LEARN HOW TO PAINT IN FULL COLOR

Diane teaches you how to see color with a clear 4 stage structure.

This 4 Stage technique is influenced by the teachings of Susan Sarback, who Diane studied with for seven years. 

Sarback created the School of Light and Color in Sacramento, California.

Her teacher was the master painter Henry Hensche who was taught by Charles Hawthorne, a contemporary of Monet.

These teachings are laid out in  4 stages to help students see and paint in full color.

As a painting teacher, Diane is dedicated to passing along her teachings with her students.

CONTACT DIANE to book a free 15-minute discovery call to explore if this teaching method aligns with your painting goals.

 

CONTACT DIANE for more info or to sign up for classes. 

Currently mini courses are scheduled the last Saturday of each month from 9-11:30 MT

Favourite subjects:  horses, landscape, blooms.

It is Diane's wish to connect with each person individually rather than having a sign up sheet.

Prerequisite: basic drawing skills and some experience with oil or acrylic and an understanding of mixing color – in order to grow and enjoy the experience. 

 

FAQ

Basic drawing skills to work with a grid photograph putting it onto canvas with thin vine charcoal.

Knowledge of the color wheel, complimentary colors and the value scale in oil or acrylic paint.

Exercises are provided to refresh previous experience with color blending.

It is not necessary to attend the class live, although the experience will be richer.

You can interact and ask questions throughout the demo and be part of the camaraderie of the group.

All demos are recorded and are yours to keep for future use.

  • Canvas - size to be specified for the photo chosen. 1/2 or 1.5 inch deep, with a coat of gesso.
  • Acrylics or Oil (I teach in oil, no solvents).  
  • Basic colors - lemon yellow (Hanza or Azo ), indian yellow, cadmium orange, dioxazine purple, manganese blue or cerulean blue, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, viridian, quinacridone magenta, permanent rose or quinacridone rose, and a large titanium white. I recommend purchasing artist grade paint (if possible) as you will enjoy the flow of painting and layering to a much higher degree.  If you are on a tight budget buy a large artist grade white which will be used to blend into the other colors.
  • You are welcome to bring any other colors that you have except for brown, grey or black.  The colors listed are the ones I use daily.
  • Brushes: 4, 8, 10-inch filbert (flat brush with a curved tip, I prefer the filberts). Swinton's Art Store
  • Palette to mix on. I use a 12x16 Grey Matters paper palette. 
  • Willow Vine Charcoal for drawing the image onto the canvas. Buy the smallest, thinnest in thickness.  A charcoal pencil will not work.  A blue watercolor pencil is another option.
  • I will provide all photos to paint from for the courses.
  • I use canola oil and Masters Soap to CLEAN and store my brushes.  No solvents.
  • My go to brand of oils in Alberta is M. Graham & Co. and is purchased at Swinton's Art Store. They will give you 10% off if you are a student and ship to other provinces.

 

CANOLA OIL

I use canola oil ONLY to clean my brushes.  I do not use it as a medium.  I use no mediums, no toxicity with my oil paint.  I have 2 jars of canola oil, 2 inches in each jar.  The one for dirty brushes I dip the brush in then wipe with paper towel to clean between colors.  When I am finished painting for the day, I do the same process and then put them in clean canola oil to store for the next session.  If my brushes are very dirty especially using Dioxazone Purple, I will use the green Masters Soap to clean them before storing in canola oil.  My tiny detail brushes are cleaned this way but stored in a drawer as standing them up in the oil will bend their bristles.  When the canola oil is very dirty, I use a paper towel to clean out what is left in the jar and dispose in the garbage.  There is usually not very much left, so I do not recycle it.

 

MY PALETTE

 

FAVOURITE FILBERT BRUSHES

Oil paint brushes Swinton's Art Supplies in Calgary, AB.  

Red oil paint brush Opus Art Supplies in BC.

 

DRAWING THE SKETCH IN VINE CHARCOAL
  • You are welcome to copy the charcoal image that is sent for the specific class or draw the image using the grid.  
    I usually suggest doing this upside down so the shapes are easier to see.  
    Your prep is to create beautiful coloring book shapes so we can lay the Stage 1 in. 
  • Here is an example of how I use a projector. I get outlines and shapes first.
  • Then I sit with the drawing with the photograph on my large computer monitor.  I spend the evening finding beautiful pleasing shapes. 
  • I go over the entire drawing 2x adjusting the shapes for the Stage 1.
  • I use thin vine charcoal to draw the image.  You can use a light blue watercolor pencil to draw it in.
 

Outlines and shapes with projector, a static cookie cutter drawing.

Redrawing each shape to make it your drawing, more dynamic with the energy of the artist.

Before painting, take the excess charcoal off gently with soft tissue paper until you are left with shadow lines.

Contact Diane to be put on her Painting Student list for new classes.

I would also recommend signing up for the monthly newsletter to be the first to know about new artwork, courses and events.

The Subscribe button is at the bottom of the page.

Switching to oil is simple.

There are no solvents used.  It is pure color wet on wet layered onto your canvas with a brush.

Paper towels and canola oil are used to wipe and clean brushes.

The paint stays open for a few days so it is easy to keep layering until the painting is finished.

If the paint is too oily to put layers on, wait for it to dry then dry brush or paint on any other additions.

Keep your palette in a second fridge to keep the paint fresh when not using it.

