Painting Bootcamp

Last week, the Art One class explored a week+ in Acrylic Painting Bootcamp. The purpose of this intensive week was to give the student's a foundation in using acrylic paint. We had a loose theme of "landscape" to give them a starting point. however, it was more about learning the painting process.

We started the week with a few simple color theory exercises. My philosophy is that exercises should be exercises, not projects. Students should spend just enough time running through a color theory exercise to gain knowledge. No sense in spending three weeks on a color wheel.

Some times mixing colors works and sometimes the unexpected happens. That's ok, that's how we learn. :)

We even explored a few tippy tappy trees, Bob Ross style.  We watch a few Bob Ross videos including ones on painting clouds, painting mountains the one were Bob Ross cleans Picasso's clock in an epic rap battle!

I asked the students to create black and white pencil sketches of what they wanted to paint. Then we went to the iPad lab and we learned a few techniques in Sketchbook Pro. The students had the opportunity to create digital color sketches on the iPads before returning to the art room to create using acrylics.

When we started painting, the students had reference photos as well as their pencil sketches and their digital iPad sketches.

A digital version above and the final acrylic version below that.

A digital version above and the final acrylic version below that.

Now the Art One students have a great foundation in acrylic painting. They can use this medium for any project going forward for this class or any other future classes they may take.