Expressive Painting for Beginners

Learn to paint expressively with an individual approach while increasing your knowledge and understanding of the importance of colour, composition, and form.

Annabel Butler leads you through various approaches to landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes, and interiors by referencing a selection of Australian, American and European expressionist painters who sought to depict their emotional responses rather than an objective reality. Using acrylic, gouache or oil paint, students will learn how to mix and experiment with colour and will be encouraged to paint quickly and loosely and to develop expressive brushwork. Over the term you will produce a series of small to medium-sized paintings.

* NAS Short Courses are open to students of ages 16 years and over. The NAS Art Club is open to students from ages 15 years and over. 

*Drawing and painting short courses may be held in upstairs studios. If access to stairs is not suitable, please contact us at short.courses@nas.edu.au 

* What to bring? Please refer to the list of required materials in the Art Materials field below. 

Annabel Butler holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Hons (Painting) from the National Art School and studied on scholarship at the Byam Shaw School of Art, London and the New York Studio School. A practising artist for over 20 years, she has exhibited widely and is represented by Stella Downer Fine Art, Sydney. A regular finalist in national art prizes, Annabel has won the 9x5 Landscape Prize, the Glebe Open Art Prize (twice) and the Waverley Oil Prize. She has been awarded artist residencies at Bundanon Studios, Primrose Park Studios and Carss Park Cottage, all in NSW, the Vermont Studio Center, USA and the Moya Dyring Studio, Cité Internationale, Paris. Her works are held in numerous private and public collections including Hurstville Museum & Gallery, Bundanon Trust, and the Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney.

Students must supply their own art materials, please refer to the list below.

Students will need to bring a range of source materials such as drawings, sketches and/or photos relating to the course subject matter – landscape, seascape, cityscape and interiors. Please bring your source material for landscape to the first class.

Art materials:

• Visual Arts diary for notes and sketches – A4 or A5
• 2B/4B pencil, eraser, sharpener
• Masking tape and 2 bull dog clips
• A selection of small to medium sized canvases or canvas boards – minimum of 4. (eg 25×30/30×40/40x50cm)
• Plastic spray water bottle (to stop acrylic paint from drying out on palette)
• Old cotton rags or paper towels
• Wide necked glass jars with lids (1 or 2)
• Palette or large piece of sealed board/laminex/perspex/large plastic serving plate/disposable paper palettes/ roll of baking paper
• A range of flat and round bristle brushes varying in size from small to large (Students are welcome to bring what they already have. If buying brushes, recommended are: Eckersley's Jasart Round hog hair brushes, #4 x 2, #8 x 2, #12 x2 & Jasart Flat hog hair brushes, #4 x 1, #8 x 1, #12 x 1)
• Palette knife
• If using oil paints, please bring odorless solvent (not turps)

Enclosed footwear is essential in all studios on campus.

A limited range of good quality paints is suggested, e.g. Matisse Acrylic Paints in Structure or any other Artist Quality brands in oil or acrylic. Students are welcome to bring previously owned paints but as a minimum please bring the following 9 colours:

• Titanium White
• Burnt Umber
• Ultramarine or Cobalt Blue
• Cerulean Blue
• Cadmium or a Mid Red
• Alizarin Crimson
• Cadmium or a Mid Yellow
• Lemon Yellow
• Yellow Ochre

Optional additional:

• Raw Umber
• Raw Sienna
• Burnt Sienna