West Wind Ranch Creations

Beginner Art Lessons

Why art lessons?

Even if you are already practicing your art, sometimes just working with someone else can open up new possibilities in your own work. We each provide inspiration for others and it’s a good excuse to take the time out for ourselves.

I am happy to invite you to my studio to learn basic drawing and painting techniques in a comfortable home environment.

One on one instruction is great for the conscientious person who might not want to learn in a classroom setting or…

I can take up to 3 persons at a time of all ages (children under 12 yrs. must be accompanied by an adult).

Once we determine what it is you want/need to learn next in your growth as an artist, we can develop a plan to work on. For example; maybe you have not drawn in a while, but used to when you were younger, I can offer a refresher course, going over different types of line drawing, perspective and practicing gradation of shading on a sphere and on planes etc.

I do suggest learning to draw before getting into painting. I feel that drawing is the backbone of every painting. It’s easy and economical to start with and is a good way to learn about the effects of line, shape, value and composition.  I promise not to overwhelm you with too much information. My goal is to help you and hopefully start you off in a direction good for you personally.

I also offer (weather permitting);

Learn the basics of Plein Air painting and enjoy acres of Carolinian Forest and farmland. We are positioned at the crest of a hill overlooking the Big Otter Creek and Valley; creeks, ponds and historic outbuildings to explore.  We also have a few farm animals to sketch if you like; horses, cows, rabbits, two White Shepherds and a Beagle!

Credentials – I am an artist and photographer; I have studied art most of my life. I started out by obtaining a 3 year Fine Arts Diploma at Langara University College in Vancouver, BC (which included a full term of study in Europe). At Langara, my studio classes included; drawing, painting, print making, pottery, sculpture and design.

Over the past 20 years, I have taken several workshops and art courses with some accomplished Canadian artists; most recently with Katharine Hockney and Cheryl O.

I have also been involved in starting an art program at New Hope Community Church in Lambeth. I am a member of the St Thomas – Elgin Art Guild, enjoy painting ‘en plein aire’ (painting outdoors) and I am best known for my equine works. I show my work locally, occasionally at the Art Gallery of Lambeth and my husband and I set up booths at local Trade shows and fairs when we have time. I sell my work online on Ebay.ca, Etsy.com and Daily Paint Works along with on our West Wind Ranch website; westwindranchcreations.com

Costs;

I have two drawing boards and a drafting table (to accommodate 3 persons). I also have water containers, spray bottles and rags. I have large paper clamps and painter’s tape to hold the paper to the drawing board etc.

I only charge $10 per hour per person.

You must supply some of your own materials which might include;

Drawing Supplies;

Paper Sketching Pad (preferably larger size – does not have to be great quality – just for practicing)

Graphite pencils of varying shades (at least 3 ) (if serious about drawing…purchase a set)

Charcoal stick(s) (or in pencil form)

Conte stick(s) (come in different colors)

Gum eraser (can pull apart and manipulate into different shapes)

Smudge stick (paper rolled tightly to a point)

Painting Supplies;

Canvas(s) (you can pick up some cheap practice canvases at the dollar store in the craft aisle)

Or canvas board(s) or canvas paper or , my favorite, Terraskin (available in sheets at Mercury)

Variety of flat brushes ( from size 2 – 8, you don’t have to go out and spend a lot on brushes…Mercury Art Supplies in London supplies quality student brushes at decent prices).

Variety of round brushes (liner brush, 01 and up to a Japanese bamboo brush for your larger ‘round’)

-round brushes are designed to hold more paint and better for paint with more fluidity.

Regarding brushes – as you will soon find, if you don’t know already, there are a vast array of brushes in the art supply stores. If in doubt, their staff is more than happy to help you figure it out. I have learned that stiffer brushes are more for oil paints, but they also work well for acrylic out of the tube. Acrylic paint is hard on brushes, so don’t invest too much money in brushes when first starting out. Softer brushes are generally for softly blending oil paint. There are a multitude of different shapes too. I work with just about all of them. Over the years you will acquire quite the collection, so just concentrate on the basics to start with. I have a tendency to go overboard with brushes. ; )

Paint ;

For just starting out painting, may I suggest purchasing a set of student grade paint in tubes found in any craft or art supply store. I find Mercury Art Supplies in London have the best prices. But you can also find a cheap set at Walmart or Michaels.

Acrylics;

I suggest starting with acrylics. They are the most versatile and I can show you some really cool layering techniques to use with them.  Acrylic paint dries fast and you can buy an ‘extender’ that will let the paint dry a bit slower and give it a nice gloss.  (You can buy a multitude of acrylic ‘mediums’ to alter the paint consistency). You can use acrylic paint in thin layers like a watercolor (without having to invest in a pricey water color set) or pretty much as thick as you like!

I’m just making the acrylic suggestion for the beginner; as an introduction to painting. Acrylic is what I started learning with in art school. I am still learning and ‘experimenting’ with acrylic and having so much fun with it!

Oil;

Oil paint has its own wonderful qualities…especially for blending and manipulating on the canvas, as it is very slow drying. But this can cause problems in transporting ‘wet’ canvas back and forth from studio time, using chemical products for clean- up (all have some level of toxicity – let’s be honest here) and can slow the learning process up a bit (waiting for layers of paint to dry before going on to the next layer). The final decision is yours. I personally use both acrylic and oil paint in many of my works.

Colors of Paint;

As I previously suggested, for just starting out, just purchase a student quality set with basic colors such as; a phthalo blue,  (phthalo) green, cadmium or crimson red, cadmium yellow, burnt sienna, raw umber, black, white. I was taught that the true ‘red’ in the spectrum of light is actually a ‘magenta’, so if you are buying your colors separately, I would suggest a magenta (and a red). If possible purchase a larger tube of white (usually called Titanium White) because we tend to use more white than other colors.

Other Miscellaneous Supplies;

I can supply dish soap for clean- up of acrylic and water-based paints, but you will want to purchase some brush cleaner/conditioner eventually for yourself.

You will need to bring your own paint thinner (odorless please). Please bring a wide-mouth glass jar with sealing lid.

I also suggest you purchase a color wheel if you want to really learn about color mixing.

Special Projects;

I have recently started an ‘ART JOURNAL’. This is like a personal journal or ‘diary’ but in a sketchbook format. I still write lots of notes in it, but also draw things out as I think of ideas for paintings etc. I keep it by my bed at night and/or carry it with me for when I am waiting in doctor’s offices or on long trips. My idea is to create an ‘art journal’ using reclaimed old books.  It is a form of recycling.

I will explain more when you take one of my workshops…

Contact US for more information!

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