Alla Prima or ‘all at once’ is generally a wet-in-wet, direct painting approach that has been used by countless artists. It can be a tricky but very rewarding process. So, to help us prepare to create fresh, compelling, and successful all prima paintings, we will utilize preparatory sketches to establish harmonious compositions and make color palette choices based on various color contrasts. Still life is an ideal genre for this approach because it allows us to learn to control all the elements—the objects, environment, and lighting—to our advantage. Oil color is the quintessential choice for alla prima painting (as it stays ‘open’ much longer), but acrylic, watercolor, and gouache are acceptable. Open to all levels.

Each class will include short lectures, demonstrations, and lessons based on harmonic composition, color contrasts, and paint handling. There will also be instructional review of each student’s work. A materials list will be supplied at registration. Philip will be painting and demonstrating alla prima techniques in oil color. This class is offered online only, Thursdays, April 17 & 24, May 1 & 8, 2025 at Winslow Art Center.

To Register: All levels welcome. Demo in oil; open to oil, acrylic, watercolor, and gouache mediums. Register HERE.