Event

How I Paint – A Process for Creative Flow

With Patrick Lee

December 13–14, 2025
10am–4pm
Adult Workshops
Adult Fall 2025

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How I Paint – A Process for Creative Flow and Authentic Style
w/Patrick Lee
December 13 & 14
10:00 am to 4:00 pm




Workshop : How I Paint – A Process for Creative Flow and Authentic Style
Get to the heart of your authentic work and your personal style by:
– Making a lot of work (Quantity over Quality) – This quiets the internal critic and gives our unique ideas a chance to breathe.
– Having a deadline: The best antidote to procrastination and “waiting for inspiration”.
– Focusing on process over product: See the first two points…
Topics will include:
-Contour line drawing and memory
-Value and its use in design and pattern
-Use of the Notan in design and creative thought (improvisation)
-Solid drawing and values as a basis for “looseness”
-Keeping things simple
-Subjective color
-Breakdown and building back up of the image Other topics that will be addressed and discussed:
Interaction:
-Initial observations of the subject.
-Drawing the subject – a lot, in di?erent media and techniques (contour line, value plans, notans, etc.)
-Consideration of the major design qualities of the subject, i.e. formal design aspects (line, shape, value,color, texture, edges, etc.)
Idea:
-“What is it about this subject that makes me want to paint it?”
-”What is my intent?”
-”What feeling do I want the final piece to convey?”
– What is the creative concept?
Process:
-Play and improvisation
-How will the painting (or drawing) be approached, technically?
-Blocking in
-Breaking down and building back up
-Abstraction
-Edges
Notes:
-I’ll do a demo of a painting for the first half of each day, with the students painting the second half of the day.
-Attendees may use oils or acrylics
-***Students should bring their own photos or still life objects to work from, unless we are doing plein air work. ***
Workshop : How I Paint – A Process for Creative Flow and Authentic Style
Supply List:
My standard palette of colors – students are not required to use these colors: All colors are by Gamblin
-Alizarin Crimson (or Quinacridone Red)
-Cadmium Red Deep
-Cadmium Orange
-Cadmium Yellow Deep
-Cadmium Lemon
-Titanium/Zinc White (Mixture)
-Pthalo Blue
-Ultramarine Blue
Other colors I sometimes use – students are not required to buy or use:
-Yellow Ochre
-Viridian
-Cad Red Light
-Ivory Black
-A small tube of black acrylic paint for notan studies and improvisations – recommended Brushes/Knives
-I primarily use flat and eggbert bristle brushes for brushwork (sizes 4-12 for flats, sizes 4-8 for eggberts) – students are not required to get these brushes.
-I use small (cheap) round watercolor or oil brushes (sable type) or small detail marks.
-A large teardrop shaped metal painting knife (o?set handle) for painting and scraping
-a metal palette knife (straight handle) for mixing color and palette cleaning
-cheap Hardware store type “chip” brushes (2-4”) size – once again, not required Medium
-Liquin (Standard formula)
Palette
I use a wood (plein air) or glass (studio) palette, but any type will really do. You just need ample room to mix a lot of paint.
Other
-Metal Brush tank with locking lid for odorless mineral spirits
-Viva Paper towels
-Any apron or rubber gloves that you want if desired/needed
-Sketchbook and soft pencils (2B, 4B, 6B)
-Collage Materials:
-Glue stick(s) and/or Mod Podge (good stu?!) or Acrylic medium (Matte) or something similar.
-Magazines, newspapers, old sheet music, photos, pieces of old paintings, various colored construction papers and card stocks – anything you can collage with!
* Additional Supplies will be posted.