Studio Practice: Approach Oils with Confidence

Studio Practice: Approach Oils with Confidence

Class | Available

All Levels
7/9/2026-7/30/2026
6:00 PM-9:00 PM MST (Arizona) on Th
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$220.00

Studio Practice: Approach Oils with Confidence

Class | Available

This class is designed for those who may be comfortable in their foundation training in oil painting but feel they need help to pinpoint opportunities for growth. In the first week the instructor will demonstrate the steps commonly used to capture the essence of a subject and record its color, value, edges, and proportions. The instructor will also cover strategies for composition, time management, and choosing techniques and methods appropriate to a given subject. In subsequent weeks students will work on a multi-session painting (either from a still life or their own photograph of any chosen subject) with extended critiques and guidance from the instructor as their project develops.

Mike Garcia
MikeGarciaFineArt.com
IG: @MikeGarciaFineArt

   

  • Studio Practice Supply List

    Photo or still life object: You will be working on your own project for the duration of the month. If you’re uncertain if your photo (which can be either a printout or from an iPad) or still life idea will work, you may email your idea to me at mikegarciafineart@gmail.com before the first day, or bring it to class the first day and ask me then. Students are welcome to use one of the still life objects or casts available from the school if they have not decided on a subject by the first day of class.


    Canvas/linen panel or Ampersand Gessobord–for a month-long project I recommend any size between 12x16” and 16x20”    . I recommend New York Central Art Supply Portrait-Smooth Panels or Centurion Acrylic Primed Canvases, available from Jerry’s Artarama and online at Amazon. Optional: smaller panels for studies/exploratory sketches.


    Brushes    : I recommend trying a range of sizes, both natural hog bristle and soft synthetic. The shapes I’d recommend starting out with are filberts, rounds, and flats. (Whatever shape you purchase, be sure to use the long-handle variety, not short-handle.) Robert Simmons Signet, Utrecht, and Princeton are decent, affordable brands. The brushes I use are: Rounds: Utrecht Manglon Mixed Synthetic Series 239 (black handle with the green stripe) sizes 4 and 12, available at Blick Art Store

      Filberts: Utrecht Bristle Series 209, sizes 4, 8, and 12, also available at Blick

     

    Gray Glass Palette: New Wave brand palettes are excellent, but there is an inexpensive substitute: take an old picture frame, about 12x16 inches, and place a piece of gray paper behind the glass to create a gray-toned glass palette for a fraction of the cost of a store-bought palette.

    Paint: I use Utrecht Artist’s Oil Colors, Williamsburg, and Winsor & Newton Artists’ Oil Colors. Students with previous painting experience may use their own palette, but if they want the same palette I use, those colors are: ? Permalbla White or Titanium White (150ml tube)

     Cadmium Lemon (37ml)

     Yellow Ochre (37ml)

     Raw Umber (37ml)

     Cadmium Red or Cadmium Red Light (37ml)

     Alizarin Crimson Permanent (37ml)

     Ultramarine Blue (37ml)

     Ivory Black (37ml)

     

    Metal palette knife (trowel or spade shaped, approximately 2” to 3”)

    Paper towels

    Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits (get a bottle about 16 oz.). Weber Turpenoid is a fine substitute. Do not get Turpentine or other types of paint thinner.

    Silicoil or metal brush cleaning tank with a lid

    Medium: I use Gamblin’s Solvent-Free Gel Medium or Rublev’s Oleogel, available from NaturalPigments.com. Students may also make their own medium by mixing equals parts linseed oil and Gamsol.

    Stainless Steel Palette Cup for your medium (only if your medium is liquid rather than gel)

Mike Garcia