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How To Paint A… random composition (part two)

By natashahenderson
August 21, 2012 //
0

The other week, I went through the steps I took in making a painting with no source material. Using random marks and composition, I allowed my intuition and previous painting experience to guide whatever happened next. In a similar manner I have made another example to share with you here.

random brushmarks in black

I started with paper, two tubes of acrylic paint, and I think just one smallish brush. I hit the paper with some random marks in black.

I added some greys

I decided to go grisaille at this point. Grisaille is the method of painting in black and white… and greys. You can then glaze colours on top if you so choose. I will show this process next week.

subtlety added by painting in white

I lightened everything up again by brushing in a bit of white. This added some subtlety to the greys.

time for dark paint again

Then I took my black paint and worked in some darks again. I started to see something…

becoming flowers

Using some more watery-black, I painted in some stems, some shadows in petals. The painting was becoming flowers.

bit more detail and a background

I worked in another floral shape on the right, and then watered my paint down much more. I painted in a background. This added weight to the bottom of the composition, and complexity, as well as the suggestion of other things happening.

however, as part of the process…

However, as part of the process, I opted to white-out a lot of that background. More subtlety needed!

my next step was to re-introduce some greys

Once again, I mixed up a grey and added it in, bits and pieces.

again background!

Again, I worked in dark paint to suggest weight and some sort of background. By painting in the negative-space I also emphasized the objects. Note the fine edges of white here and there: those are not painted in, rather, those were left behind when I painted in the background.

finished! For now…

Finally, I painted in some more white/light grey. Again, note the dark edge I left here and there, that was the previous step’s background being left to show through.
I plan to glaze some colour into this composition, as I feel there is still something rough about it. Colour can help cure problems within a painting. So next week… see you then!
Natasha Henderson, Montreal

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Painting with Class

By natashahenderson
June 27, 2012 //
2

nothing says “opportunity” like the hope of a blank canvas

Have you always wanted to paint? Whether you have your own supplies or not, here is an opportunity to paint in a welcoming, open, and fresh space.

Your instructor, Natasha Henderson, is an equally fresh and funny artist with loads of experience in teaching painting to all levels of learner.

Natasha with a few of her own works-in-progress

This summer, we have set up a casual and fun schedule so that you can opt to “Drop-In” to paint, with a rotating schedule of different focuses for each class.

Perhaps due to our love of yoga, we are always flexible at Fleurbain.

To encourage you to paint more often, there is a discount on the purchase of six tickets, good for any six of the summertime classes that you choose. Tickets are entirely transferable, so if you want to treat a friend to a class, you can! Perfect for out-of-town guests to make their own souvenir of Montreal.

If you have your own paints, or want an excuse to buy them, there is an option to bring your own supplies. Enquire if this interests you… nhen@videotron.ca

Cost for one class with everything supplied is $35. Cost for six summertime classes, with everything supplied, is $180 (savings of $30). For a special-special-special trial offer, this Tuesday July 3, we are offering the drop-in class for only $25, all inclusive!

Click to see the schedules (and zoom on in) to see what’s happening:

July’s Schedule

August’s Schedule

About the painting experience, Natasha says: “I am here to facilitate, get you painting, and have fun! Learning skills and techniques are important facets to enjoying your craft… however…. Expression and simple joy in making are equally important.”

Fleurbain is located at 460 St Catherine Street West, Unit 917, in downtown Montreal.

Drop-In Painting is Tuesday and Wednesdays 7-9pm, Saturday 1-3pm and Sunday either 11am-1pm or 1-3pm.

