What you'll learn
- Accurately measure and realistically draw a lemon with stem and leaf, copying from the reference photo.
- Mix colors for and execute a basic brunaille underpainting in acrylic.
- Mix colors for and paint the background, lemon, stem and leaf using a variety of blending techniques.
- Layer more transparent coats of paint onto initial painting in order to adjust colors and achieve various realistic textures.
- Students will also learn how to judge a good color to sign their paintings, and how to add their signature when finished.
Requirements
- I strongly recommend coming to this class with previous knowledge of how to mix acrylic paints.
Description
Hi there and welcome to Acrylic Painting for the Eager Beginner!
This course will be a step-by-step, absolute-start-to-absolute-finish journey in creating a realistic acrylic painting, using a photo reference.
We will begin by walking through what materials and set-up are necessary, then we will briefly get into a good mindset for this class.
Following that, I will walk you through how to draw your image on your canvas, followed by mixing first colors for a rudimentary brunaille (done only in shades of brown) underpainting as your first layer of paint. We will paint this layer together before mixing colors to match our photo for the background. We will paint the background together, step-by-step as always, doing a basic layer, then additional layers for colors adjustments and texturing.
Then we'll continue on with the shiny, bumpy surface of the lemon, following the same routine, but with different techniques to achieve the texture and colors unique to the lemon peel. Finally, we'll mix and paint colors for the small, sharp stem and the crisp, hard-edged leaf. We'll then discuss how to choose a good color for painting the edges of the canvas and then we'll mix and paint the edges. Finally, we'll go through how to mix a good color for adding a signature to our paintings, and lastly, we'll sign.
In this class, I address many of the frustrations and confusions that have come up most often with my students over the years. We will spend time de-mystifying the process so you can find out how painting, like any skill, can be learned and continuously improved if it is approached with an attitude of openness and understanding that time, patience, education, dedication and practice are needed. If you have those in your wheelhouse, then you can learn to paint and feel gratified and proud of your process and your product.
Thank you sincerely for joining me in this class. I hope you find as much joy in your painting as I find in teaching it.
Who this course is for:
- Beginning acrylic painters or painters who have dabbled a bit in acrylic, but want more specific direction to achieve realistic colors and textures.
Instructor
- 4.6 Instructor Rating
- 494 Reviews
- 2,573 Students
- 16 Courses
Diane Flick majored in art during college and went on to graduate school, receiving her M.A. in Humanities with a creative study emphasis in 2001. She has been making art her whole life and teaching art to children and adults since 2005. She loves to share this joy with folks who are interested in the same.
In her spare time, she enjoys being with her family and friends, playing her ukulele, dancing, and wearing wigs while talking about herself in the third person. Though truth be told, she hasn’t actually tried that last bit about the third person self-talk yet. She conceived of it upon writing this and is now anxious to give it a go.