Introduction to Painting

Painting has been an integral part of human civilization since ancient times, with the earliest known paintings dating back over 50,000 years. This course, taught by award-winning artist and professor Ricky Allman, aims to demystify the medium and make it accessible to everyone. You’ll learn essential techniques, develop observational skills, and discover how painting can change the way you perceive the world.

Lesson 1: The Painter’s Toolkit

Overview

Start by embracing the physicality and freedom of painting. Learn about the basic supplies you’ll need, including brushes and acrylic paints, and practice loose, dynamic strokes using your entire arm.

Duration: 25 min

Lesson 2: Getting Started: Surfaces and Brushwork

Overview

Discover the best surfaces for beginning painters and how to choose the right one for you. Follow along with a demonstration on creating gradients and learn about different brushes for various lines and effects.

Duration: 23 min

Lesson 3: Fundamentals: Establishing Value

Overview

Understand the importance of value in translating images into meaning. Learn to discern value differences in subjects and watch a demonstration on breaking images down into fundamental values.

Duration: 25 min

Lesson 4: Fundamentals: Building Volume

Overview

Explore how to render three-dimensional forms using light and shadow. Paint geometric objects while understanding light sources, cast shadows, form shadows, and reflective effects.

Duration: 22 min

Lesson 5: Fundamentals: Basics of Color Theory

Overview

Delve into color theory to understand value, hue, and saturation. Create a 12-step color wheel and value scales while learning about direct and optical mixing.

Duration: 28 min

Lesson 6: Fundamentals: Creating Color Palettes

Overview

Learn how context and interaction influence color and why a limited palette is powerful. Create a quick painting from a monochrome reference using just four colors.

Duration: 32 min

Lesson 7: Fundamentals: Compositional Choices

Overview

Step beyond basics to explore composition, including symmetry, hierarchy, and dynamics. Practice planning your work through sketching.

Duration: 17 min

Lesson 8: Putting It All Together: A Simple Landscape

Overview

Apply learned techniques to paint a simple landscape with acrylics, from sketching major value areas to adding details.

Duration: 36 min

Lesson 9: Creating Linear Perspective

Overview

Master the principles of linear perspective to create architectural space. Follow along with a practical demonstration.

Duration: 43 min

Lesson 10: Creating Atmospheric Perspective

Overview

Learn to create the illusion of distance using atmospheric perspective techniques in a simple landscape.

Duration: 26 min

Lesson 11: Putting It All Together: A Still Life

Overview

Tackle a still life composition to hone observational skills. Follow Professor Allman’s demonstration while making decisions about value and proportion.

Duration: 33 min

Lesson 12: Working with Oils

Overview

Transition to oil paints, exploring benefits like blending and texture, and addressing challenges like drying times and toxicity.

Duration: 44 min

Lesson 13: Traditional Oil Techniques: Grisaille

Overview

Create a monochromatic underpainting using the grisaille technique and add color layers once dry.

Duration: 39 min

Lesson 14: Working with Acrylics

Overview

Revisit acrylics and explore techniques like glazing, sanding, and masking. Watch a demonstration of a street scene.

Duration: 30 min

Lesson 15: Playing with Mediums

Overview

Experiment with various mediums to create different textures in acrylic paintings.

Duration: 39 min

Lesson 16: Painting Water and Clouds

Overview

Capture the essence of water and clouds by focusing on common elements and using chromatic grays.

Duration: 38 min

Lesson 17: Painting Trees and Bark

Overview

Paint trees and bark, experimenting with shapes and textures, and learn to suggest leaves and needles without excessive detail.

Duration: 37 min

Lesson 18: Painting Rocks and Mountains

Overview

Use chromatic grays to paint rocks and mountains, focusing on capturing stone’s variety and complexity.

Duration: 37 min

Lesson 19: Painting Light

Overview

Broaden your understanding of light’s effect through demonstrations using a candle as a source and subject.

Duration: 27 min

Lesson 20: Painting Glass

Overview

Overcome the challenge of painting glass by focusing on light passing through objects rather than the glass itself.

Duration: 31 min

Lesson 21: Painting People

Overview

Explore the art of portrait painting, understanding the face’s proportions, and building portraits step-by-step.

Duration: 47 min

Lesson 22: Getting Creative: Composition

Overview

Find and use various references and materials to explore new ideas and techniques in composition.

Duration: 34 min

Lesson 23: Getting Creative: Surface and Texture

Overview

Explore new materials and techniques for surface and texture, including painting with palette knives and incorporating collage.

Duration: 30 min

Lesson 24: Getting Creative: Space and Dimension

Overview

Free yourself from realistic space constraints and use perspective creatively, inspired by M.C. Escher.

Duration: 34 min