Sun July 1: 11-1 glazing and thickness, 1-3 colour

Tues July 3: 7-9 open painting fun (discount day! $25)

Wed July 4: 7-9 abstraction

Sat July 7: 1-3 brushwork skills

Sun July 8: 11-1 chiaroscuro and form, 1-3 glazing and thickness

Sat July 28: 1-3 colour

Sun July 29: 11-1 open painting fun, 1-3 abstraction

Tues July 31: 7-9 brushwork skills

Wed August 1: 7-9 chiaroscuro and form

Sat August 4: 1-3 glazing and thickness

Sun August 5: 11-1 colour, 1-3 open painting fun

Wed August 8: 7-9 abstraction

Sat August 11: 1-3 brushwork skills

Sun August 12: 11-1 chiaroscuro and form, 1-3 glazing and thickness

Tues August 14: 7-9 colour

Wed August 15: 7-9 open painting fun (special deal… BRING A FRIEND FOR FREE!)

Sat August 18: 1-3 abstraction

Sun August 19: 11-1 brushwork skills, 1-3 chiaroscuro and form

Tues August 21: 7-9 glazing and thickness

Wed August 22: 7-9 colour

Sat August 25: 1-3 open painting fun

Sun August 26: 11-1 abstraction, 1-3 brushwork skills

Tues August 28: 7-9 chiaroscuro and form

Wed August 29: (last class!) 7-9 glazing and thickness

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Categories Art, Uncategorized, workshops

DiP into painting

By natashahenderson
May 10, 2012 //
2

A McGill student takes a study break… and Drops In to Paint!

Drop-In Painting classes are a fun way to explore and learn about painting without a huge commitment.

a student opts to work from a combination of memory and a photograph

Drop-In Painting is a way to express yourself while painting under the guidance of an experienced artist.

classes held in Fleurbain, at 460 St Catherine West. Unit 917. Fabulous view of St James United Church, and always an interesting art exhibit on!

Relax. Create. Enjoy a cup of tea.

painting is good for you

Drop-in painting is now being offered MORE often…

SUNDAY: 11am-1pm

SUNDAY: 1pm-3pm

TUESDAY: 7pm-9pm

WEDNESDAY: 7pm-9pm

SATURDAY: 1pm-3pm

All you need to bring to drop-in painting is your self!

*Classes are limited to eight people max, so if you are anticipating bringing a large group, please book ahead. Custom workshops and travelling art lessons are available. Just talk to me: fleurbain@gmail.com

*Drop-In Painting price, all-inclusive, is $35 per two hours session. (For a private, booked session, it is $70 per two-hour session.)

Natasha Henderson, Montreal

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Categories Art, workshops

Painting Create Nights

By natashahenderson
March 31, 2012 //
0
The Mona Lisa.

The Mona Lisa. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Remember the good ole days when Bob Ross would guide you, step-by-step, through the process of making a painting? Isn’t it time to revisit such a fun yet methodically satisfying approach to making a beautiful painting?

Painting Create Night is the newest format of *FUN* one-shot, evening workshop where you eat, drink, make merry, and create a stunning painting (no matter what your skill level.)

HOW IT WORKS: You (and a friend or two, highly recommended!) bring yourselves, something tasty you would like to nibble on, perhaps a bottle of wine to enjoy. (We have glasses and a corkscrew!) Over a couple of hours, and your wine and nibbles, Natasha Henderson guides you through the process of making a professionally designed painting. Indeed, you will go home at the end of the night with a finished piece of art.

Theme: FRENCH IMPRESSIONS Date: Friday April 20, 7-9pm
Theme: TUSCANY SUN Date: Saturday May 5, 7-9pm
Theme: BIRDS OF A FEATHER Date: Saturday May 26, 7-9pm
Special Mother’s Day Mom+Me Whimsical Portrait Session on Mother’s Day, Sunday May 13 at 1pm-3pm (perfect after brunch!) Paint you and Mom together. These will be whimsical and light-hearted portraits.

Cost per Painting Create Night is $40 + taxes (works out to $46) per participant. Please note you must be over 18, and anyone who drinks must have a reliable form of transportation home.

Please email fleurbain@gmail.com to register.

