Fall 2024 Classes and Workshops – Learn with Christine Mitzuk

I teach art classes here in the Twin Cities at The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Arts in Minneapolis, MN. Anyone is welcome to register for classes in the part-time program, and workshops. This Fall session I will be teaching three classes: Gestural Figure Study, a color theory class Color 1: Exploring Color, and Imaginative Art & Illustration. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

If a class day is cancelled due to instructor business travel or national holidays, we will have make-up sessions.

Gestural Figure Study

Breathe life into your figure drawings by building a deeper understanding of gesture. This class blends The Atelier and Studio Arts figure study methods. Christine coaches students through a variety of exercises to explore different ways to see, understand, and capture gesture. By understanding gesture we can incorporate a sense of life into our drawings, tell a story through body language, or exaggerate it for effect. We will be studying gesture from the nude figure. Throughout the course, there will be a variety of models and duration of poses. Experimentation of materials will be discussed and encouraged.

Learn a bunch of tools for understanding and capturing gesture (The Big Potato/The Envelope, Basic Shapes, key anatomical landmarks, relationships of the masses within the whole.
Gesture as body language/story
Study from the live, nude figure.
Enhance your ability to observe and draw gesture.

Supply List

Starts Tuesday, September 24, 2024
4:15 – 6:45 PM, in-person at The Atelier
Summer session: 14 weeks, $420
~~(no class 11/26, 12/24, 12/31)~~
Edit 9/19/24: no class 12/24, 12/31.
We WILL have class 11/26 so we have a buffer in case we have to do a makeup class.

Imaginative Art & Illustration

Hybrid Class (Students may attend in-person or via Zoom.)

Explore your imagination! In this class you will be coached through an imaginative art-making process used by many artists. It is useful when creating personal work as well as for communicating with clients and doing visual problem solving. In the Fall session, the first few classes will include lectures on the imaginative art process including idea generation, composition, values, and color choices. Emphasis is placed on intent and visual narrative. Christine’s teaching is tailored to the needs of each student, be it exploring personal themes or creating work for your portfolio. Assignments can be provided or self-generated. You may work using traditional or digital media. The goal of this class is for you to learn this process (with modifications as needed), and build confidence in and further develop your unique personal creative abilities, therefore we will avoid using image generators. During class, critiques and discussion will be done in a supportive group atmosphere. Students will work on their projects between classes. We will use Google Classroom to share information and review student projects, so you’ll need a Gmail account. This system is for class review of projects only. New and returning students are welcome. Email Christine with questions or concerns: contact Christine.

Learn the imaginative art process Christine uses for freelance illustration client work, and personal art work.
Practice with idea generation and thumbnails
Picture composition, value design, and color design for visual narrative of your image.
Students work on projects between classes.
Critiques are done in a supportive group atmosphere.
Develop your unique, personal creative abilities.

Imaginative Art and Illustration 2: A modified version of Imaginative Art and Illustration will be offered in the winter and summer sessions. The full lectures will not be included in those sessions. The goal of this class is similar to Illustration 1 in that we will work to build confidence in and further develop your unique personal creative abilities, therefore we will avoid using image generators.

Limit 8 students.

Starts Thursday, September 26, 2024
7:00 – 9:30 PM (Central Time)
Fall session: 14 weeks, $375
Update 8/26: (correction, class is 14 weeks. No class 11/28, 12/26)

Color 1 & 2: Exploring Color

Color I Fall Session: Are you confused by color? Do you work hard to mix a color only to get a color you didn’t want? My goal is to teach you how to make color mixing less frustrating and help you gain confidence in color mixing. Bring questions and a curious mind. Using the colors of The Atelier’s Paxton Palette, students will create color boards (based on the color boards shown in “Alla Prima” by Richard Schmid), as well as some free-form color exploration. Through these projects students will explore color and practice ways to think about what we see when mixing colors. Topics include mixing analogous colors, complements, the color wheel, color space, gamut, the attributes of color (hue, value, chroma), temperature, color bias, why a 50/50 mix does not make a middle color, mixing “mud”, and more. Each class is mostly work time, part presentation and discussion. Most students find they need additional time outside of class to complete the boards. We will work in oil paint.

My objectives for folks for things to get out of the class:

Gain confidence with mixing paint.
Learn some language to talk about and navigate color mixing.
Train your eye, brain, hand to work together to see color and value so you can more frequently mix colors as you want.
Discern one value from another.
Gain understanding about color bias and/or color temperature.

Class will be in-person at The Atelier.

Supply List for Color I

Starts Thursday, September 26, 2024
7:00 – 9:30 PM (Central Time)
Fall session: 14 weeks, $375
Update 8/26: (no class 11/28, 12/26)

Color II Winter Session: Deepen your understanding of color and put color theory to practical use. Learn ways to alter chroma, the relative nature of color, color harmony, simultaneous contrast, and more through a combination of presentations, demonstrations, and assignments. Assignments will include color mixing exercises and painting studies from still-life objects and master works. Color I or a basic understanding of hue, value and chroma are strongly recommended. We will be using the Paxton Palette in oil paint.
Winter session starts in January. It also runs for 14 weeks.

Supply List for Color II

How to Register, and Additional Information

I teach classes through The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Arts in Minneapolis, MN. They handle all the registrations and any payments should be made out to them.

To register for any classes, you can do so online through TheAtelier.org (note, The Atelier charges a little more to register online), or by mailing in a check to The Atelier with the registration slip from their mailer (you can get the Course Catalog PDF at TheAtelier.org). Registration can also be done in person but you’ll want to check first that someone will be there to assist you with your payment method.

Information from The Atelier: “For your convenience, you may register for classes online with a credit or debit card. Please note that when registering online, the course prices include an additional percentage to offset fees for accepting credit card payments.” “We still accept mail-in registration with check. Just be sure to let us know in advance which class you would like to sign up for so we can reserve your spot.” The Atelier’s contact information is: 612-362-8421 mail@theatelier.org TheAtelier.org

Location

I teach classes through The Atelier Studio Program of Fine Arts here in Minneapolis, MN.
1621 East Hennepin Avenue, Suite 280, Minneapolis, MN 55414

For more information about the location, and directions, look here.

Regarding masking (for my classes)

IF COVID-19 Community Level is high, masks will be required for students attending my in-person classes. When Community Level is low or medium, people may choose to wear a mask at any time.