Class Overview
Gardens are a colorful and fascinating study for painting. Enter the miniature world of garden plants and animals as the subject and setting for this fun and rewarding class!
Explore all sorts of unique and interesting birds and animals who live in the garden and discover how you can portray them with paint. Learn painting skills such as blending, texturizing, brush techniques, layering, and color mixing, all of which will enable you to capture the flora and fauna that live in the fascinating and beautiful world of the garden.
Supplies Needed
- Watercolor pad (120 lb. or pound or higher) 9x12” or 11x14”
- Canvases: 9x12”, 11x14”, 12x16”, 14x18”, or 16x20”, whichever sizes you prefer
- Filbert brushes: ¼”, ?”, ½”
- Angle brush: ¼”
- Round brush: #1
- Acrylic paints: Titanium White, Light Yellow, Medium Yellow, Medium Orange, Medium Red, Magenta, Purple, Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Blue, Phthalo Green, Black
- Disposable paper palette pad: 9x12” or 12x16” – (12x16” is preferable because it has more room) (i.e., Strathmore, Canson, etc.)
- Optional: if you’d like a palette that keeps the paints wet between session, you can get a 12x16” “stay wet palette” or a Hipiwe a4 file box (recommended because it’s cheaper) (find it online); you still need a disposable paper palette (above)
- Optional: paper plates for additional paint mixing
- Optional: acrylic matte medium
- Optional: spray bottle for keeping paints wet
- Optional: small table easel (if you would like painting upright (recommended for larger paintings)
- Water jars
- Paper towels
- Hb, 2b, 4b pencils
- Large white vinyl eraser
- Pencil sharpener (preferably one that can catch the shavings)
Learning Objectives
- Learn to paint animals and plants
- Develop painting skills such as blending, details, texturing, light source, shadows, layering, etc.
- Become familiar with color mixing and color theory such as complementary colors, and color harmony
- Gain a variety of brush handling techniques that will allow you to blend, texturize, and detail your painting, such as wet in wet blending, stippling, dabbing, scumbling, dry brush, and glazing
- Learn the basics of drawing such as proportions
Who Might Enjoy This Class
- Anyone who would like to learn how to paint garden birds, animals and plants
- People interested in learning the basic fundamentals of painting, paint brush handling skills, and color mixing
- Anyone seeking a creative outlet and is interested in expressing themselves through painting
- Painters who would like to study a new subject matter and develop their skills
- No experience needed; everyone is welcome!