Expressive Painting
Course Overview
Develop your individual painting style!
In this friendly and engaging acrylic painting course students will work through a number of paintings alongside technical exercises designed to demystify art-making and develop a personal painting practice.
There will be tutor demonstrations and individual feedback and support throughout each class. The lessons will work through still life, landscape and other forms of representational painting with references to art history.
Course Breakdown
Week 1: Exercise on compositional sketching using a still life set up.
Week 2: Demonstration on colour mixing and artists palettes. Complete still life painting.
Week 3: Discussion on landscape painting. Weather permitting option to paint en plein air and begin second painting.
Week 4: Discussion on surfaces (in preparation for final works). Completion of landscape painting.
Week 5: Demonstration of creating a composition from a personal reference image. Begin final painting.
Week 6: Work on personal reference painting with tutor feedback.
Week 7: Recap of individual painting practice development and the completion of personal reference painting
*This outline provides an overview of what may be covered during the course; however, changes may occur based on various factors and the needs of the class.
Term Dates
Term 3: Monday 11 August to Monday 22 September
Term 4: Monday 13 October to Monday 8 December
Outcomes
- To develop a new way of seeing to describe the visual world
- To develop an understanding of colour and composition in relation to painting
- To become comfortable and familiar with the materials involved in acrylic painting
- To develop their own personal painting practice
What to bring
- Paper: A3 or similar size pad suitable for acrylic painting (250-350gsm). Look for pads labeled ‘Acrylic paper’ as they are designed for painting.
- Canvas or Panel (optional): Small to mid-size, recommended for your final work in Week 5.
- Acrylic Paints: Warm and cool versions of each primary color, plus burnt umber and white. Suggested colors include: Cadmium Yellow - Lemon Yellow / Yellow Light Hansa - Cadmium Red - Alizarin Crimson - Ultramarine Blue - Phthalo Blue - Burnt Umber - Titanium White
- Acrylic Medium: Also known as Flow Medium or Gloss/Matte Medium. Preferred brands: Liquitex, Matisse, Golden, Amsterdam, Jo Sonja - Avoid brands: Reeves (good paper but paint is difficult to mix), Atelier, Global.
- Brushes: At least 4 brushes of varying sizes and shapes. It’s best to have a mix of: Bristle brushes (rough texture), Synthetic brushes (soft texture) & Shapes: Flat, Round, and Filbert
Receive 10% Discount
If you join any of our creative courses, you will receive a 10% discount off full-priced items at Eckersley’s Art & Craft. Discount applies on presentation of course receipt. Stores included are Eckersley’s Chatswood & St. Leonards.
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About the tutor
Imogen Rowe
Imogen Eve Rowe is an observational artist interested in local gardens. Her gentle teaching style focuses on composition and colour theory through discussing historic and contemporary examples. Her aim is to help students feel comfortable and creative and find their own artistic voice.
Imogen is a recent graduate of the National Art School Sydney, majoring in painting. She also holds a Bachelor of Design (Communication Design) from Swinburne University of Technology (2007).
She is a current finalist in the Dobell Drawing Prize and the BAMM Biennale Portraiture Prize. Her large-scale watercolour portrait of her grandfather, Pop, was featured in the 2024 Salon des Refusés. Imogen has been a finalist in several other art awards, including the Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, FLOW: The Biennial National Contemporary Watercolour Prize and the Greenway Art Prize.
In 2019, Imogen held her first solo exhibition, Familiar Flora, at the Chrissie Cotter Gallery in Camperdown. In 2023, she held a mini solo exhibition titled Daily Quiet at Weswal Gallery in Tamworth. Imogen’s work is included in the collection of Campbelltown Hospital, the National Art School Library and is also held in private collections across Australia.
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