Oil Painting

Oil Painting

Class | Available (Membership Required)

87 Mountain Road West Hartford, CT 06107 United States
Upstairs
All levels
1/9/2025-3/13/2025
9:00 AM-12:00 PM EST on Th
$265.00
$245.00

Oil Painting

Class | Available (Membership Required)

We can all be better painters, we can all learn how to draw better. You don’t have to take the

class to learn the secret – I’ll tell you right now – learn to look closer. Learn to really see what is

in front of you. Easy? Not so much. Take my class, and we’ll learn how to see better together.

We’ll also work on composition, and color. Working from your own photos, or choose from the

hundreds of images I have. We’ll throw in a still life now and then, and an exercise I particularly

enjoy, painting the Schoolhouse interior. Artists painting their own studios is a time honored

tradition – I have some beautiful examples I can share. Hint: look up Carlos San Milan. For that

matter, look at paintings every day. They are the best teachers.

  • Bill Simpson 860.653.3079 williamsimpsonartist@gmail.com
    Please call or write if you have questions.
  • Recommended Painting Supplies

    (These are color recommendations only – Oil, Acrylic, or Water Based Oil – I don’t care - although with a fast drying acrylic you’re missing a lot (most) of the fun.)

    I use Utrecht, Gamblin, and Windsor Newton paints. If you sell your paintings you should use the good stuff, otherwise, the Winton paints by W/N will be fine.

    Large Tube titanium white (I happen to like the Gamblin Zinc Titanium mix.)

    Small Tubes cadmium yellow cadmium orange lemon yellow terra rosa or burnt sienna viridian ultramarine blue cobalt (expensive), or cerulean or manganese blue burnt umber yellow ochre windsor violet (dioxazine) or similar Colors you don’t need (We can blend richer and far more interesting colors.) raw umber paynes grey

    Gamsol odorless mineral spirits (brush cleaner/solvent) and a brush cleaner container, or buy a jar of something that has a good screw on lid.

     

    Brushes and Canvases:

    Brushes are a matter of personal preference – you have to try the different shapes. Bristle for oil, synthetic for acrylic. I happen to like the Brights (square tip). I used to use only the Filberts (rounded edges), but I’ve never had any use for the Rounds. That’s just me. 4,6,8,10,12 Even on a smaller canvas you need large brushes to block in the basics. With a little practice a large brush can paint like a smaller one. Not so much, the other way around.

    A palette knife for mixing is very handy.

    Have a couple of canvases available for each class. Some ideas call for a big canvas, some not. It’s nice to have a choice. 9x12, 11x14, 18x24. If you like the long landscape size (10x20) buy one. We’ll give it a shot. (Look over the canvases at the store closely – even the good brands are often warped or bowed – and look at the corners.)

     

    Drawing Supplies

    You should always have a pad, and charcoal or a soft lead pencil and a kneaded eraser with you.

William Simpson

With a BFA and MFA in Painting, Bill has been represented by galleries in Maine, Connecticut, and Cape Cod, and has won numerous awards in juried shows across Connecticut. Bill is an Elected Artist at the West Hartford Art League and CT Academy of Fine Arts, and has placed large scale corporate commissions through Connecticut, NY, and Washington DC.