Paint/Sketch
Dates to be announced
Artaluma's six-week painting and drawing class for adults, taught by Elizabeth McKoy.
Painting classes for adults in Petaluma
Learn to paint at Artaluma, a nonprofit art studio in downtown Petaluma. Classes cover watercolor, pastels and acrylics, with demonstrations and individual feedback from Elizabeth McKoy.
How painting is taught here
In Paint/Sketch, you start by learning to sketch what you see, then expand into color. You explore expressive approaches with pastels, watercolor or acrylics and learn how to harmonize value, hue and brushwork so your paintings come alive.
In The Art of Color, paint sits alongside colored pencils, pastels, collage and fabric. Each week offers a different way into color, and every class results in something visually satisfying, even if you have very little drawing or art experience.
Who comes to class
Classes are for adults. First-timers and longtime makers work side by side in a warm, encouraging studio.
Painting classes at Artaluma
The Art of Color
Wednesdays, October 14 to November 11, 5:30–7:30 PM
A joyful color class at Artaluma in downtown Petaluma, taught by Elizabeth McKoy. Work with colored pencils, watercolor, pastels, acrylic paint, collage and fabric, and leave with your own personal color palette.
Spiral teaching of art
One of the things I love most about teaching visual art is that there is always more to discover.
You don’t learn drawing, check it off the list, and move on to painting. The skills keep circling back, connecting, and deepening as you grow.
The more you learn about drawing, the more it can inform your painting—and vice versa.
Sketch to Paint classes
Throughout the six weeks, I weave together drawing skills—such as line, shape, shadow, perspective, and how to create a three-dimensional form—with painting skills like color mixing, value, brushwork, composition, and working with acrylic paint.
I begin each class by demonstrating a technique, and then we apply what we’ve learned through one or more short, fun, and easy exercises to practice and integrate the learning.
I then offer a prompt or suggestions for the painting project, but everyone is always free to paint and express whatever and however they want. I adore being available to answer questions and to coach and facilitate exploration. In this way, I can individualize each student’s process.
At the end of each class, we turn to a key part of the learning: reflection, not critique.
Reflection is part of the spiral, too. We don’t begin by asking, What’s wrong with my work?
We start by looking carefully at what is working.
Then you decide what, if anything, you’re curious about improving:
- What do I want to change?
- What is the canvas telling you it needs next?
- What do I want to understand more deeply?
The group learns exponentially from watching each other learn, ask questions, and bravely work on growing as artists.
Everyone learns and grows more than they thought possible.
Visit the studio
Classes meet at Artaluma, 145 Keller Street in downtown Petaluma, CA 94952.
Questions? Email elizabeth@artaluma.org.
See every adult class and workshop on the Classes page.
