Wednesdays, February 21 – March 20, 2024
5-week Art Clinic with J. Jordan Bruns–
Our Acrylic Art Clinic is all about breaking free from your preconceived notions of this amazing and versatile painting medium. We encourage you to take an orbital sander to your surface and see what chance has in store for you! Whether you’re interested in creating abstract or representational imagery, this clinic will guide you through a process that blends happy accidents with intentional techniques. It’s the perfect next step for those who have completed “Just Add Water: All the Acrylics” or for artists with prior experience using acrylics.
Schedule of Classes:
Class 1) February 21 – Overview of acrylic paint as a versatile medium
Types of acrylic paint: heavy body, soft body, fluid acrylics, and high flow acrylics. We’ll discuss pigment load, viscosity, and color options as well as text the difference between them in class exercise. Begin collecting collage paper that will be used to build up a surface to later sand down.
Class 2) January 27 – Demo – “Painting Abstractly from Life”
Jordan will begin by showing students a technique for creating a surface from collage paper and layered acrylics. The surface will be sanded down using an orbital sander (provided in the classroom) so that some of the original paper is visible while some is removed. The surface will be used to paint a still life. Students should bring paper that they would like to be part of their painting that they will begin the following week.
Class 3) March 6- Still life or non-objective abstract painting
Students can either work from the provided still life or begin an abstract painting using the techniques from the previous class.
Class 4) March 13 – Demonstration “Painting Mediums”
Before jumping back into the work started the week before, we will go over some of the mediums that can be used with this technique.
Class 5) March 20 – Finish still life or non-objective painting
POSSIBLE Supply List
Mediums
There is a TON of additives that we can add to acrylic color. Some add gloss, some thin the paint, some thicken the paint, some make it stringy, some make it matte, some add sandy texture, really the sky is the limit. We’ll go over a handful of these in class and experiment with what they can do, but if you are starting from scratch, maybe skip out on mediums or do the “Materials Pass.”
Brushes- (suggested)- *Natural Hair Brushes or Synthetic Brushes
I like “Robert Simmons Signet Natural Bristle” brushes and “Winsor Newton Monarch Synthetic” or Jack Richardson “Grey Matters” brushes, you can use any brand you like as long as they are “oil or acrylic” brushes and have a long handle
Heavy Body, Fluid Brushes (select some, not all)
Rounds- Size 4, size 6
Filberts- Size 8, size 10
Flat- Size 12
Watercolor or High Flow Brushes (select some, not all)
Brush, large rounds (#8 and #16)
Watercolor Brush, large flat or chisel (#14 or #16)
Surfaces
two – three canvas, panel or paper (depending on your type of acrylic) size is up to you, but I’d suggest bigger than you think
Acrylic Paint Note:
Any acrylic paint will work for this Art Clinic. Any of these varieties will work just fine: “Heavy Body”, “Soft Body”, “Liquid”, “Open”, “High Flow” or “Fluid”. I think GOLDEN “High Flow” and “Fluid” work awesome in mixed media, so I have those colors listed below. If you have a color palette that is comfortable to your painting approach, please bring what works. If you would like additional suggestions on a palette that are for Heavy Body Acrylics, let me know and I can send you that list as well but it’s basically the same.
Suggested Paint High Flow or Fluid Colors 4 0z tubes
Benzimidazolone Yellow Light Naples Yellow
Pyrrole Orange
Naphthol Red Light OR Quinacridone Red
Permanent Alizarin Crimson (Hue) OR Quinacridone Magenta
French Ultramarine OR Pthalo Blue
Phthalo Green BS
Sap Green Hue OR Green Gold
Yellow Ochre OR Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide
Burnt Siena OR Transparent Red Iron Oxide
Burnt Umber
Titanium White (8oz or 160z)
Carbon Black
Not Important but FUN Paint Colors:
Teal
Neutral Gray N5
Permanent Violet Dark
Quinacridone / Nickel Azo Gold
Materials Pass
is encouraged for “Just Add Water” but is an optional fee that rents out all the materials you would need for your Art Clinic class and provides the specific paper needed. For this session of “Just add Water” the materials pass is $40. Please note that with Material Pass, you keep your artwork but are leasing the drawing/painting tools (like brushes and palette). If you select to pay the Materials Pass, please email Jordan Bruns, to let him know. You can always email with any questions.