Drawing 101 and Oil Painting Atelier Program: New Course Offerings

I just updated my web site with my latest course offerings through the Great Falls School of Art. (Plus you can see what other courses and workshops are offered for kids, teens and adults.)  The Great Falls School of Art (1144 Walker Road, Suite D, Great Falls, VA 22066) is a program of the Great Falls Foundation for the Arts.

To read more about my (Jill Banks) Spring course offerings, go to my Classes page.
For all the Great Falls School of Art course offerings -- all classes & workshops, click here.
Printable Registration Form and instructions.

Read more about my classes on the web site, but here's an introduction:

Oil Painting Atelier Program - Jill Banks

This course is designed for the intermediate to advanced painter interested in exploring individual projects in a supportive, mentoring environment. I’m bringing some of the benefits/practical knowledge gained from sharing studio space for many years with other professional artists and building my own studio practice to the atelier student. Each student will move at their own pace and work on projects of their choice. If you are interested in still life painting, we’ll address choosing objects and setting up pleasing compositions. Interested in painting portraits or people? Collaborate with other artists in the class to hire models, choose poses, clothing, etc. Working from photos? We’ll discuss overcoming pitfalls, manipulating photos in Photoshop Elements, cropping, resizing, etc. Even how to take better photos to use as sources. (Read more.)

Tuesdays, April 13-June 8, 10:00am-3:00pm, 8 sessions (no class April 26)

$450 plus model and materials fees (to be paid directly to me - amount TBD)

Registration form

Drawing 101 – Jill Banks

For beginners only. Learn mark-making, drawing contours, building form, indicating light/shadow and perspective using the simplest of materials … pencils (and maybe charcoal) plus paper. The building block to learning how to draw is learning how to observe. You’re going to learn to see in a whole new way!

Bring a sense of humor and the courage to build a new skill set in a comfortable, fun environment. Questions? Email me. (Read more.)

A supply list will be posted soon.

Tuesdays, Apr. 13-Jun. 8, 4:00-6:00pm, 8 sessions (no class April 26

$200 plus materials fee (materials fee paid directly to instructor)

Registration form

Sign up early. Class sizes are limited. Join us!

By the way, there's a free Adult Figure Drawing Lesson at the school this Saturday, March 13, 2:30-4:30pm. Bring your drawing supplies.


Top: "Tranquility", 30"h x 24"w, oil on linen, copyright Jill Banks 2010
Bottom: "John", charcoal, copyright Jill Banks 2008. (Sold.)

Web: www.jillbanks.com
Blog: jillbanks.blogspot.com
Email: jillbanks1@aol.com
Phone: 703.403.7435

"Peach" Painting and New Drawing Class Offered

Today's (better hurry typing) class was great. I teach a Still Life class through the Great Falls Foundation for the Arts (www.greatfallsfoundationforarts.org) on Tuesday mornings -- and I love it. Peaches were part of the act in two of my still life setups and I didn't see students "get" the shadow/light patterns on the also-patterned peaches. So, I painted an example, albeit a little too late for class, but I hope it will help for next week. That happens to be the last day of class.

I'm still looking for two-three more students for my portrait painting workshop offered through the same organization August 14-16. Contact me for more info at jillbanks1@aol.com or 703.403.7435. This will be an extraordinary class!

Today we also came up with a brand new class offering. I will be teaching drawing on Monday nights, 7-10pm in the Fall (starting September 14), running for nine weeks. The location is 1144 Walker Road, Suite D, Great Falls, VA. The cost will be $300 plus model and material fees (to be determined). Students are enlisting our models -- friends, spouses, people they'd love to draw. Students not ready for drawing people will have still life setups to choose from. I'm excited about offering this class. I've been influenced (a lot) by one of my teachers, Rob Liberace, in exploring drawing across many media -- and it's become part of my soul as an artist. Drawing materials can be with you anywhere ... so you can create while the rest of the family sits on the beach. I'll do multiple demos, especially when we're moving to a new medium. Classes are small -- maximum 9-10 due to space constraints -- so contact me if you'd like to be one of this special group. I think classes will fill up quickly!

I also worked today on one of my two Michelles, portraits of son Sam's girlfriend. Since Sam loves Michelle, he's one heck of a critic. But then again, I do enjoy a challenge.

"Peach"; oil; size: not sure, but little; copyright Jill Banks 2009.

Web: www.jillbanks.com
Blog: jillbanks.blogspot.com
Email: jillbanks1@aol.com
Phone: 703.403.7435