Workshop: Acrylics with Rhonda Nass

• Source Material: The technique involves diluting the paint with water and applying layers of paint in a specific way to create accurate color and details, so it is a fairly challenging technique. If you are new to it, please choose your live, dried, or photographic reference (which you have personally photographed only) keeping in mind it should not be complex (not excessive surface detail or texture). Veterans can add more complexity. If you use photography, please shoot CLOSE-UPS, not distanced perspectives (i.e. a leaf over a landscape). This process takes time, so if you want live subject matter, please plan to choose something that won’t change dramatically in a month, or consider also taking photographic support to which you can refer once the plant has changed.
• Ground: I’ll be supplying a surface “board” or “canvas” upon which we’ll paint. It will have a bit of surface texture—what would be considered a vellum tooth finish in paper. * See below.
• Paint: Please purchase small tubes (2 fl oz) each of Liquitex Soft Body Acrylic (please avoid student grade, labeled Basics):
  • Burnt Umber
  • Cadmium yellow medium
  • Cadmium red medium
  • Hookers green (permanent)
  • Phthalocyanine blue (any shade, green preferred)
  • Phthalocyanine green (blue shade)
  • Mars black
  • Titanium white

Soft body means it both is more liquid-y and has a higher pigment to binding ratio, so when diluted, as we will do with this technique, the color and integrity of the paint will not be compromised. If you have older Liquitex in tubes with high viscosity or low viscosity labeling, these are just fine to use.

• Brushes:
  • 1. One “mixing” brush—can be poorer in quality but should not lose hairs.
    2. One quarter inch wide short-haired brush with squared-off cut (called a bright or flat). This brush can be any brand but a sable or sable-synthetic is best.
  • 3. One each Winsor Newton Series 7/Kolinsky Sable (or comparable hybrid) brushes in sizes 0 and 1.

These are labeled round. You may bring brushes you already have IF they are comparable in size and quality. Quality brushes are expensive, but absolutely necessary to effective painting in this technique. The frustration you’ll avoid by using sable is WORTH IT!!!

• Others:
  • One pencil for sketching: HB or #2-like
  • One kneaded eraser (I will have some available for purchase in class.)
  • A palette with lip to hold mixed acrylic paints (can be plastic, porcelain or glass with or without sections (sectioned is preferable). A casserole cover is fine. No paper palettes.
  • 8-10 tiny jars with lids (i.e. tiniest baby food, jelly, pimento jars) to hold small quantities of paint.
  • Water bowl for washing out acrylic brushes (pint ice cream or similarly-sized container).
  • A cotton cloth rag (dishcloth or sock sized) used to wipe freshly cleaned acrylic brush.
  • A bar of glycerin soap (can usually find Neutrogena or other brands at grocery or drug store).
  • An eyedropper.
  • A good table lamp (standing preferred, but clamp-on is ok).
  • Optional magnifying glass or reading glasses for close, detailed work. if you normally use it. Patience, patience, patience!

The remaining items I will supply and they will be covered by the $8 supplies fee. These include the *boards (mentioned under Ground:) which I’ll prepare with gesso and dark paint prior to class, practice exercises, colored copies, paints in colors beyond your palette above, communal tape and transfer paper, vellum paper, odds and ends. If you have questions, please email rhondanass@gmail.com.