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In-Studio

Sunflower Craze: A 2-Day Acrylic Painting Workshop

Instructor: Theresa Eisenbarth

Sketching Materials:

  • Willow charcoal, pencils, and erasers are used to sketch the initial layout.

  • White chalk for layout corrections.

  • A sketchbook or a notebook

  • Tracing paper (if you need it for layout)

Reference Images:

  • A photo reference for this class will be provided for the project. Everyone will work from one or two examples of sunflowers I provide to students.

  • An iPad (if you have one) for editing photos (but not necessary if you don't have one, you can use your phone)

Acrylic Paints:

  • A basic set of Liquitex or GOLDEN acrylic paints in PROCESS colours (Process Magenta, Process Cyan and Process Yellow) and essential tones (Titanium White, Process Black) for mixing. A necessary six-pack of Liquitex or GOLDEN HEAVY BODY is another good brand. A necessary six-pack of Liquitex or GOLDEN HEAVY BODY paints.

    • If you have to, order from Delta Art in Edmonton, as Michael’s does not carry all these products. The brand TRI-ART is great too, and can also be ordered online

  •  1 gloss medium (DO NOT BUY retarder)

Bring what you have for other paints, mainly if you have attended my class previously. I use a variety of Golden Acrylic Fluids in my demos.

Brushes:

  • Assorted brushes in various sizes (small, medium, and large) – 2 flat brushes for broad strokes and detailing, 2 angle brushes, 1 round brush for fine details, and a medium-sized filbert brush for blending

Palette:

  • A palette paper for mixing and blending colours

  • Stay Wet palette

Canvas or Canvas Board:

  • 2 stretched canvases, canvas boards or a birch cradleboard (1 of each will do as well) in 11”x 14” or 12” x 12” size. (Consider the size – more significant means more time to finish the project comfortably)

  • 1 canvas pad (or at least six sheets for practice). You can buy an acrylic canvas pad of sheets, as this works for practicing.

  • 2 small paint panels (Fredrix is a good brand). No larger than 9” x 12” or 10” x 12”

Surface Preparation:

  • 1 Gesso (a primer to prepare the canvas surface)

Clean-Up and Maintenance:

  • Water container

  • Blue shop paper towels

  • A dog pee-pad – YES!!! Suitable for cleaning your brushes for dry brushing

Protection and Comfort:

  • Apron or painting shirt to protect clothing from paint splatters

  • Palette sealable bags – optional; but helpful in preserving leftover mixed colours for the next session

Extras for Creativity:

  • 1 green painter’s tape – used to create clean edges or define specific areas on the canvas.

  • Spray bottle

Bring a HUGE smile :)

pexels-kerber-1053687.jpg

 in-studio

HAC New Members Week - Watercolors

instructor: ruth adams

  • Watercolours

  • Watercolour paper

  • Jar for water

  • A brush

 in-studio

HAC New Members Week - Paint a Peony

instructor: ursula maser

  • A few sizes of paintbrushes

  • Paint jar

  • Paper towels

  • A toonie ($2)

Ursula will provide the paint!

 in-studio

HAC New Members Week - Pastels

Instructor: Judy Russill

No supplies needed - just bring a toonie ($2) to use her amazing chalk pastels!

 in-studio

HAC New Members Week - Linocut Stamp

instructor: kimara white

  • Erasers (recommend to get the pink school erasers at the dollar store, bring several to experiment with. If you can find extra large, bring one to explore with)

All tools will be provided!

 in-studio

Still Life and the Language of Paint

instructor: bobbi dunlop

Please click here to read a more detailed one-page overview of Bobbi Dunlop’s course!

  • PAINT: Please buy professional grade paint when possible. Note: Acrylic Painters - names of colours may vary, please use approximate colours. Colours with * are optional but most likely will be on my palette for the demonstration.

    • Titanium-Zinc White/Gamblin Flake White Replacement, Naples Yellow*, Yellow Ochre, Cad Yellow Light, Cad Lemon*, Cad Yellow Deep, Cad Red Medium or Light, Venetian Red*, Alizarin Crimson, Cad Orange*, Pthalo Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna/Transparent Oxide Red, Ivory Black*. Floral Colours if painting flowers.

    • Note: if you have been enjoying a particular palette, please bring it along.

    • BURNT UMBER IS THE COLOUR I USE TO MASS-IN AND TONE MY PAINTING SURFACES.

  • BRUSHES: I’ll be using the following brushes for oils and would like to see everyone using hogs bristles as paint application is a big focus in the workshop.. It’s good to have a couple of each.

    • #2 Filbert, Hog Bristle (this is approx 1/4 inch wide)

    • #4 Filbert, Hog Bristle (this is approx 3/4 inch wide)

    • Acrylic Painters: stiffer synthetic bristle for acrylic paints in the same size. Bring an assortment of brushes. Flats or filberts, whichever is your preference.