 

Recommended books: 

Susan Sarback, Capturing Radiant Light and Color, in Oils and Soft Pastels, 2007

Mrs. Charles Hawthorne, Hawthorne on Painting,1960

Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A way of Being, 2023

Betty Edwards, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, 4th Edition 2012

Reviews:

"Diane is more than a teacher, she’s an inspiration and wants all her students to excel. Her instruction is informative, fun and builds confidence." Ophelia

"Diane is humble, gracious, patient, an exceptional teacher and artist.  Her teaching is methodical but the results of each students and artists work is as unique and individual as the artists themselves and this is where the true magic lies. I have never experienced this before in the many classes I have taken.  By the end of one of Diane's courses you will feel like an artist because you have been transformed into one.  You will have a framework that you can move forward with into your own painting practice but at the same time you will want to return and take another class for the deeper understanding and the joy of painting with Diane." Julie

 

Clouds over Canola

Landscape Painting Workshop

In 3 hours you will learn how to create a dynamic cloud landscape in the comfort of your studio.

Zoom online: Saturday, May 2nd 9am-12:00 noon MDT

CONTACT DIANE TO SIGN UP

 

What do you get when you secure a seat?

Standard: $99

Only 16 seats available.

  • Expand your vision on a 3 hour Saturday morning and learn how to SEE color with greater acuity through a clear 4 stage method.
  • Improve your layering and brushstrokes as you watch, paint and ask Diane individual questions as she does her demo.
  • Join a community of inspiring women. Be part of group emails as each person posts 1-3 Stages of their painting.
  • 1x1 critiques with follow up for 2 weeks through email.
  • Recordings of all demos so you can watch the lessons until you “get it”. No worries about missing the class as the recording is waiting for you.
  • Extra recordings of techniques to help you finish your painting.

Premium: $170

Only 2 seats available.

  • All benefits of the Standard package.
  • Two 20 minute privates 1:1 video calls.
  • Personalized artwork critique with more in depth feedback via email.  (Fair use applies).
  • (This is the closest to having a private lesson which is $70/hour).

Saturday, May 2nd from 9am to 11:30am MDT

Click here to enroll: https://www.dianewilliamsart.com/contact/

 

*JUST FINISHED 
"Larapio" in honor of the Year of the Horse

Saturday, March 28th 9am-11:30 MT Alberta

CONTACT DIANE TO SIGN UP

  1. Learn to paint a grey (white) Lusitano horse within an online Zoom class. $89 
  2. Expand your vision, learn how to SEE color.
  3. Improve your layering and brushstrokes.
  4. Outstanding camaraderie with a group of women.
  5. Individual attention, and learning from each other's critiques. 
  6. Saturday morning 9am-11:30am MT.  12x16 canvas.  Oil or acrylic.  
  7. Plan extra time during this mini class to paint during the week.
  8. Individual support by email for a week.
  9. All demos recorded for your personal use.

 

 

 

THE HORSE COURSES: Reviews

Your horse course was amazing. The teaching method of the 4 stages you explain so well and it's fun to look back and see each stage at the end. You have such a passion for seeing and painting colour it has helped me to see more colour and feel excited about painting again. I love the wildness and looseness of the brush strokes in your horse paintings. Your demonstration on how to paint the horse's eye is fantastic as well, it brings life to the horse. Thank you,Vickie

I learned so much about use of colour and techniques to create a vibrant, harmonious painting.  Diane is so generous with her knowledge, breaks things down into simple steps and is available to provide support/feedback.  The course was amazing and has really helped me to find the “fun” in creating a painting.  Thank you, Diane!

My feedback is that I absolutely LOVED this course.  My favourite part is that you recorded the sessions so that we could go back and paint along while watching (for those of us who can’t learn and paint at the same time). I’ve watched each of the videos several times and continue to watch them.  Every time I pick up something that I missed.

I loved how each lesson was well planned and delivered….with contagious passion for the method and the subject.  Your way of teaching made me feel empowered and able to go forward and create.

This is the first online course I’ve taken and it was just wonderful -K

My painting was just passable when I started this course, but when I finished It changed me into an artist.  Thank you Diane, you opened a whole new world!  Marion

 

Just finished!  Lake Louise Landscape Course

Contact Diane for the next Landscape Course.

The course was $240 and students were supported and critiqued by email one on one as needed for 4 weeks.

3 lessons, 2.5 hours each total of 7.5+ hours.

We added another 2.5 hours on a 4th Saturday to finish the sky and water.

 

THE LANDSCAPE COURSES: reviews
  • How many stars would you give this course on a scale of 1-5?

  • 5 STARS!  

  • I loved seeing you paint, and seeing everyone's painting come together.  It's so wonderful to see how each person's personality is reflected in their painting.  I also love the quotes that you read to us.
  • The course teaches full-colour painting through 4 stages.  Diane leads us through each stage, with clear explanations, as she paints.  Diane takes pictures at each stage as a reference for us, which is very helpful.  The classes are also recorded for reference.  Diane's instruction is clear and informative, allowing us to progress through the stages to complete our own piece.  Although we all paint from the same reference photo, each painting is unique, reflecting our individual painting style.  I highly recommend her classes to gain insight into full-colour painting, and just to have fun and play."
  • I appreciated how open you were to helping students and also listening to problems and addressing them.
  • I also appreciated the way you worked with a limited palette and teaching us how to make the colours we need with by mixing colours.  This will follow me the rest of my “art life.”
  • "Diane breaks down the complexity of the landscape painting into simple and approachable steps in a joyful and colorful way." Natasza
  • "I learned to use my senses to make colour and light radiate from my paintings".
  • "Not only did I experience how the painting stages easily work for landscapes, Diane teaches how to paint light and shadow within various landscape and atmospheric elements preparing me for any landscape." Helen

 

 

 

PREVIOUS PAINTING COURSES