Adult Drawing and Painting
Open Arts Studio Offers Adult Drawing and Painting classes in a variety of mediums and genres. Watercolor, Portraiture, Acrylic, and Oil Painting classes designed for beginners but offer challenges for more intermediate students are fun and educational. These classes are set up as six-week sessions that meet once a week on the given day and time for a duration of two hours. Most adult classes are offered in the evening with a couple daytime class options as well. Please browse the classes below and contact us if interested in another option.
*All adult classes below need a minimum of four registered students to run.
Classes
Portraiture
Students will learn how to paint a portrait like the Masters, beginning with learning how to “construct” a head; from drawing the anatomical structure of the head to the individual features, to telling the story of light and shadow. Beginning with graphite and ending in paint students will learn how to mix the values and colors necessary to create a successful portrait. Students will have one-on-one instruction as well as instructor demos of each stage of the portrait. We use oil paints for this class.
All supplies are included in the price.
Painting (Oils)
Focusing on the fundamentals of color mixing, tone, value, composition, perspective, and brush technique. Develop your own creative and perceptual skills with plenty of guidance through class demos and individual attention. Students paint from still life, photo references, and ideas or images from home. Medium includes oil paint.
Drawing
Explores the foundation of realistic drawing techniques in graphite for any subject, from landscape to portraits, to wildlife. With thorough demonstrations, students learn the skills of “seeing” and the techniques to fulfill the old Master’s tradition: “You can’t have a good painting, unless you have a good drawing”. Build the confidence and the skills to adjust your drawings to a higher accuracy. By learning how to judge proportion and contour, the value scale, as well as how to transfer a drawing to a canvas before beginning a painting.
Watercolor
Focusing on the fundamentals of color mixing, tone, value, composition, perspective, and brush technique. Develop your own creative and perceptual skills with plenty of guidance through class demos and individual attention. Students paint from still life, photo references, and ideas or images from home. Mediums include Watercolors. All supplies are included in the price.
Beginner Acrylic Painting
Dive into the expansive world of acrylic, an exciting and versatile medium perfect for beginners. In this class, you'll explore acrylic mediums and additives, learn how to mix colors, layer paint, handle brushes, palette knives, and blending techniques to create texture and depth. We'll explore basic color theory, composition, and how to paint a variety of subjects. Acrylic dries quickly, so you'll have the freedom to build up layers and experiment without fear. Get ready to paint boldly and confidently!
Intro to Color Theory: Painting with Purpose and Confidence
Unlock the secrets of color and transform your art! Ever wonder why certain colors just work together or how to make your paintings pop with harmony, mood, and contrast? In this beginner-friendly class, we'll explore the building blocks of color: the color wheel, color relationships and schemes, warm vs. cool tones, value, saturation, tinting, and more. You'll learn how to mix colors intentionally (no more muddy colors!), create eye-catching compositions, and use color to express emotion and storytelling in your work. Through hands-on painting excercises and fun challenges, you'll gain the confidence to choose and use color like a pro, whether you're working in acrylic, watercolor, oil, pastel, or beyond
Impressionist Painting for Beginners
Dive into the expansive world of acrylic, an exciting and versatile medium perfect for beginners. In this class, you'll explore acrylic mediums and additives, learn how to mix colors, layer paint, handle brushes, palette knives, and blending techniques to create texture and depth. We'll explore basic color theory, composition, and how to paint a variety of subjects. Acrylic dries quickly, so you'll have the freedom to build up layers and experiment without fear. Get ready to paint boldly and confidently!
Beginner Soft Pastel Painting
Welcome to the tactile and chroma-filled world of soft pastels! In this beginner class, you'll discover how to compose and paint with a variety of the world's finest quality pastels and sunstrates that feel like drawing and painting combined. Learn foundational pastel techniques. We'll explore color mixing directly on pastel paper and learn how to use value and light to bring your artwork to life. Whether you're capturing still life, genre scenes, landscapes, or expressive abstracts, this medium is pure joy and expression at your fingertips.
Beginner Watercolor Painting
Explore the soft, flowing allure of watercolor painting! This beginner friendly course introduces essential techniques like wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, glazing, washing, lifting, scrubbing, and dry brushing. You'll learn how to controll water, pigment, and brush pressure to create dreamy washes, delicate details, and playful textures. We'll cover basic color theory and mixing, brush handling, and simple composition strategies. Let go, embrace spontaneity, and allow the water to guide your creativity.