Painting with Acrylics

Explore acrylic painting techniques!

This acrylic painting course is designed for anyone with an interest in acrylic painting who wants to enrich and develop their skills in a fun and supportive environment.

The exercises and projects are flexible and adaptable to all skill levels. Throughout the course, there is a strong emphasis on class discussions and peer-to-peer feedback, ensuring a well-rounded and engaging learning experience. The first few weeks focus on building a strong foundation in acrylic painting, covering essential techniques and concepts. Drawing inspiration from a wide range of historical and contemporary artists across various genres, students will experiment with different approaches and methodologies. In the second half of the course, they will refine their focus, honing their skills and developing their personal artistic style.

Course Breakdown

Week 1: Introduction to Painting & Acrylic Techniques

• Overview of painting terminology and various approaches.
• Introduction to acrylic painting materials and processes.
• Exercise: Analyzing and identifying key elements in paintings from art history.
• Hands-on practice: Surface preparation, basic painting techniques, colour mixing and mark-making.

Week 2: Tonal Range & Proportion

• Understanding tonal range, proportion and the picture plane.
• Exercise: Translating a provided image into a painting, with optional grid assistance based on experience level.

Week 3: Still Life & Composition

• Exploring still life, perspective, composition, form and volume.
• Exercise: Selecting and arranging three objects to create a still life painting.

Week 4: Landscape & Expressive Techniques

• Introduction to landscape painting, perspective, colour theory, underpainting and positive/negative space.
• Exercise: Choosing a meaningful landscape and capturing its essence through composition, tone, symbolism and material choices.

Week 5: Refinement & Review

• Continuing unfinished paintings.
• Exercise: Class discussion and peer-to-peer feedback. Reviewing skills, methods and approaches covered so far.

Weeks 6–9: Self-Directed Project

• Exercise: Students develop their own painting projects with ongoing tutor feedback.

Week 10: Final Review & Artist Statements

• Completing final works.
• Learning how to write an artist's statement.
• Exercise: Class discussion and peer feedback.

Outcomes

• Develop proficiency in acrylic painting, including the use of acrylic mediums and a range of painting techniques.
• Understand, identify and apply key painting concepts, such as:
  • Layering and transparency
  • Texture and mark-making
  • Tone and value
  • Complementary and local colour
  • Recessive pictorial spaces: volume, form and surface
  • Composition, form and space
• Explore a variety of subject matter, including still life, portraiture, landscape and figurative painting.
• Engage in discussions and analysis of paintings from art history to inspire narrative, imaginative and abstract concepts in personal work.
• Refine artistic focus and develop a personal painting style through experimentation with various techniques and methods.
• Receive guidance on writing an artist's statement and gain the opportunity to articulate ideas and processes behind personal work.

Term Dates

Term 1 runs from Monday 3 February to Monday 31 March

Term 2 runs from Monday 28 April to Monday 30 June

Materials List:

• A4 Sketchbook – for studies, composition sketches and notes.
• Brushes – A variety of bristle and synthetic brushes in flat, filbert and round shapes (e.g., Size 2 round, Size 2 flat, Size 5 round, Size 5 flat, Size 10 round, Size 10 flat, etc.).
• Palette Knife – for mixing paint.
• Palette – A flat palette is recommended to minimize paint waste.
• Old Cotton Rag
• Masking Tape
• Acrylic Mediums (Optional):
  • Acrylic Spreader Medium
  • Acrylic Drying Retarder
  • Acrylic Impasto Medium
  • Gesso
• Suggested Acrylic Paints: (Atelier Interactive Artists Acrylics, Atelier Flow, Matisse Structure Formula)
  • Earth Tones: Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Titanium White
  • Blues: Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue
  • Yellows: Primary Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Arylamide Yellow Light
  • Reds: Alizarin Crimson, Scarlet
• Surfaces – Small to medium-sized canvases, wood panels, cardboard or canvas paper.

Receive 10% Discount

If you join any of our creative courses, you will receive a 10% discount off full-priced items at Eckersley’s Art & Craft. Discount applies on presentation of course receipt. Stores included are Eckersley’s Chatswood & St. Leonards.