Student of the week - Ron Klotchman

Congratulations to our royal student Ron Klotchman who was chosen for Kline Academy student of the week.

Ron is one of our advanced students at Kline Academy who is taking Cheryl Kline's Contemporary Painting Workshop. He has established a very distinctive style - a variety of unique and interesting abstracts, mainly with figurative elements and evocative imagery - with Cheryl's help. He enjoys show opportunities and has been selling many paintings to art collectors. He is preparing for Malibu Artists Unite Contemporary Show that he will soon participate in! 

Ron and his vivid colored ladies from the last Kline Academy show at Shomburg Gallery 

We are always so excited at Kline Academy to help our students capitalize on their unique creativity  in art. Check out our classes and start your artistic journey! 

"Regarding Imprimatura" by Cheryl Kline

"Regarding Imprimatura"

 by CHERYL KLINE
 

"Imprimatura" also known as: "First paint layer" dates back to the middle ages and became a common practice during the Renaissance. Most artists today simply call this "toning your canvas."

I tone my canvas because I want to get rid of the pure, white of my surface. I cannot compete with this intense white especially when I am trying to establish values.

When instructors tell you to "tone your canvas," ask them what color. Make sure that you merely stain the canvas and do not apply it so thick that it is no longer transparent, you actually want a wash of tone to see through to the canvas or board. It will usually be a medium value meaning in the middle of the value scale, not too light and not too dark.

Since I paint in oil, I will tone my canvas in oil paint if I have an extra day for it to dry completely before using it. Or, I can thin the paint with mineral spirits and let it dry in the sun for about 1 hour. Otherwise if I am in a hurry, I tone my canvas with acrylic paint and set in the sun to dry for 10 minutes. I actually like the "tooth" that an acrylic ground gives the surface to work on. Just make sure that if you do use acrylic as your Imprematura that your surface was not gessoed in an oil based ground otherwise the acrylic will bead up and not penetrate the surface.

Grey Toned Canvas

  A grey toned canvas will give you a cooler, neutral tone to work on. This is one that I prefer to use when I paint portraits. Allowing this first paint layer to show through the other layers of paint adds depth to the shadows and middle tones. 

Burnt Umber and Thalo Blue

Another warmer mixture is Burnt Umber and Thalo Blue. Sounds crazy but if you use just a bit of the blue with the Burnt Umber, you get a greenish, warm brown. Rub it in to reveal the weave of the canvas or the board surface and you'll have a nice ground to paint on.

 

Raw Sienna or Yellow Ochre and Ivory Black

Raw Sienna or Yellow Ochre with a hint of Ivory Black makes an excellent neutral sandy tone. This is one I like for plein air painting and if you save some of the color to show through subsequent layers, it makes a nice glow around the objects.

Venetian Red, Sinopia or Red Ochre

Venetian Red or any of the earth reds like Sinopia or Red Ochre are more difficult to navigate. The red is so intense that you will be fighting the color in the first stages of painting. However, having bits of red showing through or under a green or blue can be really exciting. 

Before you choose the color for your underpainting, ask yourself if you want this color to show through the other layers and if so, do you want a warm tone or a cool tone. Toning the canvas is a great way to "warm up" getting started and to not be intimidated by the virgin, white canvas in front of you.

At Kline Academy, we will teach you foundational skills to reach your artistic goals…and then we 

may challenge you to break the rules to see what happens and find your unique view of the world.

Student of the Week - Haley Hinckley

Congratulations to our talented young artist Haley Hinckley who was chosen for Kline Academy student of the week. 

Haley started in Teen Academic Drawing and Painting Mastery Class with Adam Harrison last year and is now taking Brianna Lee's Renaissance Drawing Atelier with adults. She is only 13 and already showing great skills of cast drawing! What's even more surprising is that she learns very quickly - she finishes 1.5 - 2 drawings in a 3 hour session - and moves on to the next level every week. 

Haley and her latest cast drawing

Just like Haley, teens in Kline Academy classes are showing great progress and we are happy to help them realize their potential while enjoying the creative process!! 

Scott Yeskel's 1 Day Contemporary Boot Camp was a BIG SUCCESS!

Scott Yeskel Packs The House!

Not only has he sold out his abstract painting class at Kline Academy, 

but also his first workshop, which was sold out within 2 weeks, had 

a remarkable outcome! 

