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Acrylic Taster at Atwell Gallery Weeks 1-3 | Seascapes

July 1, 2013 By: Aggiecomment

Following on from our Art Starters class, Atwell Art Centre & Gallery offered a three week Acrylic Taster course that would finish off the term.

About seven of us enrolled without hesitation.

Our art teacher was Amanda Harris.  Amanda’s teaching style is very directive and encouraging. I like the way she teaches.

Week 1

We all were given the same black and white seascape picture to sketch from and refer to.

Acrylic Seascape

 After painting the background blue we sketched the outline of the rocks with charcoal (of course this is after our background had dried – with the aid of a hairdryer in the room). Once the sketch was done the picture was removed and we would never see it ever again! 🙂

Seascape Blue Background

 The sky was our next step

Acrylic Seascape Sky

 Week 2

In week 2 we added our ocean.

Seascape Acrylic Ocean

I used Pthalo Blue, Cereleuan Blue, Cobalt Blue Hue, Titanium White, Aqua Green Light, Midnight Blue .Seascape acrylic Ocean Colours

 After  our ocean was added, we touched up our sky and then began to work on our rocks using textured moulding paste.

Textured muolding paste

 Amanda suggested that instead of applying the textured paste directly onto our painting, that we could mix the paint into the paste then apply it on with a palette knife. Textured moulding paste with Acrylics

The colours I used were Paynes Grey, Burnt Sienna, Raw and Burnt Umber.

 Moulding Paste with Acrylics Seascape

Whilst I was applying it , I really didn’t feel like I knew what I was doing or what I should do to make it look more realistic. But I just allowed myself to go with the flow.  I guess the beauty of it was that, if we made a mistake we could always paint over it.

And with the rocks, Amanda made an obvious suggestion of adding more colour to the rocks that I had already applied the textured paste to.

Week 3

Amanda was away this week and so Jillian was our relief teacher. Jillian described herself as a more detailed artist. And you could see this when she helped out some of the other students, using a much finer brush.

Our final week required us to touch up our sky, ocean and rock, and then we added our clouds and highlights. 

Amanda, said knowing when to stop is absolute key in painting. And I believe her! There’s part of you that wants to keep added and “fixing” but it’s good to just stop and leave it for a day or two then come back to it.

Deciding on where the light source is coming from determines where you put your highlights. This may be very basic but as a beginner I didn’t know this at all.  I have never really paid much attention to light source.  I only paid attention to what I liked and didn’t like.

So this is my finished acrylic seascape which I am extremely proud of.

Acrylic Seascape

Week 3 for me was a more intuitive week of painting where I added colour and texture to where I felt it was necessary. Standing back from the painting from time to time to gain a better perspective.

I have shown this painting to quite a few of my friends and family and they are all surprised by my “talent” hehehe. Well, I suppose anyone can paint if they are taught how to. And I think for me the biggest factor that helps to paint more intuitively and by feel is that I paint left handed not right (using my right side of the brain more, when all my life since I was 3 years old I have been right handed and intellectualise just about everything).

Next term I have enrolled in a 10 week acrylics/mixed media course at Atwell Art Centre & Gallery, we’re beginning with a landscape. Come join me on my art journey.

 

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Hi I’m Aggie

I'm a writer, artist and blogger. In my previous life I was a psychologist. Exploring life and happiness through writing, sketching, food, travel, and people has taught me to seek joy in everything I do and be grateful for what I have. I have a playful curiosity. I like to rock climb for fun, write to tell stories, share my thoughts and insights, and sketch from daily life embracing everyday-ness .
My mission is to live authentically and mindfully everyday, and to live on purpose with passion.
If you would like to connect, I'd love to hear from you. More about Aggie ...

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