  • PALETTE KNIFE - Trowel Shape, Metal, about the size of your thumb (3 inches long). We’ll be using the palette knife to paint with so not the teeny tiny ones and no plastic knives.

  • PALETTE: for oils, a glass palette or wooden palette is best providing the wooden one has been treated with oil prior to the workshop (several times). Otherwise large paper palette is fine.

    • Acrylic painters: PLEASE use a large ‘stay-wet’ palette for ease of painting in this workshop.

  • MEDIUMS: Odorless Mineral Spirits (oil painters) - 2 covered lidded containers/cups: 1) smaller for use in painting medium and toning canvases (optional) and 2) a second larger quantity one in a lidded container for cleaning your brushes.

    • Medium: Oil Painters: mix a medium of 1) 1/2 and 1/2 linseed oil + OMS in a small cup for painting 2) and another cup, straight oil or whatever other medium you are accustomed to working with such as Liquin, megilp, etc.

    • Acrylic Painters: whatever mediums, extenders you prefer. Extenders are useful for massing in

  • CANVAS: For both oil and acrylic painters: Stretched canvas or gessoed panels, or canvas on panels. Please no cheap wobbly canvases. Sizes:

    • 4-6 - 8x10 or 6x6, etc. for the small studies, exercises

    • 1 - 12X16 (not bigger) WE WILL BE PAINTING LIFE SIZE OR SMALLER. We will tone the canvas at the workshop with burnt umber/ultramarine blue and OMS.

  • STILL LIFE OBJECTS TO BRING (please read carefully): Give this lots of thought! Artists will bring their own personal objects for their still-life paintings. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE SMALLER VASE (FOR EXAMPLE) TO BUILD A STILL LIFE AROUND? IS THERE A COLOUR COMBINATION THAT YOU FEEL YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE?

    • IDEAS FOR YOUR SMALL STUDIES: Fruit: for sure bring a bunch of purple grapes, orange, peaches, lemon, apple, cantaloupe, plums, etc. Think: lovely colour; lovely shape, lovely accent, complements.

    • For your small still life: You might decide to cut the fruit up and/or if you want multiple of the fruit in your painting, bring odd numbers, (3). Think of colour ideas, complements with your main subject.

    • Again, think of colour theme with several options. Bring SMALLER OBJECTS as this workshop is about painting studies, not full size still life compositions.

    • YOU WILL BE PAINTING LIFE SIZE OR SMALLER so take this into consideration/canvas size.

    • Feel free to bring an artificial flower or two if you like.

  • VASES: A smaller vase or vessel/jar, statue, bowl, etc. Could be glass, ceramic, brass, silver, etc.

  • DRAPERY: Bring a cloth/drape to drape in your backdrop of your still life. Think light against dark or dark against light when you’re gathering your objects - nothing to upstage your beautiful subject for the backdrop.

    • If your vase is: light, think darker background. If it’s a dark vase, think a middle value or lighter value ... or dark against dark (mysterious), or even light against light. Does your vase have a pattern - what would complement it. This is your personal visual idea. Bring a second cloth if you’d like a cloth on your table top (could be white or even a tea towel).

  • PAPER TOWELS: Bring a roll, you’ll use lots, apron, gloves, plastic wrap or wax paper to cover your palette for take home.

  • CAMERA: to photograph your still life (to complete at home if necessary ) and to photograph the demo), water, note pad & pencil - to take notes.

  • LUNCH: Bring snacks and lunch for our lunch break - there are restaurants nearby

AND MOST IMPORTANT - your patience and sense of humour! Painting is hard work - we need to be gentle with ourselves!

 in-studio

Creating Water - Reflections, Movement, and Depth Soft Chalk or Oil Pastels:

instructor: judy russill

Buy a minimum of supplies to allow yourself to explore either medium!

All supplies required for class will be displayed in a showcase outside the Hat Art Studio for one month prior to the start of class. 

  • Sketchbook

  • 2B/4B pencil

  • Plastic eraser

  • Gum eraser (for chalk pastels)

  • Masking tape

  • Rags/ paper towels for cleaning hands

  • Mask (if sensitive to dust)

  • Sketching paper

  • Old bristle brushes (Size 2 to 4)

  • SOFT CHALK PASTELS: Nupastel by Prismacolour - as large a set as you can afford. The whole pastel painting can be completed with these which are available at 10% off at the Medicine Hat College bookstore.

    • General’s, Conte, Or Caran d’Ache Pencils - white, black, sand, violet, ultramarine blue are useful. Sets of inexpensive General’s pastel pencils are available at Micheal’s with a coupon. Individual Conte Pastel Pencils or Caran d’Ache are available in art supply stores in Calgary, Edmonton or on the Internet. Complete soft chalk pastel paintings can be completed with pastel pencils. If planning to share the cost of shipping, check out “The Paint Spot”.

