Would you love to paint but don't know where to start or which medium would best suit you? This class will take you on an adventure into the world of water based paint: Watercolor, gouache and acrylics. Each is studied using examples of paintings by well known artists in each medium, covering all types of art from impressionism to watercolor artists.

All materials are provided.

Build a strong painting foundation and explore your passion for color as an artist with nationally known colorist Elio Camacho! The class is structured for both beginner to advanced students who want to develop their skill understanding of painting. Students will learn the foundation necessary to be creative, convey the particular mood of the moment, and to express themselves in a bold and colorful way while capturing the beauty and spontaneity of life. This workshop is very hands-on with an emphasis on easel-side critiques.

Materials are not provided, download a printable materials list below.

Students will learn to build their own teapot and decorate it using underglaze painting technique. On the first two days students construct a teapot using plaster molds and soft slab technique. The teapot is then dried, bisque fired and ready for decoration. On the third day the teapot is painted with colorful underglazes using unique designs. The teapot is then dipped in clear glaze and ready for glaze firing. After the class the teapot is fired and ready to pick up in 2-3 days.

All materials are provided, please pay instructor a materials fee of $40.

Students will explore the use of color and texture with acrylic paints and complete a cloudscape painting. Create believable cloudy skies by pulling them out of the background color field. All levels welcome, materials are not provided.

For art supply questions, email instructor at [email protected]

Download a printable supply list below.

We’ll be diving into what makes a landscape great! Emphasis is on understanding the rhythm, composition & perspective of a contemporary landscape. We’ll study the use of texture for interest, color theory for a contemporary spin, while adding lights & darks for dimension along with discovering our landscape mood, and so much, more. A plethora of tools, gadgets and techniques will be at our whim--working wet on wet with oil paints, oil sticks, dry pigments, gold leafing, scraping, and layering!

All materials are provided, please pay instructor a materials fee of $45. Please bring a medium sized box to transport your masterpieces.

Ready for some fun? This introductory class focuses on the fundamentals of working with cold wax. Cold wax is combined with oil paints to create a unique and versatile medium that does not require a heat source or fusing tools. This amazing medium has great depth and lends itself to representational imagery as well as abstraction. Emphasis is placed on the understanding of materials, supports, tools and techniques. Come to learn, have fun and get messy with this amazing medium!

All materials are provided, please pay instructor a materials fee of $45. Please bring a medium sized box to transport your masterpieces.

Mandala means circle and represents wholeness and symbolizes life as never ending. The mandala appears in all aspects of life. Mandala art refers to symbols that are drawn in a circular frame. Using symbols and colors that are meaningful to you, you’ll create a personal mandala using a variety of art materials, such as paint, colored pencils, collage, felt markers, and oil crayons on a flat surface. The teacher will guide you through a short relaxation exercise prior to creating your mandala. Beginners and all skill levels are welcome.

All materials are provided, please pay instructor a materials fee of $10.

Sketching and drawing are among the most fundamental methods of communication. We are visual learners and we all have the ability to sketch and draw within us as a way of expression. This workshop will explore working from life and photos using both graphite pencils and watercolor pencils: in miniature! The morning session will include pencil studies of various objects and photos in miniature (2.5” x 3”) and the afternoon session will be studies of shells and photos using watercolor pencils again in miniature. This workshop is good for all levels and ages.

Some materials provided, please pay instructor a materials fee of $10. Download a printable supply list below. For art supply questions, email instructor at [email protected]

What is cubism and how and why was it such a turning point in modern art art? How can you use its tenets in your own work? Join Caroline for a workshop that combines art appreciation with hands on painting instruction so you can create your own artwork in the spirit of cubism. No prior painting experience required, just an enquiring mind and creative spirit!

In this two-day workshop, learn how to release your creativity wherever you are: at the airport, in your kitchen, or even in a boring meeting. Put away your smartphone and get out your small sketchbook. You will never be without it on a trip again. We will start each session with a slideshow of inspirational drawings and end with a review of everyone’s drawings.

Materials are not provided, download a printable materials list below.
For art supply questions, email instructor at [email protected]

We will be going big this time! Working large (24 x 24) can be an exhilarating challenge, so we’ll be diving into all that we know and then some to create a larger masterpiece. Feel free to also bring any previous cold wax pieces you want help with or would like to continue on with, with a few fresh ideas. Going Big lessons include perspective, unity, balance, color theory, contrast, mood and much, much more! All materials are provided for your creative expression including oil paint sticks, pan pastels, lots of fun papers, metallic powders, gold leafing, textural tools, yummy paints along with a few new surprises!

All materials are provided, please pay instructor a materials fee of $55.

Your original artwork will be professionally photographed under calibrated lighting using a 36 MB camera and is suitable for fine art giclée prints and internet use. The files will be saved on a USB memory stick in two formats (JPEG for Internet use and DNG for Printing). Approximately 20 pieces of artwork can be photographed during your hour (more if artwork is close to the same size). If time permits, basic photo editing of your images will be provided. Your artwork can be paintings, mixed media, pottery, sculpture, jewelry or anything you can carry.

Past experience has shown that 25 or so pictures can be photographed in the hour, dropping the cost to about $5 per image. In addition, if you have friends with Artwork, but not enough pieces to fill the hour, you can share your time slot and cost with them.

Discounted printing of your art on paper, canvas or metal is available to attendees. Please bring at least a 4 GB USB flash drive to hold the images, or purchase an 8GB one from instructor for $10.

