Are you at your wits end? The final three days, we'll combine techniques from the past month into one painting, paying particular attention to balance between the topics.

Materials List:

• The same model from the previous day, or a photo taken under the same lighting/angle

• 8x10” to 11x14” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Usual painting palette colors

• Variety of brushes

• A smile, because you just finished East Oakstober 20 Day Challenge!

Are you at your wits end? The final three days, we'll combine techniques from the past month into one painting, paying particular attention to balance between the topics.

Materials List:

• The same model from the previous day, or a photo taken under the same lighting/angle

• 8x10” to 11x14” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Usual painting palette colors

• Variety of brushes

Are you at your wits end? The final three days, we'll combine techniques from the past month into one painting, paying particular attention to balance between the topics

Materials List:

• A model (a family or friend), or yourself

• 8x10” to 11x14” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Usual painting palette colors

• Variety of brushes

Stop fussing! Today, you’ll put your brush down after each stroke — or else. Learn to make your brush mark count by thinking ahead.

Materials List:

• New still life set up, try to find objects with texture and shine. We will be using metallic objects and fur pelts.

• 8x10” or 9x12” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Usual painting palette colors

• Variety of brushes

Keep your distance! Even an easel needs personal space; we get lost in detail when we stand too close. Today, we’ll find the big picture, and a stool will restrict proximity to our panels. We’ll paint a flower on a small canvas to up the fear factor.

Materials List:

• A flower

• A chair to block your path

• 5x7” or 6x8” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Usual painting palette colors

• Variety of brushes

Conquer your impasto syndrome! Today we're encouraging everyone to use at least half a tube of (ideally cheaper) paint. This demonstrates the value of thick paint while overcoming the fallacy that control only exists while painting thin.

Materials List:

• New still life set up, ideally something chunky like bread or the insides of a pumpkin

• 8x10” or 9x12” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Usual painting palette colors

• Medium/large brushes, and a palette knife (if you dare..)

Head to the other side with East Oaks Studio. Working from a model, we’ll start a painting using our non-dominant hand. Halfway through, we’ll use our dominant hand to exercise fixing a drawing. Remember: perfectionism is a mistake!

Materials List:

• Model (a friend or family member) or yourself

• 8x10” or 9x12” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Usual painting palette colors

• Variety of brushes

Are you on the edge(work) of your seat? Today's challenge is double trouble. We'll work towards a partial master copy while learning to control hard and soft edges.

Materials List:

• Pick your favorite from the 6 images provided

• 8x10” or 9x12” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Usual painting palette colors

• Variety of brushes

Broaden your minds! Two East Oaks artists will approach the same piece, each using only large or small brushes. We encourage you to use a size you’re not comfortable with!

Materials List:

• New still life set up, or use the same one as Day 11

• 8x10” or 9x12” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Usual painting palette colors

• Either all large brushes or all small brushes

Don’t brush with death! Two East Oaks artists will approach the same piece, each using only hard or soft brushes. We encourage you to use a bristle you’re not comfortable with!

Materials List:

• New still life set up

• 8x10” or 9x12” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Usual painting palette colors

• Either all hard bristle brushes or all soft brushes

Are you imagining things? Today we’ll practice translating a black and white photo to a color painting, working from our minds and inspiration images.

Materials List:

• Use your own B&W image or a B&W image of a favorite painting of yours

• A colored image of a painting you’d like the color harmony to look like

• 5x7” or 8x10” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Your usual painting palette colors

• Variety of brushes

To save reference images:
Mac: Control + click mouse + “Save image as”
Windows: Right click + “Save image as”

Don’t get spooked by these suggested pairings! Today we’ll practice mixing secondary colors, moving into a new realm of paint combinations.

Materials List:

• Pick your favorite painting to copy

• 5x7” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• White, green, orange, and violet, and black

  • Pairing example:
    Viridian green, cadmium orange, manganese violet

• Small/medium brushes

Make peace with cobalt blue, and other bold primaries, in today’s challenge. We’ll focus on creating neutrality with high chroma colors.

Materials List:

• Pick your favorite painting to copy

• 5x7” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• White, any high chroma red, yellow and blue.

  • Suggested pairings (please use what you have)

  • Wide range: cobalt teal, quinacridone magenta, cadmium lemon yellow

  • Mid-range: cobalt blue, cadmium yellow, alizarin crimson

  • Limited range: ultramarine blue, cadmium red medium, naples yellow

• Small/medium brushes

Push the Zorn palette past its comfort zone! Learn how to use a limited palette that leans vibrant, not tonal.

Materials List:

• Pick your favorite painting to copy

• 5x7” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• White, yellow ochre, cadmium red or vermilion, ivory black

• Small/medium brushes

Work from the living, not the dead. Today we will stage and light a model, then complete a color study of the composition.

Materials List:

• A model (friend or family member), a mannequin, or yourself

• 5x7” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Your usual palette colors

• Medium to small brushes

Don’t fold under the pressure of drapery — today we’ll use a phantom model to study grace and dimension through textiles. Don your cloaks and the materials below!

Materials List:

• Medium to large fabric/cloth

• 8x10” or 9x12” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Black and white paint, can also include your colors from Day 3 Grisaille if you wish

• Variety of brushes

Don’t let your inspiration decompose. Keep work fresh by practicing alla prima — creating completed works in a single layer.

Materials List:

• Your same still life set up days prior, or use a new one if you wish

• 8x10” to11x14” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Your usual paint colors

• Variety of brushes

Resurrect your tones. A grisaille is a monochromatic tonal study — Today, we will get you comfortable using neutral warm and cool paints to help it come alive.

Materials List:

• Your same still life set up days prior, or use a new one if you wish

• 8x10” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Black, white, transparent oxide red, ultramarine blue

• Variety of brushes

Are you scared of the dark? Today we’ll use black and white paints to create a small value study.

Material List:

• Variety of still life objects

• 5x7” panel, canvas, or oil painting paper

• Black and white paint

• Medium to small brushes

Scared of getting started? Accept the challenge of building your own still life — we’ll help you decide what to shed light on and what to leave in the shadows. Thumbnail sketches will aid the process of finding composition.

Material List:

• Variety of still life objects

• Sketch pad

• Pencils or pen

Artist + teacher Eric Santoli joins East Oaks Studio to share his process for being selected as recipient of the Munn Fellowship Award, a 3 month residency at Claude Monet’s property in Giverny, France. He’ll offer insights and resources for pursuing additional opportunities in Fine Art development.