an instructor, I'd like to hear whether you've ever taken art classes (yes, high school counts) and what you thought. What you got, or didn't get, out of the experience. Was it great, or awful, or somewhere in between? Do you still draw, paint, whatever it was, or did you stop? Be anonymous if you like; I don't mind.

Drawing Class: Magic with Toned Paper, at Old Town Artists

Check my Class Schedule for beginner drawing at Bloomington Art Center

My simple beginning Acrylic Painting Classes at Michael's in HarMar are perfect if you just want to play for a couple hours, learn some basics, and go home with a painting. Download a class calendar here!
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I teach "Magic with Toned Paper" drawing (beginner to advanced) at Old Town Artists in St. Paul. It's a relaxed, fun place, and I am currently updating my class schedule for spring/summer 2012.

Want to learn to do this? It is so much easier than you'd think!

Upside Down Dog, sketch from life in black and white on brown paper, by Tracie Thompson

This drawing method, using black and white (and various earth colors) on tan or other non-white paper, dates back at least to the Renaissance. Artists commonly used tan, grey, blue, and even pink paper, drew on that in charcoal or other dark media, and then put the highlights in with chalk or white paint.

When I show my students how to do it, they say, "Wow! That's like magic!" -- and it is. It helps even novice artists make sophisticated-looking drawings, and best of all it's a lot of fun.

The class is open to anyone -- beginner to advanced -- and for practice in our first session, we'll start with brown paper from grocery bags. Why? Because they're the perfect color and texture, they're free, they're fun, and you don't have to worry about "wasting" anything while you get the hang of the technique.

We will draw from life, mostly in the studio (though if the weather's good we may play outside), and I promise: no cliche still-life setups with wine bottles and bowls of fruit. We'll bring in unexpected items -- children's toys, tools from the shed, seed pods, shoes and hats, and even your favorite objects from home.

If you already draw and want to learn to paint, this class is a great transition. Drawing this way teaches you to think like a painter and strengthens your ability to make good compositions. 

Advantages of taking classes at Old Town Artists include:

Great location with a beautiful view across the river
Studio has a fridge, microwave, coffeemaker, and water heater for tea; I will provide coffee, tea, sugar and creamer. Students may also bring food or drink (including wine and beer) of their own.
Plenty of free parking
Many other artists' work going on in the space, making it more than an average classroom

SPRING Classes: Saturday mornings, 10 to noon. Three weeks plus the optional fourth week "makeup class" (because life does happen, I allow for the fact that you might have to skip a session), April 7 through 28. Once again, pay for three classes and have the option of taking four.

Tuition: $60

Materials: $20 -- OPTIONAL -- if you already have black/white drawing materials and non-white paper, or wish to buy for yourself, feel free to bring your own. Or, for $20 I can provide a package which includes: 8 sheets of 11 x 15" tan Stonehenge paper; a carbon pencil; kneaded eraser; vine charcoal; white pastel; blade for sharpening pencils. Bring your own drawing board or use one of ours at OTA.

Comment here or email/send a Facebook message to me to sign up. Class is limited to just six students.

Coming Soon: Drawing and Painting Classes at Old Town Artists

This just in!

Old Town Artists has approved my proposal for teaching classes in our studio space there. Schedules and class outlines coming soon. Watch this space, email me to be added to my student contact list, or subscribe to this blog with the links at the top right of the page.