Summer 2024

I teach at The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Art in Minneapolis, MN. Anyone is welcome to register for classes in the part-time program and workshops. This Summer term I will be teaching three classes AND two workshops! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

If a class day is cancelled due to instructor business travel or national holidays, we will have make-up sessions.

Composition

Hybrid Class (Students may attend in-person or via Zoom.)

Do your pictures fall flat or look jumbled? Do you find it tricky to figure out what to put where? Sounds like you need pictorial composition tools! In this class we’ll explore a variety of tools: the elements and principles of picture composition, visual hierarchy, intent, Notan and value design, and color. You’ll learn by doing and experimenting with sketches. We’ll also analyze pictures to see what tools the artists used and we’ll break compositions to see what happens when pictorial elements are altered. And what’s the big deal with tangents, anyway? Are they “bad”? There will be recommended homework.

What we’ll be doing: In the composition class there will be a lot of sketching. Sometimes we’ll use simplified shapes, sometimes we’ll be sketching simplified studies of masterworks (i.e., not drawing every detail in 100% accuracy but getting it good enough for exploring the composition). There will be a little bit of painting, again using a masterwork as a guide. They will be very small studies. This could be whatever media a person is comfortable/familiar with (watercolor, gouache, acrylic, oil, or digital). I’m planning that any sketching we do will be around the 5″ x 7″ range or smaller (possibly all the way down to around 1″-2″).

Skill level for the class:

I would not recommend the class for someone who is an absolute beginner. One will need to know how to do some sketching and observing and know some basic terminology (line, shape, form, value).
Someone who is an advanced beginner will most likely find it challenging in a “stretch and grow” kind of way. I would consider an advanced beginner someone who has done drawing from life, or photos, and maybe some sketching.
Someone who is at an intermediate level in their artistic journey, and hasn’t done much in the way of studying composition, will likely also find some areas of growth. They’d have more experience sketching, possibly from imagination, and drawing from life/observation.

Supply list coming soon

Starts Thursday, May 23, 2024
4:00 – 6:30 PM, in-person at The Atelier
Summer session: 10 weeks, $255
Register now at https://theatelier.org/study/classes

Gestural Figure Study

Breathe life into your figure drawings by building a deeper understanding of gesture. This class blends The Atelier and Studio Arts figure study methods. I coach students through a variety of exercises to explore different ways to see, understand, and capture gesture. By understanding gesture we can incorporate a sense of life into our drawings, tell a story through body language, or exaggerate it for effect. We will be studying gesture from the nude figure. Throughout the course, there will be a variety of models and duration of poses. Experimentation of materials will be discussed and encouraged.

Supply List

Starts Tuesday, May 21, 2024
4:15 – 6:45 PM, in-person at The Atelier
Summer session: 10 weeks, $285

Imaginative Art & Illustration

Hybrid in-person/online (students may attend class by Zoom OR in-person at The Atelier)
Explore your imagination! In this class you will be coached through the imaginative art-making process used by many artists for personal work and commissions: idea generation, preparatory work (sketches and value design, reference, and color studies), and on to a final picture. Emphasis will be placed on intent and visual narrative. My teaching is tailored to the needs of each student, be it exploring personal themes or creating work for an illustration portfolio. Assignments can be provided or self-generated. You may choose to work in the medium with which you are comfortable (digital or traditional media). The first 4 classes will include lectures on the imaginative art process, composition, and color. During each class, critiques and discussion will be done in a supportive group atmosphere. It is preferred that students submit work for critique through Google Classroom. To use Google Classroom, students will need a Gmail account. This system is for class review of projects only.

Starts Thursday, May 23, 2024
7:00 – 9:30 PM (Central Time)
Summer session: 10 weeks, $255
Limit 8 students.
Register now at https://theatelier.org/study/classes/illustration/

Workshops!

Digital Tools for Art Making.

Weekend crash course, Friday 1pm-4pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-4pm
Friday–Sunday, June 28–30, 2024, In-person at The Atelier.

If you’d like to learn more about the convenience and possibilities of digital tools like Photoshop, then this workshop is for you. I will teach you some of the essential digital skills I use for my digital and traditional art making. Learn about different color modes for making art for print or on screen, “frankensteining” your reference, using a pencil drawing as a base for a digital painting, altering your sketch digitally to explore composition and value design, and drawing and painting digitally. We will not be using any AI/ML image generation tools. You will also be given suggestions to continue to practice on your own. About a week before the workshop, registrants will receive access to the workshop files.

The majority of our projects will be done using Photoshop. To avoid getting locked into a year-long Photoshop subscription, I recommend using the 7-day free trial of Photoshop for this workshop. We’ll also look at alternatives to Photoshop that cost less.

Some technical assistance will be available. The workshop does not include any software or hardware.

Requirements
You must:

be familiar with navigating and using your device
have your own laptop that can handle Photoshop (a touchscreen laptop or external pressure-sensitive tablet with pen like a Wacom Intuos is strongly recommended)
download the supplied files in Photoshop before the workshop
be able to connect to the internet using The Atelier’s Wi-Fi

Strongly recommended: If using Photoshop on a laptop, a Wacom drawing tablet or similar is strongly recommended. I use a Wacom Intuos (small size, price starts around $70.00). Some local resources include: Best Buy, Micro Center, Device Pitstop.

I have been using Photoshop since the mid 90s, first as a student at the U of MN, then through my graphic design career, and painting digitally for over a decade. I continues to use it as a professional artist and illustrator as part of my traditional painting process and for digital paintings.

Length: 3 days, Friday–Sunday, June 28–30, 2024.
Friday 1pm-4pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-4pm
Tuition: $300
Limit: 10 students

Week-Long Workshop: Imaginative Art & llustration

Let your imagination fly! Get a taste of illustration during this week long workshop. We’ll work to develop a strong drawing for an imaginative piece based upon an existing story or your own idea. Topics covered will include composition, brainstorming, thumbnails, research, sketch development, and studies for value and color. Emphasis will be placed on composition, and storytelling. For the first class please bring a sketchbook, and your preferred drawing tools. If you have a laptop or other device with internet access, bring that too for reference research. If you have a specific project in mind, please contact me.

Length: 5 days
Tuition: $250

How to Register, and Additional Information

I teach classes through The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Arts in Minneapolis, MN. They handle all the registrations and any payments should be made out to them.

To register for any classes, you can do so online through TheAtelier.org (note, The Atelier charges a little more to register online), or by mailing in a check to The Atelier with the registration slip from their mailer (you can get the Course Catalog PDF at TheAtelier.org). Registration can also be done in person but you’ll want to check first that someone will be there to assist you with your payment method.

Information from The Atelier: “For your convenience, you may register for classes online with a credit or debit card. Please note that when registering online, the course prices include an additional percentage to offset fees for accepting credit card payments.” “We still accept mail-in registration with check. Just be sure to let us know in advance which class you would like to sign up for so we can reserve your spot.” The Atelier’s contact information is: 612-362-8421 mail@theatelier.org TheAtelier.org

Regarding masking (for my classes)

IF COVID-19 Community Level is high, masks will be required for students attending my in-person classes. When Community Level is low or medium, people may choose to wear a mask at any time.