The Fundamentals of Composition for Painters
Dates: June 17 and 18.
Have fun learning how the simple fundamentals of artistic composition will make you a better painter. Explore the basics of scene selection and design; the easy to understand principles of visual perspective; massing and building of form; scale; light and shadow; near and far; capturing and developing atmospheric distance; the elements of line, shape, texture, repetition, rhythm, and weight; the importance of color and balance as compositional elements.
The class will start with a slide lecture on the history of artistic composition from the ancient Egyptians to today’s David Hockney with stops along the way to discuss Giotto, the Renaissance, the golden ratio, Hieronymus Bosch, JMW Turner, Degas, Kandinsky, and abstract expressionism.
We will discuss how the eye/brain works to compose what it sees and how the environment and culture influences the result.
There will be frequent demonstrations by the instructor. Each student will get individual attention to help them progress at their own pace.
You will be amazed at paintings that you will develop over the two days.
Part of the course will be inside and part outside so wear comfortable clothes that you do not mind getting paint-stained and bring sunscreen.
Bring a sack lunch each day and plenty of water.
Hank Feeley is an author, painter, and sculptor whose second book Painting the Joy of Sleeping Bear County published in 2016. He is a graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Harvard Business School. He has been a Visiting Artist at SAIC, an Artist in Residence at Ox-Bow, and has taught at Roosevelt University and the Dennos Museum, and will be teaching at Interlochen starting in 2020. His work is held in public and private collections nationally and internationally. He is represented in Chicago by Aron Packer Projects and, in New York, by First Street Gallery.
June 17 and 18, 9am-4:30pm
This list is for oil painters. Watercolor, pastel or acrylic painters should bring the equivalent. Call or email Hank if you have questions: 312 560 3916, hankfeeley@att.net
150 ml tube of Gamblin galkyd gel
Portable easel – I suggest a French easel or something like a Stanrite 500 aluminum
A small portable/fold up table to hold pallet and paints
Twelve medium canvases╩
Pallet (get the 16”x20” tear-off pallet at the craft store)
At least a quart of low odor mineral spirits
A brush cleaner jar with wire inside (get at a craft store)
Lots of tee shirt material wipe cloths
Paper towels for cleanup
Brushes
Paints
Titanium white
Yellow ochre
Cadmium yellow medium
Cadmium red medium
Venetian red
Sap green
Sevres blue
Ultramarine blue
Alizarin crimson
Burnt umber
Refunds: Requests for cancellation by the student at least thirty (30) days prior to the first day of the workshop will be honored (minus a $20 processing fee). NO REFUNDS will be given for a student cancellation made less than thirty (30) days prior to the first day of the workshop.
Minimum Enrollment: Glen Arbor Arts Center Arts Center reserves the right to cancel any class or multi-day, sequential-day workshop that does not meet its minimum student enrollment prior to the first class session (30 days prior for multi-day workshops). If a class is cancelled by GAAC for lack of enrollment, GAAC will offer a full refund to the student in the manner in which tuition was paid (Cash payments will be refunded by check). Please be aware that GAAC is not responsible for losses incurred due to housing, travel or other arrangements.