Alla Prima (Online Course) Summer 2026 w/ Georganna Lenssen

June 16 to July 7 (Tuesdays), 10:00 AM to 12:30 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.

DEMO: https://youtu.be/KxW-gk5eDVU

Course Description

This course invites painters to work directly from life rather than from assumptions or formulas. Using simple, tangible subjects—such as fruit or flowers—students learn to slow down, truly look, and respond to what is actually in front of them.

Working within the alla prima (Italian for “first-attempt”) tradition, we will complete one painting per session. Students will be guided to organize their paintings decisively from the start. Rather than correcting through excessive removal or revision, the emphasis is on committing to informed decisions and allowing the painting to build through the accumulation of clear, purposeful strokes.

The course emphasizes seeing the whole before the parts—establishing large relationships, proportion, and spatial order before attending to refinement. Color, pigment characteristics, and color mixing are addressed throughout as essential tools for clarity and expression.

This class is ideal for painters who want their work to feel more confident, cohesive, and alive—and who are ready to trust their eyes, enjoy the process, and paint with greater clarity.

Course Outline

Class 1 — Seeing & the First Statement

Intro lecture to Alla Prima Tradition, slides

Demo

Establishing the whole: proportion, placement, and major relationships

Organizing the painting clearly from the start

Emphasis on observation over assumption

Color and palette discussion, also brushes, tools, etc…

Group Q and A

Class 2 -

Critique of homework

Demo

Slides analyzing brushwork

Working with a focused, limited palette

Color harmony

Mixing with intention rather than chasing exact matches

Transitioning from earth-based beginnings to more prismatic color

Photographing every 15 minutes while you paint

Group Q and A

Class 3 -

Critique of homework

Demo, importance of edges

Slide presentation and analysis of paintings (brushwork, composition, intent)

Group Q and A

Class 4 -

Homework critique

Demo

Group Q and A, discussion, wrap up

Course Materials

Palette, preferably 18x24 (the larger the better-disposable is good)

Palette knife- I recommend one elongated with rounded rather than angular corners

Gamsol or Turpenoid (in blue and white can). (Turpenoid Natural is a brush conditioner, not a solvent.

Paper towels- Viva or Bounty

Linseed oil (AND stand oil if you want to try it – it creates lush, rich brushmarks). I am not promoting liquin or other alkyds for this class as they tend to level out or smooth brushwork.

A selection of brushes-soft to lay down paint, firm or bristle to scrub paint.

(Suggestions- silver brand ruby satin filberts and flats(#3,6,8), silver white flats (#6)

Dick blick megabrush flat white synthetic 

White painting ground-

Suggestions:

Arches oil paper

Raymar panel

Canvas if you are more comfortable, but please not the ultra cheap ones. They are often made with gesso that contains plastic and as a result have a very slippery surface which can be difficult to deal with. Painting is hard enough without additional challenges.  You want a surface that has a bit of absorbency/drag.

Surfaces should be white and on the smaller side 10x8, 8x8, 8x6 are nice sizes. 12x9 if you feel comfortable with that much space. I would recommend starting smaller, building confidence, then working your way larger.

Paints

I don’t want you to have to go out and buy a new “wardrobe” of paint colors. I will divide this into an A group we consider necessary and a B group if you want to add in some new colors so that you widen your color options.

A Group

Titanium white

Transparent Yellow Oxide

Cadmium Yellow LIGHT 

Ultramarine Blue

Alizarin Crimson 

Permanent Rose

Cerulean Blue 

Cadmium Red LIGHT 

Naples Yellow LIGHT 

B Group

Yellow Ochre

Viridian

Cadmium Yellow 

Transparent Orange Oxide 

Lemon Yellow 

Blue Black 

Indian Yellow 

Transparent Orange Mixture (Gamblin)

Zinc white