All Levels Oil Painting

All Levels Oil Painting

In-Person: Adult | This program is completed

Central School 27 Maple Street Arlington, MA 02476 United States

Arts & Crafts Room

All Levels

1/23/2018-3/27/2018

View Schedule

250.00 USD

Member Discount Available

8 Tuesdays, 7:00 - 9:30 pm


Explore oil painting and learn to see colors everywhere! We will explore some color theory and composition foundations in the first three weeks, working with color mixing exercises and still life. From there, we will move onto student's choice of painting from natural materials or objects for still life, photographs of a favorite place for landscape or seascape, or on developing their own works. All levels are welcome; we will have demonstrations in form and balance, wet into wet, color mixing, layering, light and shadow, texture, composition, and line. Friendly group critiques will be part of every class. Some drawing experience helpful.

  • Please note: On the first day of class, Sarah will offer demonstrations and explanations of different supplies to be used through the semester. Please feel free to bring what you have and consider purchasing extra items after the first class.
  • *pallet knife for mixing
  • *variety of brushes (flat, angle, and round for variety, and #10 and up in size)
  • ivory soap or blue Dawn or baby shampoo (for washing brushes so they live long and happy)
  • *paint thinner: no solvents or turpentine, please! You use a natural turpenoid, or an oil, available at grocery and healthfood stores: walnut oil, linseed-flax oil, poppy, safflower, to name some.
  • https://www.dickblick.com/products/weber-turpenoid-natural/
  • rags or store bought paper towels (old tshirt strips are my favorite)
  • *masking tape
  • paper pallet or roll of Freezer Paper (not wax paper) (purchase at a grocery store, these will be your disposable palettes each week. If you have a palette of your own, feel free to bring that instead)
  • *4-6 primed boards or stretched canvas in the range of 12"x12", 9"x11", 14"x18", and 16"x20" (some boards and canvases are shallow and others have a thicker lip or cradled edge; it's up to you and your preferences! there are also some student packets of a couple thin primed boards that are great for learning)
  • *oil paints! Student value paints are a good option if you're just learning, and are available at most stores. Some colors you'll need: small tubes of cadmium red, crimson, winsor yellow, french ultramine, pthalo blue, burnt sienna, burnt umber, payne’s gray, black, white
  • *can be found at local art stores, such as Playtime (Arlington) or Artisan's Supply or Blick (both in Central Sq, Cambridge)
Hirsch, Sarah

Sarah Hirsch is an artist-writer-teacher, grown on the island part of Rhode Island, living and painting and teaching in Somerville MA. She holds a BA from Colby College and has worked extensively in France and Morocco.