Acrylic Syllabus
Introduction & Materials
Overview of watercolor materials (papers, brushes, paints), water control, palettes. Importance of value vs color.
Suggested Materials:
https://www.dickblick.com/lists/blicku/JU4XBDG1CTAKP
Exercises:
– Swatch every pigment.
– Create a 5–step value scale with one pigment.
Acrylic Painting Crash Course – Learn the Basics in 14 Minutes!
(Intro to materials of acrylic painting, some color mixing.
A little confusing on the color mixing, but some interesting thoughts.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwg5RTnm-gA
Value Scale:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCJ6asiP0_s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAW-HF1Ygmo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yJioQF9Zyc
Basic Acrylic Techniques
Color Mixing & Theory
Warm vs cool primaries, complementary contrast, optical mixing, limited palette.
Exercises:
– Create color wheel from primaries.
– Mix neutrals using complementary colors.
Assignment: Still life with 3–color limited palette.
Color mixing lesson for beginners – the Watercolor Color Wheel
(Goes through creating a color wheel and mixing colors from your palette.
Does not talk about primary colors)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI2OYh9cn3Q
Value & Light/Shadow
Light logic, highlights, cast shadows, reflected light.
Exercises:
– Paint sphere or cube using one color.
Assignment: Monochrome still life study.
Values – light to dark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3cH3DjlH9k
Glazing
Transparent glazes with acrylics:
Still Life Painting
Lecture Notes: Observing form, light on objects, reflective surfaces.
Exercises: Paint a simple still life
Still Life Painting 2
Lecture Notes: Painting transparent objects
Exercises:
– Transparency practice (glass, fruit, jars).
Assignment: Still life painting from direct observation.
Video: Easy Acrylic Painting Still Life Glass
Landscape Painting
Aerial perspective, layering distance, skies & foreground.
Exercises:
– Paint a sky with cloud variations.
– Layer background, middleground, foreground.
Assignment: Full landscape study.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGc8RhP-OZc
Composition & Design
Rule of thirds, balance, focal point, negative space.
Exercises:
– 3 thumbnail sketches from reference photo.
Assignment: Paint one thumbnail as a finished study.
Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQrEpYBg0c4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0b9xmfbbik
More Color
Split Primary colors
Color Bias
Create Split primary color wheel
Identify colors in a painting
Videos:
Colour Mixing Basics with Gouache
Cool and warm colors, color bias, split primary color mixing)
Underpainting
Creating an underpainting wash to tone our background
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0YS5ljT7Ic
Toning Secrets Revealed : How the undertone transforms your painting
Florals & Organic Forms
Lecture Notes: Petal structure, color transitions, negative painting.
Exercises:
– Petal and leaf studies.
Assignment: Floral composition.
Video:
Clouds
Pay attention to edges, values and colors. There are many colors in clouds, and there may not be any pure white.
Painting Clouds: Color Temperature & Perspective Explained
How To Paint Cloud | Quickly Improve Your Cloud Painting
You can also read the chapter on clouds in Carlson’s Guide to Landscape Painting.
Master Study
Do a study of a master painting
Confer with me about the painting you want to study