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Intro to Painting: Old Masters Basics

By natashahenderson
January 7, 2012 //
1

"Cantata" by Natasha Henderson

Intro to Painting: Old Masters Basics:

In this eight-week course, students will learn techniques used in both oil and acrylic painting. Students can choose to paint in either oil or acrylics. (For absolute first-time painters, acrylic is recommended.) Natasha will provide you with a list of supplies you will need to bring, upon registration.

Play, colour theory, illusion… perspective, perception, and more will be practiced. The final day will be spent on a field trip to the Musee des Beaux Arts to look at, and talk about, painting. Great painting that will further inspire our hearts, minds, souls, and art.

We will learn by doing and making… and then revel in what we now know. This class will also increase a student’s art-appreciation and knowledge of how painting is created.

The class is held in Fleurbain, at 460 St Catherine Street West, Unit 917. Class is scheduled for Saturday February 4 – Saturday March 24, from 12pm to 3pm. Cost is $316, taxes inclusive. Second Option Announced: Sundays from February 5 until March 25, 12pm -3pm.

Please note class size is limited, so reserve your spot today by emailing fleurbain@gmail.com or drop by the space during Gallery hours, Tuesday-Sunday, 3pm to 6pm.  A non-refundable deposit of $100 is required to reserve a space in the class, with payment of remainder due on the first day. If you would like to pay a deposit via PayPal, check out this page on Natasha’s website.

Looking forward to painting with you!

Natasha Henderson, Montreal

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Categories workshops

Drop-In Painting!

By natashahenderson
October 29, 2011 //
1

Ever held an urge to pick up a brush and put your thoughts and feelings into paint? Want to try out acrylic painting, but haven’t had the means nor the time for it? For an inspiring and creative Sunday afternoon or Wednesday evening, invest $35 and two hours of your time and see what you can come up with under the guidance and support of artist Natasha Henderson.

Natasha is offering a drop-in painting class every Sunday from 1-3 pm, and every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30 pm. All acrylic paints and supports are provided, all you need to do is show up and be ready to give it a try!

Natasha has taught creative courses in painting, cartooning, puppetry, feltmaking, and more to preschoolers through to the elderly. Everyone is creative, and everyone can make stuff. It’s just a matter of finding your own means of expression…

Classes are held in Fleurbain, at 460 St Catherine Street West, Unit #917. Please email Natasha to indicate your interest at nhen@videotron.ca. Tea’s on, paint brushes are ready, and creative freedom awaits!

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Categories Art, Uncategorized, workshops

List of Fall Art Classes

By natashahenderson
September 16, 2011 //
1

ACRYLIC PAINTING LEVEL ONE: In this course, students with very little or no painting experience will learn about painting techniques, and practice these techniques through creative exercises. Students will not only learn and enjoy the process of painting, but will lose that fear of the blank canvas.

DATES: September 25-November 27 Sundays 9:30am-12pm (10 weeks) $250. Ask me for supplies list: nhen@videotron.ca (OR borrow communal paints/supplies for an additional $5 per session.) Located in Fleurbain, downtown Montreal on St Catherine Street.

ACRYLIC PAINTING LEVEL TWO: This course is suitable for students who have tried painting before, but have hit a wall with it. Or, perhaps they have found that they paint the same thing over and over again. We will expand our ideas of “what to paint” while inspiring one another and working on painting skills. We will talk about concepts in painting, and just generally have a great time.

DATES: September 25-November 27 Sundays 12:30-3pm (10 weeks) $250. Ask me for suggested supplies list. nhen@videotron.ca Located in Fleurbain, downtown Montreal on St Catherine Street.

PUPPET-MAKING WORKSHOP!!! Over two evenings, Wednesday the 26th of October and Wednesday the 2nd of November, from 6:30pm to 9pm each night.

