They are curious and self-confident, open to new ideas, and certain about what they like. They are what many adult artists dream to be.
We find it very important for young artists to know that Fine Art is not about just following step-by-step instructions. We teach them to create something brand new, using the endless resource of their imagination. All they need is encouragement and advice, which we are always happy to provide.
Each lesson covers an important art concept, needed for fluent representational drawing and painting. It is combined with a short intro to a cultural phenomenon: a style, and epoch, or a single artist. Students get to create their original artworks from scratch within the guidelines of the topic. Each topic can be adjusted to a variety of skill levels.
We start a lesson with a short lecture and demonstration (live in studios, pre-recorded for online lessons). Teachers provide advice, help, correct the digital image of a student's work, explain what works in particular cases and what does not, and why.
This class is ongoing, students can join anytime. Important concepts like drawing humans and animals, nature, and architecture are repeated every 1-2 months, each time associated with a new topic and art material. Topic rotation is 2-3 years. Art materials we master: acrylics, watercolor, pastels, pencil, markers, clay.
Your child is ready for an in-person instructional class when:
- feels comfortable when she's left in a new place with a new person, without a parent
- is ready to follow teacher's directions
- while drawing at home, draws recognizable figures and objects (not abstract shapes), and colors within the outlines
Materials we provide for in-studio classes:
Paint:
- set of acrylic paint (at least these colors - black, white. red. blue. yellow, green. brown, orange, purple). Recommended brand - Basics by Liquitex
- watercolor paint, preferably in dry pans form. Recommended brand - Artist’s Loft by Michaels
Drawing Medium:
- regular HB pencil
- eraser
- optional: set of graphite pencils of different softness (2H, H, B, 2B, 4B etc)
- colored pencils. Recommended brand - Prismacolor
- optional: markers. Recommended brand - Copics
- liners or sharpie pens
Tools:
- brushes - flat and round (pointy). Use separate brushes for acrylic and watercolor paint.
- wooden clay sculpting tools
- paper plates for mixing paint
- water bucket or cup
- scissors
- glue stick
Clay:
- Air-dry clay - white. Recommended brand - Crayola
- Oven baked clay - white. Recommended brand - Sculpey
- Modeling clay - multiple colors. Recommended brand - Claytoon
Surfaces:
- painting boards or mixed media paper, 8’’x10'’ or bigger - good for acrylic paint, coloring pencils, markers and graphite pencils.
- canvases, 8’’x10’’ or bigger - for acrylic paint only
- watercolor paper, 8’’x10’’ or bigger - for watercolor paint
- sketchbook or loose sketch paper (printing paper is ok) - any size
- construction paper (multiple colors), 11’’x14’’ or bigger
