In the first class, Lisa Solomon provides a thorough overview of acrylic painting tools and materials. You will learn how to use different brushes, blend your paints using palette knives and brushes and how and when to add water or various mediums to your paint to achieve different effects. Follow along as Lisa demonstrates how to use basic techniques to paint a nectarine, and then learn about cleaning and caring for your brushes so they last for years.

An essential part of painting is learning how to create light and shadow. Using black and white acrylic paints, Lisa shows how to mix a range of gray shades (known as a “grayscale”) for your painting. You will learn how to set up a still life scene in order to practice painting highlight and shadow details. Finally, follow along as Lisa uses a black-and-white photo reference to practice laying in values, creating depth and helping shapes visually pop out of the painting.

Now for a splash of color. In this final part, you’ll explore how acrylic paint colors mix and match, and learn how to understand the interplay of hue and value. Lisa shares a fun exercise for creating your own signature color wheel using a personal palette. Finally, you will end on a sweet note with a lesson in matching paint colors to Starburst candies and candy wrappers.