Here are the highlights and some photos of the workshop 

Scott started the workshop with demonstrations

We set up 3 stations - still life, landscape and figure painting - and students spent one hour at each station.

Still Life Painting Station 

Lynda's great study from Still Life Station

Scott always comes up with interesting subjects

Figure Painting Station

Susan nailed all the poses at Figure Painting Station

Students focused more on gestures 

Landscape Painting Station

Marianne did an impressive job! 

Lastly, Scott had the critique time to sum up the workshop

Everybody did such a great job!

Students produced over 150 paintings in one day and it was AMAZING to see their works all together!

With all students' favors and requests, we will definitely have another boot camp in summer! 

Check out Scott's Abstract Painting Class and join our email list to get his info!!  

Kline Academy Outdoor Landscape Instructor Sharon Weaver - Upcoming Shows

Our Outdoor Landscape instructor Sharon Weaver has a couple of upcoming exhibitions!

Kline Academy Landscape Painting instructor - Sharon Weaver

Splendors from the Garden 

At La Galeria Gitana at 120 N Maclay, Suite E in San Fernando, CA 91340

The reception for this group show is Saturday, April 26th from 6 to 10 PM. This beautiful gallery hosts a reception that is always filled with interesting people. Come and join the fun. The show runs from April 26th to June 14th.

Studies in Light

At the 2nd Story Gallery in the Historic Walker House at 121 North San Dimas Avenue in San Dimas, CA. 

This two artist show has four reception nights; May 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th from 6 to 8 PM. This lovely Victorian building opens it's doors to the public with art and history.

See Sharon's beautiful artwork at those galleries and register for the new 5-week session of her Outdoor Landscape Painting class starting on May 2, 2014!

Advanced Painting Workshop

Today we finished the first 6 week session of Advanced Painting Workshop with Joshua Elias. This workshop was to develop and hone students' individual artistic voices and prepare their work for exhibitions. 

 

The workshop included some assignments and discussions...

Joshua helped students understand the importance of story and allegory to their work...

Students brought in paintings and talked about why and how the painting succeeds and what needs to be done further to make it succeed...

"You explain with confidence"

Lynn having her presentation 

The next session of Advanced Painting Workshop with Joshua Elias starts on May 5th, 2014. If you are a serious artist and wants your art to develop further, do not miss this opportunity! This is a limited space engagement, so call today and reserve your easel.

*Portfolio review required for admission - please email images of your work to info@klineacademy.com

Every Painting Is a Journey

"The journey of painting began about 40,000 years of ago, when the caveman dipped their hands in animal blood to mark the walls of their caves, as if to say: I am here, I exist. Since then so much has changed, yet all the while, our journey as a human kind has been documented with millions and millions of brush strokes and paint smears. The tragedies and the achievements of the protagonists of the human story have been captured through the arts"...

Link to Article

Billboards Across the US Are Being Replaced with Fine Art

This summer, Art Everywhere will be giving people across the US a break from billboards, replacing the usual commercials with beautiful works of fine art...

Link to Article

Brianna Lee, our Saturday figure drawing and painting instructor, sold her masterpiece

Our Saturday figure drawing and painting instructor Brianna Lee's masterful composition Metamorphose was sold to a prominent collector in Laguna Beach...

Metamorphose, oil, by Brianna Lee

The exhibition at One Laguna Gallery in Laguna Beach

 

Check out our Saturday Figure Drawing and Painting Long Pose class

Also this weekend, we will have our founder Cheryl Kline doing 

a Portrait painting in the afternoon session! 

2 Masters in 1 Class!

Shared Wisdom from an Artist's Book - How to set up your palette by Cheryl Kline

Do you hesitate to sign up for your very first painting class because you are afraid of what you don't know? 

Let us help you with one of the first lesson in How to set up your palette.

At Kline Academy, we are excited to announce, we have started "Shared Wisdom from an Artist's Notebook" a video series of painting & drawing methods to take away the fear of getting started. 

The first video "How to set up your pallet by Cheryl Kline" is now available to view and it's free!

In this video you will learn:

-What palette to choose 

-How to hold your palette

-What materials you need 

-How to lay out your colors

-Which colors to use - (Every instructor will have their favorites, these are ours)

-How much paint to put on your palette 

-How to mix colors

We will be uploading more videos every month so be sure to check back with us again.

You can also find us on You Tube - "Kline Academy of Fine Art"

Remember, every great artist was once an absolute beginner and had a big fear in their first painting class.