  • SOFT CHALK PASTELS: Sennelier, Unison, Rembrandt, and Schmidke are wonderful to work with but not necessary in trying out this medium as they are quite expensive. Available in sets or Schmidke individually at The Paint Spot for $8.95 (currently reduced to $7.05) each. The instructor will make her soft pastels available for use.

  • SOFT OIL PASTELS: Gallery, Monte Mart (HomeSense), Paul Ruebens are reasonably inexpensive and provide a good colour selection. These brands are colour stable when finished and/or under glass. Even sets of 120 can be purchased. Sennelier, Neopastel (by Caran d’Ache) are expensive but buttery soft with excellent colour stability. Available on the Internet. Individual colours are becoming increasingly available at art supply stores

  • PASTEL PAPER - DECIDE ON THIS AFTER THE FIRST CLASS

    • CHALK PASTELS: U-Art, Pastel Premier - all sanded pastel boards need to be secured to Matboard or Illustration Board. Illustration board is available at the MH College Bookstore.

      • Available from the instructor mounted on illustration board - sand, white, or navy - 9” x 12” for $10.00 each, 12” x 18” - $18.00 each, 18 1⁄2” x 27 - sand only - $20.00 each

    • OIL PASTELS: Pastelmat - an excellent oil pastel surface allowing numerous layers. Pastelmat also needs to be secured to Matboard or Illustration board.

      • Available from the instructor mounted on illustration board- sand, wine, dark blue, light blue - 9” x 11.5” for $10.00 each, 12” x 15 1⁄2”- $18.00 each.

      • Oiled water-colour paper (treated for oil pastels) is also a choice. There are new materials being made available at art supply stores.

CANSON MI TIENTES PASTEL PAPER: Do not purchase but if you have this, it is excellent for practice and thumbnail sketches.

PERSONAL PHOTO REFERENCE: Select a picture that SPEAKS to you with excellent lighting and strong shadows.

 in-studio

Learn to Draw:  A True Beginner’s Course

instructor: kimara white

  • Set of good quality drawing pencils

  • White charcoal pencil

  • Vine charcoal (College Bookstore)

  • Soft charcoal  

  • Large sketchbook 9x12” (or any one you have)

  • Kneadable eraser

  • Good quality rubber eraser

  • Good pencil sharpener

 in-studio

Watercolors: A Friend for Life (It’s Calling You)

instructor: rex beanland

  • Paint

    • In general, the colours you will already have on your palette will be fine as long as you have a selection of various blues, reds and yellows.  You are strongly encouraged to have tube colours. Pans or cakes will work but it is much more difficult to get rich darks with these. 

      • Just for your information my palette consists of: Cadmium Yellow, Gamboge, Azo Orange, Scarlet Lake, Alizarin Crimson, Cerulean Blue,Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, Sap Green, Mineral Violet by Holbein, Chinese White, Neutral Tint

  • Brushes

    • A large round brush #12

    • A smaller round such as #6 or #8

    • A large Squirrel Mop brush or Hake Brush 1” flat

    • A Squirrel Mop brush or Hake Brush ½” flat

  • Palette

  • Paper 

    • (* Please Note:  People who want to learn watercolour are always encouraged to have good quality (ie professional) paper, paint and brushes.  In my experience the most important of these is paper so I encourage you to buy single sheets of a professional quality paper. This can be cut to whatever size is appropriate.  Blocks of watercolour paper are also great.  Personally, I use Arches but there are many professional quality papers (Winsor & Newton, Fabriano, Saunders Waterford). The important thing is to avoid student quality paper because you will end up very frustrated.)

  • Board

    • A board or hard surface to tape the paper to (such as a piece of plywood, paneling or Masonite) Also please note that almost always you will want the board to be tilted. So having something to put under the board is very useful.

  • Water container 

  • Paper towels 

  • Masking Tape

  • Spray bottle

  • Toothbrush or a scrubber brush (for removing paint) 

  • Xacto knife

  • Also pencil, eraser, ruler

If you are trying watercolour for the first time, I would still stress the benefits of using professional watercolour paper.  For the brushes the best are the real animal hair varieties but they are incredibly expensive.  There are a number of economical synthetic brushes that mimic the characteristics of real hair brushes.  If you would like any suggestions let me know. But the staff at any good art store will be able to guide you.

For the paints you can buy the small (5ml) tubes of professional paint which are much cheaper or there is a brand of student quality paints that are OK. That brand is Cotman.

These colours are what I would consider to be a good basic palette: Burnt Sienna, Cerulean Blue, Azo Orange, Pyrrol Red or Scarlet Lake, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Mineral Violet by Holbein, Sap Green, Chinese White

For your yellow any of: Cadmium Yellow, Quinacridone Gold, Winsor Yellow are good.

Just for your interest, I use mostly M. Graham watercolours because they are professional quality and they are quite a bit cheaper than most other brands.  They also stay moist longer.  The one exception is Mineral Violet - Graham’s version is pretty weak.  The Holbein version is a lovely dramatic purple.