🌊 Do you love to travel and be around water?  Or maybe you dream of someday going to these places?  I love to paint my own dream vacations.  In this series, we will focus on seascapes and build on techniques all while learning about color schemes, color mixing, layering, texture, value, perspective, and adding details.  

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❗ Please note that since this is a *FLEX* course, we will not have scheduled live meetings, instead, each learner will be able to work on their art at their convenience.

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The four seascapes that will be created are:
Week 1: Ocean Wave
Week 2: Palm Fronds
Week 3: On Island Time
Week 4: Beehive Trail View of the Atlantic

🌊 Week One: Ocean Wave
Starting with a giant wave we will use a monochromatic color scheme.  Creating value can be difficult to achieve so I will concentrate on how to study the details and mix variations of blue to bring the crashing wave to life.

🌴 Week Two: Palm Fronds
We will view the calm, clear ocean scene in the background through the large, wispy palm fronds in the foreground that give us that serene, beachy feeling.

🌊 Week Three: On Island Time
What kind of activity is going on way out there on that island?  We'll let our imaginations run wild as we paint the sunlight reflecting on the water and highlight the vegetation with that sunkissed color.  Seeing the underwater rocks will add a new level of painting techniques to this work as well. 

🪨 Week Four: Beehive Trail View of the Atlantic
Imagine taking the hike that gives you this unique perspective of the water below.  The horizontal and vertical rock formations will allow you to utilize brushstrokes to create multiple planes and unique layers and textures.

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🎥 New techniques will be introduced in the weekly videos to push each work of art from basic to professional results with finishing touches being added to the art in the final stage of the painting. 
 
- Instructional videos and printable resources will be dropped each Monday.  
- Examples of what you have created should be shared by the following Sunday with extra interaction happening throughout the week if you have any questions, concerns, successes, or comments to be made about your artwork.  
- A mid-week check-in with a prompt for discussion and additional interaction will also be added.  

Working in stages like this and sharing your unfinished work will help you gain confidence in each part of the process.  I know I never wanted anyone to see my work before it was done because it was in what I call the "middle stage".  By sharing during this time you will see that it doesn't matter what your skill level is, everyone, even professional artists go through stages while painting that is not beautiful.  It takes time to get it to that point.

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What you will experience as I break down the painting techniques each week:

Step One: 
Concentration on shapes and outlines.
Objective: 
Develop an understanding of composition through the process of underpainting.

Step Two:
Concentration on backgrounds and color mixing.
Objective: 
Prepare the next layer and begin exploring possibilities of where they can push limits within their art.

Step Three: 
Concentration on highlights and shadows.
Objective: 
Identify Elements and Principles of Art within their own work of art.

Step Four: 
Concentration on creating 3-dimensional effects.
Objective: 
Combine previous layers with new techniques to eliminate the flat feeling of a 2-dimensional work of art.

Step Five (to be completed during week five): 
With a concentration on the final details, we will evaluate each of the four paintings and share our finished works of art with the option of an additional seascape of your choice with personalized advice given as needed.
Objective: 
Finish the four works of art and reflect on the process and product. 

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I will provide individual feedback and guide each learner through the questions that are asked and photos that are shared.  Learners will also be encouraged to provide feedback and encouragement to each other with specific prompts each week but it is not required.  Since so many other physical supplies are required, we will keep communication as simple as possible.  Communication will be made entirely through the Outschool classroom, no need to log in to anything else during this course.  Feedback will be provided within 24-48 hours Monday-Friday.

🎨 Creativity is encouraged!  As I provide demonstrations and resources each week to draw and paint I hope you take what you learn and use your own color combinations and spin the suggested subject matter into something unique to your personality.  An optional work of art can be created during this last week to showcase your new skills in which you choose your own subject matter and I will guide you with any questions you have throughout.  I can't wait to see how you give your work character and begin developing your own artistic style!