11
Apr
faux painting classes
written by: admin
Maureen's faux finish class

Maureen's faux finish class

The new faux finish classes I will be personally teaching will revolve around the basics of glazing with water-based media.

I have been working almost exclusively with water-based materials here in California since 1999, and have developed a variety of ways to render any surface without oil or alkyd based products, even though I retain a certain fondness for shellacs, laquer and wax finishes.

Fortunately, California’s environmental regulations have inspired lots of new “green” products in painting and faux finishing, and one of my main missions is to make sure everyone is aware of these great products and great companies who pioneered them.

The other main benefit I offer my students is that I don’t just teach you the steps to produce this finish or that finish. Rather, I train you to see into the surfaces you are trying to match or emulate, so you become able to design your own finishes.

There are a variety of interconnected reasons for this, but the best evidence is from my first generation of students.

Maureen's faux finish class

Maureen's faux finish class

“… a wealth of experience and knowledge with great interactive style and flexibility.

It was everything I was looking for to further build on my art background.

This is every student’s dream. Your pace, your ideas, your work, in a low pressure, comfortable environment.”

-Maureen, San Diego

Joan's trompe l'oeil mural project

Joan's trompe l'oeil mural project

The new trompe l’oeil classes will be centered on accurate drawing and layout, as well as the development of a strategy to paint a complete and well rounded mural.

Utilizing a variety of glazing techniques, large compositions can be united thematically through color, application method, etc. Special attention will be focused on the values of light and the rendering of shade, shadow and reflected light when it comes to three dimensional modeling in two dimensional media.

As in my faux finish classes, all trompe l’oeil painting techniques are developed using water-based media. I have been working almost exclusively with water-based materials here in California since 1999, and have developed a variety of ways to render any surface without oil or alkyd based products, even though I retain a certain fondness for shellacs, laquer and wax finishes.

Fortunately, California’s environmental regulations have inspired lots of new “green” products in painting and faux finishing, and one of my main missions is to make sure everyone is aware of these great products and great companies who pioneered them.

The other main benefit I offer my students is that I don’t just teach you the steps to produce a particular composition. Rather, I train you to both dissect the two dimensional space you have to work with and to develop the three dimensional space you want to create independently of job site restrictions. By understanding how the desired objects exist in space before becoming concerned with the actual drawing and painting process, you become able to answer your own questions as you go along, and make your own creative decisions with authority as your projects develop.

I believe this is the best approach to creating empowered artists, but again, the best evidence is from my first generation of students.

Joan's trompe l'oeil mural project

Joan's trompe l'oeil mural project

“I just wanted to thank you for the class I took in May. It was a lot of information for two days, but when I thought about all of it later and made notes of the main points that we talked about I found it much easier to comprehend perspective.

I have been reading books on perspective and they make more sense to me now because I am able to apply what you taught me.

Thanks again for your time and patience with me.”

-Joan, Pennsylvania