Class #121: The Art & Design of Light - Water Medium Painting from Photographs with Steve Puttrich

Class #121: The Art & Design of Light - Water Medium Painting from Photographs with Steve Puttrich

Session | Available

All levels are welcome.
1/8/2025-2/5/2025
6:30 PM-9:30 PM CST on Wed
$250.00

Class #121: The Art & Design of Light - Water Medium Painting from Photographs with Steve Puttrich

Session | Available

Design is essential to help your art communicate and connect. It surpasses all other techniques and tools, color and yes, even value. Intent maybe the only thing more important than design. This class will help you understand and recognize the value of great design. Great design reflects the truth in nature, truth about yourselves, truth about life. And it's these truths that attract people to your art. 

This class is designed to increase your understanding of great design. It’s intended for students who want to learn first and foremost how great design works. Secondly, from various photographs, we’ll learn how best to SELECT what to paint and what not to paint. Third, we’ll learn how to focus in on creating SHAPES and FORMS that best capture the scene’s story and your INTENT. This class is open to using various water-base mediums (Watercolor, Gouache, Acrylics) Basic artistic concepts pertaining to the mediums will be covered, such as Transparency, Simplification, Composition, Basic Color Theory, and Value. A fundamental, hands-on working knowledge of the medium and equipment will be addressed. Emphasis will be on discovery of good design, focused intent, (why paint this scene in the first place) value study of lights, mid-tones, and darks to capture the best designs, skill and confidence building, and specific techniques will be addressed to help students make positive decisions and work through to complete paintings. 

 

  • The class will meet in our lower-level studio.
  • SUPPLIES: Photographs: Students should assemble the kinds of photographs and subject matter they are passionate about and would like to paint. Select 12-24 or more images that appeal to you. I’ll bring a set of images you can use to paint as well, but I’ll encourage you to bring images you shot yourself, or have personal memories and emotions attached.

    Some students may already have equipment, so feel free to bring whatever supplies you have been working with. Additional supplies can be purchased at a local Blick or via mail/internet order catalog stores such as Cheap Joe’s Art Supplies at 1-800-227-2788 or www.cheapjoes.com. You needn’t buy the most expensive art equipment, but it is essential that you buy good quality supplies.

    Paints: Paints are manufactured in either pre-formed cake pan sets or in tubes that you squeeze into your own palette. Please buy tubes and a "working" palette in which to squeeze out your colors. A working palette is a blank plastic tray with pre-formed wells for your colors, a large central mixing area.

    Makers of watercolor paint include Daniel Smith, Winsor-Newton, Holbein, are all reputable manufacturers of quality pigments, so choose those that give you the best deal. I recommend the following colors: Get similar colors in Gouache or Acrylics if these are the mediums youll be using.

    (YELLOWS) Quinophthalone Yellow, Indian Yellow, New Gamboge

    (REDS) Quinacridone Red, Rose of Ultramarine

    (BLUES)Ultramarine Turquoise, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue

    (EARTH TONES) Yellow Ochre, Quinacridone Gold, Transparent Red Oxide

    (GREENS) Green Gold, Sap Green, Shadow Green

    (DARKS) Neutral Tint

    (LIGHTS) Designer Gouache Permanent White, Lavender

    Brushes: You don't need a lot of brushes, just a few good brushes. Kolinsky Sable brushes are best, but are generally expensive. Sable/Synthetics and Synthetics can be a good and less expensive alternative.

    Round brushes #10, #12. Medium size #6, #8. Smaller size #1, #2, #4 will be good for details.

    Flat brushes (1 inch, 3/4 inch, 1/2 inch) are useful for obtaining clean edges and strong strokes.

    Mop brushes are good for covering large areas in your paintings quickly and efficiently with a lot of paint. Get a good brush holder to store your brushes, such as a canvas or bamboo roll-up.

    Paper: Pads, Blocks, and Single Sheets are all acceptable provided it is good quality Watercolor Paper. Rough and Cold Press surfaces are what we’ll be using most. I prefer;

    A block of 20 sheets Arches 140 lb 14”x20” Rough.

    Other: A roll of 1” Masking or Drafting tape, Spray bottles and small spritz spray bottle, Water container, sponges, roll of paper towels. Sketch book for working out your designs and compositions, Drawing pencils (HB, 2B, 4B), kneaded eraser.

     
Puttrich, Steve
Steve Puttrich

Phone: 312-339-9178
Email: puttrich@comcast.net
Website: http://www.steveputtrich.com

Steve Puttrich started his studies at the American Academy of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. He received degrees in architectural illustration, graphic design and fine art. Steve studied watercolor painting under the Director Irving Shapiro. After a 35-year career as an artist, designer, and Vice President of Creative Services for an engineering company, Steve is now enjoying "semi-retirement" with his artist wife, Bobbie and being a full-time artist and instructor.