Instructor Bio

Bay Area artist Tom Killion will introduce students to the use of Japanese wood blocks, hand tools and printing. Killion will cover the design and transfer of images onto blocks, multi-block registration, carving, sharpening of tools and basic printing techniques. Students will work on a small single-color block print to be proofed at end of class. Be sure to register early. This class fills up very quickly!

Woodblocks, ink and paper will be provided, please pay instructor a materials fee of $25.
Students must bring their own tools, download a printable list below.
For art supply questions, email instructor at [email protected]

Do you have a painting or parts of a painting that you love but another part that just isn't working? Instructor Anne Leveque teaches how to do makeovers of paintings that are invigorated and infused with layers of depth, while still maintaining the parts you love. Paintings in oil or acrylic welcome.

Materials are not provided, download a printable materials list below.

For art supply questions, email instructor at [email protected]

Learn to combine different monotype printing processes to create unique prints in this 6 hours workshop. Much of the focus will be on reworking and using the ghost print as part of the creative process. In the morning, make subtractive monotypes with line work images by the tracing and brush. During the afternoon, students will exploring different color technique to create the surface with value and color. Previous drawing and printmaking experience is recommended.

All materials are provided, please pay instructor a materials fee of $20.

Caroline will lead a class introducing the subject of painting the human figure for beginning acrylic painters. Caroline will use photos as well as a live model in a hands-on instruction on how to capture the essence of the human figure in paint. Model and materials fees included. Previous drawing experience recommended, but not vital. Just a lively interest in learning and creating! All materials are provided.

Join Emmy award winning cinematographer and photographer Andrew Wegst for this two day workshop. You will learn to train your brain to think like a camera by thinking inside the box,during this free flowing, open class. Explore the creative process of finding your own unique photographic eye. Delve into the three-stage process of making a photograph, new camera techniques, finding your own eye, communicating your vision, telling a story and sharing your unique perspective. Beginners with experience and up are welcome.

Prequisites: Must be familiar with your camera and basic photography concepts. A discussion of post processing will also be an option so some knowledge of Lightroom would be useful. 

Lithography is based on the antipathy of oil vs. water and a mysterious process. This workshop introduces paper and polyester lithography, both simple low tech printing surfaces to incorporate found and photographic images into your original prints. Polyester sheets can be drawn on with pens, sharpie, china marker and also laser imaged in a copier or laser printer. Ordinary photocopies and laser prints on polyester can be inked and combined with ink roll ups to create fascinating images. Collect some images and make a small print series in this workshop. Supplies: found images like clip art or high contrast photos laser printed or photocopied on regular printer paper.

This one-day workshop is designed for any artist who wishes to paint an accurate portrait and with an academic quality. We’ll work with one model to draw, create a transfer cartoon, and then paint the realistic portrait using a limited palette of colors. This workshop is an opportunity to push your portrait painting skills or enter the topic fresh, especially if you have portrait drawing experience. We’ll discuss canons of proportion, light and shadow, color mixing and paint application.

Materials are not provided, download a materials list below.

Soft pastels are a marvelously tactile and versatile medium that provide vibrant color and texture when used dry. Using them wet makes a great medium even better. By applying alcohol to the pastels after application students will set colors faster without the prolonged layering, be able to showcase brushstrokes and work larger with more ease. This method also allows a cleaner application of the pastel with less shed dust. Great for anyone learning pastels or wanting to try something different! All levels welcome.

Some materials provided, please pay instructor a materials fee of $10. Download a printable materials list below. For art supply questions, email instructor at [email protected]

Learn how to make competent drawings of portraits through step-by-step instruction and demonstrations. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience, this class will further your drawing skills. Draw from live model and learn the techniques of mastering expressive portraiture with different dry media.

In this workshop learn a variety of collage and painting techniques using acrylic paint, texturing, colorful paper, and varnish. Students begin with practice boards to experiment with different techniques demonstrated by the teacher. The final product will be on canvas, where the student is free to create any image they want. Beginners or any skill level are welcome to this workshop.

Most materials are provided, please pay instructor a materials fee of $10.

Please bring two canvases of different sizes (no larger than 16” x 20”).

Silverpoint is one of several types of metalpoint used by the Great Masters such as Da Vinci, Raphael and Durer to create stunning portrait and figure studies. Challenging, yet easy to learn, Silverpoint Drawing can be a beautiful addition to your artist’s repertoire. A silver stylus is applied to a specially prepared ground, leaving elegant silver-gray lines that are easily and quickly cross-hatched, stippled or layered. Come learn this ancient and meditative drawing method during this one-day fun and informative workshop.

All materials are provided, please pay instructor a materials fee of $10.

Instructor website

This workshop covers the fundamentals of drawing and sketching urban
architecture with sketch walks to different locations in San Francisco. If you want to sketch while you travel, this is the class for you! Even if you have never drawn before Caroline will take you through the fundamentals that you will need in order to draw buildings effectively. Supplies: Sketch book, small ruler, HB & 4B pencils, eraser, pencil sharpener, blending stick, fine point drawing pen, black brush pen, gray brush pen.

Locations:

April Workshop - Palace of the Arts
May Workshop - Legion of Honor building and view of the Golden Gate
June Workshop - SF MOMA and Yerba Buena Gardens
July Workshop - Ferry Building and Embarcadero
August Workshop - Fort Mason and Marina boats

Get out and capture the beauty of nature in this easily portable medium! In this daylong, outdoor workshop we will work on strengthening observation and design skills, mixing accurate colors, technique, and planning and executing a painting in the time available. Class will meet at a location provided by the instructor. Class will be rescheduled in case of rain.

Supply List