A Foundation For Oil Painting (Online Course) Spring 2026 w/ Karen Werner

April 9 to April 30 (Thursdays), 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM, Eastern Time

**All sessions are live and will be recorded, students do not have to be present. All recordings will be available to students for 3 months after the final session, after 3 months the recording will be deleted.

Please check your email spam/junk folder for your Zoom invite. Our business hours are 10:00 AM through 5:00 PM. All course information and email correspondence will be sent during business hours. If students purchase a course, workshop, demo or recording outside business hours or during the weekend the course information or recording will be sent the following business day.

Course Description

This course covers foundational principles of successful oil painting by way of lecture, visual aids, multiple live demonstrations, Q&A, and constructive written critique of assignments. Painting still life from life, Karen will teach you the FOUR BASIC CONCEPTS of representational painting that apply to any subject matter, not just still life.

SHAPE - Composition, drawing.

VALUE - Light, shadow.

COLOR - Temperature, intensity.

EDGES - Conveying form and paint application.

This course is geared towards beginners and intermediate oil painters. If you’re just starting out, or if you’ve been painting for a long time with little or no formal instruction, this course is for you!

We will paint small studies and exercises to learn key concepts. Later we will focus on pulling it all together into completed small paintings.

Course Outline

Week 1 -

Introduction, equipment, using solvent vs. solvent-free painting, brush types use and care, lighting still life, design principles for good composition, seeing and simplifying values, shadow types and their properties, and helpful drawing tips. Includes live demonstrations, three small homework assignments, Q&A. and written constructive critique.

Week 2 -

Color Theory. Setting up a limited color palette, the color wheel in depth, using complimentary colors, color temperature, color intensity. You will learn how to adjust color temperature and intensity to achieve beautiful light and shadow in your paintings. You will learn my formula for finding correct color in shadow. Demonstrations, Q&A, three small assignments, written constructive critique.

Week 3 -

Tips on color mixing, achieving color harmony, how to keep color clean, mixing good greens and grays, all about white. Color Q&A. Demonstration: a complete small painting using a logical process. Three small assignments, written constructive critique.

Week 4 -

Paint application and edges, developing brushwork, how to paint ‘loose.”

Demonstration: “loosen up” exercises. Demonstration: a complete painting using my logical process. Strategies for solving problems, Q&A, three small assignments, written constructive critique.

Course Materials List

Easel and palette a 12x16 inch palette or larger recommended

Solvent such as Turpenoid, Gamsol OR

Walnut or Linseed Oil for solvent-free painting

Brush Washer to contain your solvent or oil

Paper towels or rags.

Palette knife with long blade for mixing

Brushes:

# 1 hog bristle to draw with.

# 4, 6 and 8 Stiff Synthetic Bristle Brush FLAT such as Rosemary & Co. Ivory, LONG FLATS or Silver Brush Co. “Bristlon” FLATS.

# 8 hog bristle flat

View Catcher- or other viewfinder

Canvas: Loose sheets of real canvas, not “canvas paper” at least 9x12 inches. Such as Frederix canvas tablet. OR a canvas panel 9x12 or 11x14 for small studies.

A board to tape sheets and small canvases onto, a bit larger than 9x12.

Painter’s tape or masking tape.

Painting Panels: 3-4 small canvas panels for finished paintings. 6x6 inches, 6x8 or 8x8 inches.

Paint: Artist Grade, not student grade oil paint.

Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow Lemon (lemon-like), Cadmium Yellow Light, (egg yolk-like), Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Prussian Blue, Transparent Red Oxide, Burnt Umber. Optional: Payne’s Gray, Quinacridone Red, Sap Green, Cobalt Blue, Thalo Blue Lighting: A gooseneck desk lamp or adjustable pole lamp with a spotlight bulb. You need a strong warm direct light coming from the side of your still life. A bright sunny north-facing window to the side might work.

Still Life Stuff: a few cloth pieces or scrapbook paper in various muted colors, vegetables and fruit with simple shapes such as: apples, pears, lemons, peppers, grapes, tomatoes, etc.

Simple objects from everyday life. Avoid glass, metal, flowers and white things. Just a few things will suffice.

A notebook to take notes. Highly recommended.