If you’re stuck in a rut, your progress has plateaued, or you’re simply frustrated by the pace of your artistic growth, one of the best ways to give yourself a boost is to attend an art workshop. Experienced instructors provide valuable feedback and tips; they demonstrate and make sense of techniques. You can ask questions and get personalized advice on your work. You can meet and interact with other artists, exchange ideas, collaborate on projects, and form lasting connections. Most importantly, a workshop will challenge you to try something new, expand your horizons, and deepen your connections with your work.
Here, we look at five Art Fest workshops focused on acrylic and mixed-media painting. Whether you want to paint realistically, abstractly, or both, these workshops give you the support you need to advance your work. Learn how to use acrylics effectively, master various techniques, and enhance your creativity in a supportive and expressive environment. Which one is right for you?
Fur Real! Painting Animals with Acrylics – Gigi Chen
Animals are amazing and fun to paint. In this workshop, you’ll explore the fundamentals of acrylics as you work on a painting of a furry animal. Gigi Chen will go over the basics of acrylic painting as we go:
Mastering mediums for layering and glazing.
Building Blocks of Design – Jean Pederson
This workshop is for the experienced beginner to intermediate painter, who wants to better understand the building blocks of design. The focus will be on building good compositions—both representational and non-representational/abstract. You’ll talk about what makes a composition work (and not work) and learn from exercises designed to help us get the most out of design principles. Although we’ll be working in acrylics in the class, the lessons are transferrable to any medium. The workshop will delve into concepts such as:
Creating dominance, rhythm, and movement.
Traditional and contemporary approaches to a successful design.
Getting Started in Acrylics – Gigi Chen
If you’re new to acrylics, this workshop is right for you. You’ll explore the fundamentals of acrylics and learn step-by-step how to create a realistic acrylic painting. Gigi Chen will go over the basics of acrylic painting, like:
Working with a wet palette.
Adventures in Mixed-Media: Limitless Layering – Jean Pederson
This workshop will prepare you for your next mixed-media masterpiece! By understanding acrylic paints, gels and mediums that are used for layering with collage, you’ll learn to fearlessly develop fabulous grounds on a substrate. Each ground will be the foundation for your next painting, and you’ll paint collage papers for integration into your design. The techniques you learn can be applied to a variety of subject matter and styles and surfaces to create your own unique artistic statement. This workshop covers:
Strategies to simplify your subject.
Take risks and work beyond your traditional practice.
Developing your own personal language.
Go with the Glow: Painting Special Lighting Effects – Gigi Chen
Do you love dark and mysterious paintings? In this class, you’ll learn how to create mystery by adding unusual light sources to change the feel and atmosphere of a scene. Work along with Gigi Chen and follow step-by-step to create neon effects and add a vibrant glow to a painting.
We’re looking forward to seeing you at Art Fest in Mesa AZ this October! What workshops will you be attending? What workshops would you like to see? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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