warmup lesson

In our warmup lesson, we will create our own collage and background pages using old text pages, fabric, and a variety of mark-making tools. I will also show you how to map the shadows and highlights on a reference photo to aid in shading a portrait.

Lesson 1 - series of portraits

In project one, we will utilize these collage and background pages to create a series of portraits utilizing pen, stablillo all, and ink (5-10 drawings). We will capture the essence of the reference photos--- the feel, the expression, the emotion, the story and not necessarily on correct placement of features. This will be the beginning of finding the story in the portrait. We will use non-dominant hand, contour drawings, and drawing quickly as ways to connect with the essence of women and their stories. We will imagine these women are from ancient times and connect to the stories of women that echo through time. We take our favourite 3-4 expressive portraits and collage them on to another substrate such as a wooden cradle board, using fabrics, buttons, and other ephemera.

lesson 2 - Series of 3 painterly style portraits

Create a series of three small painterly style portraits (approximately 8” x 8”) using acrylic paint. We will create loose, expressive style portraits capturing the essence of the women--- their strength, their vulnerability, their pains, and their joys. These portraits will be inspired by real items such as a feather, a rock, or a shell, connecting these women to this ancient earth. The story of these items will be included in the pieces. 

For example, a feather could inspire a story about flight, perspective, freedom, soaring, adventure….. and the painting would include this story along with either a real feather, a printed photograph of a feather, or by painting the feather onto the piece. The ancient stories of these items are intertwined with the strengths of these women from earth’s past.  

We will use acrylic heavy body paint on wooden cradleboards for this mini-series.

lesson 3 - Portrait Project

The final project will be more in-depth and will continue with the theme of the ancient stories of women. The project will include mixed media techniques on a substrate approximately 11” x 14”. Techniques will include collage, text pages, handwriting, and stencils with clear gesso to create texture. Using acrylic paint, we will paint two women in one painting and show the close relationship between them representing the sisterhood of women through time.

WHO IS THIS CLASS FOR?

• Increasing their confidence in drawing and painting portraits

• Finding expression and connection in your artwork

• Finding a story or meaning in their paintings

• The ancient wisdom of women

• Building their mixed media techniques and design composition skills

• Strathmore Mixed media paper 184lb in grey and white, assorted sizes

• 4 wood cradleboards or other substrate or frame. I used three 8” x 10” and one 10” x 10”

• 3 x 8” x 8” wood cradleboards or other substrate

• 12” x 16” wood cradleboard or other substrate

• Thinner paper (60lb) and/or craft paper

• Black and white gel pen

• Pencil

• Stabilo All in black

• Yes Paste

• Matte medium

• Clear gesso, white gesso, grey gesso

• Matte gel

• Distress Ink, Permanent

• Letter stamp set

• Golden Acrylics - Open Paynes Grey, Raw Umber, Titan Buff, Titanium White, Violet Oxide, Sap Green Hue, Golden Fluid Iridescent Copper Fine

• India ink

• Flat brush 3”, foam brush 2”, filbert brushes assorted sizes (size 2-12)

• Old book pages and patterned papers

• Fabric swatches

• Brayer

• Palette knife and old gift card

• Sticks

• Buttons and other ephemera (I used a silk worm cocoon)

• Special items from the earth i.e. shells, rocks, feathers, leaves, ….

• Stencils