In this two-evening workshop, students will learn the basics of creating wool felt from scratch in the wet-felting process, create their own hand-puppet template, and make a felt hand-puppet! Everything will be supplied, and cost for the two-evening workshop is only $60. Although puppets are for every one at every age, this course is for adults over 16 years old. Look out as this popular workshop will be repeated a few times over the autumn and winter, and kid-friendly courses too! Email me for more details: nhen@videotron.ca

FELT-MAKING PROJECTS: In this four-week course, students will learn how to make wet-felted objects and accessories for fall, for gifts, for fun. Scarves, beads, wallets and purses can all be made out of fluffy, loose felt from scratch and in these workshops we will do so!

DATES either Sept 20-Oct 11 OR Nov 8-Nov 29. 6:30-9pm. Cost $150 all materials supplied! Located in Fleurbain, downtown Montreal. Email me for more details nhen@videotron.ca

One of my early books.

BOOK ARTS: Yes! Learn the basics of book-binding, and make your own simple (or elaborate!) books. Sewing signatures, folding pages… make your own sketchbooks, poetry books, blank pages to fill or to give as gifts.

DATES: Saturdays from September 24 – November 12, 12-2:30pm. (eight weeks). $280 all basic materials supplied. Please email me for more details nhen@videotron.ca Held in Fleurbain, close to the McGill Metro in downtown Montreal.

PLEASE CONTACT ME at nhen@videotron.ca for registration, information, and payment. More workshops being announced soon!

Natasha Henderson, Montreal

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How To Paint: a hand

By natashahenderson
May 8, 2011 //
3

Sunday is here again! And, as with every Sunday, it is time to paint.

Each Sunday, artist Natasha Henderson will guide you through some simple “How To” tips for painting. Having been (honestly) inspired at a young age by the oft-spoofed televised artist Bob Ross, Natasha would like to offer some simple tips on How To Paint Stuff.

This week, I would like to try painting from observation, rather than from memory. One thing that is usually available for observation, is a hand. As with all the paintings in this series, I started by rubbing a bit of white acrylic paint onto my paper in order to seal it.

model is comfortable

Now, I want my model to be comfortable. So it is important to not only be happy with the shape that your hand is making in space in regards to the painting, but it should be a pose that is not tiring. Tense poses are interesting, and you can try that later, but to start I’d suggest a relaxed pose.

something of the shape I saw in the middle of my palm

Start with the centre of the palm. Try to find a shape within the palm. This will act as a sort of map, a guide on which to gauge distances and markings of reference points later.

markings, points of reference...

Next, look closely at the distance of the fingertips from the palm. Try to mark the outer edge of each finger.

more painting in the reference points

Next mark where the little lines where the joints in the finger are, and paint around the edges of the fingers and hand.

working in some lights, darks again... thinking about the shape of the hand before me

After this, it is all a series of “back and forth”, similar to when we painted an egg. White, black, grey, wipe, mark, white overtop… all based on observation. If you find that one of the fingers maybe is too short or too long-looking, paint it as it should be, and “erase” any paint that is too dark with some white.

a bit more work...

When you think the hand looks pretty good, you can fill in the background. This situates the hand in space, and is also an opportunity to fix any weird bits and straggly edges to the hand. 

painted around the edges... I will probably let it dry, then touch up the edges again with a dark grey, then the purple.

Paint on! Paint on.

Natasha Henderson, Montreal
 

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How To Paint: an egg

By natashahenderson
May 1, 2011 //
1

"Beyond" (copyright Natasha Henderson) There are eggs in this...

Perhaps this is a little late for Easter. Perhaps you don’t really want to paint an egg right now. That’s cool. However, if you paint an (uncracked, uncooked) egg, you will practice observation and the creative manipulation of representing form.

An egg has volume. An egg has a gentle gradation of shadow. An egg can be reflective (depending on the type of egg it is, and what sort of environment in which it is depicted). In any event, if you just read this and don’t paint, that’s fine too. You’ll learn about all these things, through observing the following images.

