Many Artists have not been as fortunate as some of us to get that good training we got in Art School. As we all know, drawing is the most important thing we can do to sharpen our judgement and get more quality paintings. We will take those skills and use them to apply to learning the principles of Design: overlaps, tangents, quiet and busy areas, unequal spacings, variety of shapes and sizes, rhythm and movement. We will use those principles of design and apply them to our own individual style. We essentially are getting our ideas and concepts down on paper or board so that we can see what may be working and what is not.

For at least one day we will do smaller value studies, around 6x8" or 8x10". You can do the value studies in Bistre Conte or a 2B compressed charcoal and do the studies on smooth newsprint or a smooth bond paper. Or do the value studies in oils or acrylics by premixing about 5 values... and paint on small panels of canvas or linen. We will talk about how important it is to have great reference photos and how to take them. We will use those principles of design and apply them to our own individual style. We essentially are getting our ideas and concepts down on paper or board so that we can see what may be working and what is not. A lot of trial and error. I will be doing at least two or three demos every morning and we will discuss the process so that it makes sense and we can build our confidence and competence in knowing and mastering the principles of design.. The second day some may be able to do a color study or two and others may still need to work on their value studies. We will work from photos as it is convenient to have them in online workshops, and people can do figures, landscapes or whatever subject you prefer. We will talk about putting multiple images together, what to use and what not to use. You may have your own photos, but I do want to make sure they are halfway decent to work from. I have thousands of great photos from all over the world and students are welcome to use some of them. It is amazing how peoples work improves after working and doing value studies - what everyone needs - but too many avoid. It sure helps to cut down the clunkers and the quality of our work improves greatly!

My Website: www.nedmueller.com


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Gage Academy of Art acknowledges the Coast Salish Peoples as the original inhabitants of this area and connecting waterways. We understand the land that Gage occupies is unceded territory and that today many Indigenous peoples live here and without their stewardship, we would not have access to this space. We honor the Coast Salish Peoples’ sovereignty, rights to self-determination, culture and ways of life. Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have called this territory their sacred land. We commit to learning, educating others and repairing the legacy of historically harmful relationships between non-Native and Native peoples in King County. In doing so, we will be honest, and recognize the experiences of Native peoples to include genocide, forced relocation, forced assimilation, and land theft. We also acknowledge Native peoples are survivors, present in today’s world, thriving. We encourage everyone here today to ask themselves: what can I do to support Indigenous communities?

In an effort to be transparent, Gage is contemplating this call to action and re-working how to best support Indigenous communities.

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