Basics are used to introduce new skills, mediums, techniques, and concepts.  Basics will be done before each project that introduces a new concept.  

Quarter 1

Watercolor Basics 

Elements: Color, Texture, Value

1. 5 step value scales: 
5 x 14 1 inch boxes
BB (brown and blue), Black, YG, G, BG, B, BV, V, RV, R, RO, O, YO, Y

2. Compliments:
3 x 7 1 inch boxes
Warms (yellow, orange and red) across from cools (purple, blue, green)

​3.  12 3x5 boxes: Label boxes with technique. 
Wet on Dry Techniques: ....................................................................................................................... Recap Video - combining techniques.  Start at 4:15

​4.  Sketch and paint a tree using 3 techniques from above.  

Quarter 2

Acrylic Follow Along:  Teaches tools, techniques, medium and basic landscape painting.
Paint a landscape, step by step, with the teacher in class.... difficult to make up if missed.

Quarter 3

​Oil Pastel Basics

On Canvas.  Make sure you have a full range of value with the oil pastels that you pick.  White or cream can be a light value.  Black or very dark for your dark.  

9 step value scale
smooth sphere
stipple sphere/ Mark making

Colored Pencil Basics

Boxes 1-3:  Mix 2 different colors of the same value.  Each coming from a different corner and fading gradually into the other color.  

Box 4:  Same as above but using complementary colors. 

Box 5-6:  Mix 4 different colors.  Each coming from a different corner and fading out as it crosses the box.  

Box 7-8:  Lay down a value scale first.  Cover one third of the box with burnished light and colorless pencils.  - Use 4 light colors including white and colorless and burnish 2/3's of each box, leaving the center unburnished. 

Box 9: Burnish a value scale.

Box 10+:  Burnish a light color first.  Burnish a dark color on top.  Scratch into the darker top layer exposing the lighter under layer.  

Circles:  Choose 5 different colors representing a full range of value.  Lightly and carefully layer all 5 colors in each circle building up a range of value in each.  Emphasizing a different color (still using all 5 colors) in each circle. 

Circle A: Burnish over (pick your least favorite)
Circle B: Burnish with a colorless 
Circle C: Pick your favorite circle to leave alone.  

Quarter 4

​Color Matching Basics 

Color matching exercise.
Students use the primary colors and white to mix the exact brown of cardboard.
Less is more :-)  
10 step value scales.  
Less is more :-)  
Use black to darken blue.  
Blue starts on the third step
Use Brown to darken red and yellow.  
Red starts on the 4th step.  
​Yellow starts on the 5th step.