Each Sunday, artist Natasha Henderson will guide you through some simple “How To” tips for painting. Having been (honestly) inspired at a young age by the oft-spoofed televised artist Bob Ross, Natasha would like to offer some simple tips on How To Paint Stuff.

I am opting to paint from memory. I actually do not have any eggs in the house right now; it would be better to have one for a real observation. However, the basic egg-shape is a simple one, and all eggs are slightly different from one another anyhow. Therefore, whatever egg I paint could exist. That is an important question to reflect upon, when trying to be convincing in painting… Could This Exist?

just a simple shape, not perfect at all

To start, I painted my paper with a layer of white acrylic to seal it. This is like in all the exercises, as my paper is quite thin. Next, I simply painted a black oval, almost an egg shape. I just wanted to get some outside, rough darkness, leaving the inside white.

smudging with finger while paint is still wet

Then, while the paint was still wet, I smudged down the centre of the egg. I needed to blend in a bit of the darkness to the middle, too. After this, it is mostly all adding white, a bit of black… just tinkering.

I "drew" the negative space around the egg better with some white... and used the white in the egg too

To make the oval shape more egg-like, I worked some white paint around the edges, to sort of erase the black paint that didn’t contribute to its egginess. I then used a sweep of this white along the bottom of the egg, to create some mystery and subtlety in the shadow on the egg. Next up, I painted a great deal of white along the top part of the egg.

more white added... a little smudging with a finger, more white...

Honestly, I went back and forth a couple of times, adding white and then swiping with my finger, until I was happy enough with the result. After this, I painted in a bit of a shadow under the egg.

just mixed a medium grey to start...

I decided that I wanted to have a gradation or two in the shadow, as well as a bit more in the egg… so I added in some lighter and darker greys where it made sense.

a bit more grey

I finalised what I did today by painting in more white. If I’d wanted to colour the egg I would wait ’til it is dry, then glaze a colour onto it and dab a little bit of white “reflection” on the lightest part. (See last week for tips on glazing, and how this idea works!)

our friend, the egg.

You can see that I got rid of a great deal of the shadow under the egg, this is just what felt “right” to me about the image. It’s up to you how much light and shadow are in your image, and what sort of environment your egg exists within.

Paint on! Paint on.

Natasha Henderson, Montreal

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How To Paint: a bit of colour

By natashahenderson
April 17, 2011 //
3

I use painted, imagined strands of lights as a sort of drawing tool in my paintings

Sunday! Sunday! If you can, and are so inclined, it is a great day to relax with a dash of painting. Last week we saw How To Paint a little light. This week we will add a bit of colour to it.

Each Sunday, artist Natasha Henderson will guide you through some simple “How To” tips for painting. Having been (honestly) inspired at a young age by the oft-spoofed televised artist Bob Ross, Natasha would like to offer some simple tips on How To Paint Stuff.

The very first thing to do is to choose your colour. In this case I selected red. If you have painted a strand of lights, you could opt to do them all in different colours using this same technique. Find the black and white painting that you made last week…

I chose red for this one...

 Next, paint the red onto the light.

just plain red

You might take note that I didn’t paint this red so thickly… it has a little water in it. This is so that the black paint from last week will show through. However, black and white will always have an effect on the colourful paint placed on top of it. I encourage you to just experiment with your paints.

Next, paint a little bit of the colour onto the cords.

the cords will be lit a bit by the red light

Now, water down the red paint in your palette a bit more. Use this watered-down paint to brush around the light-source. Leave a poetic amount of white space just around the bulb.

let this dry for a bit...

Once the paint is a bit dried, add a little blob of solid white into the middle of the light. You will see that I put two little blobs; it is more convincing as an electrical light source that way.

you could also add a little it of the white brushed around, close to the light source if you dont like the edge of your colour

Done! So next week we will try something that I mentioned in another article: we will paint an egg.

Paint on! Paint on.

Natasha Henderson, Montreal
 

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