Prima Materia Institute 619-630-9278

Art Classes, MasterClasses and Workshops

“TEACHING YOUR MIND TO SEE”

Year-round enrollment

Introductory Drawing Classes

2 Special Introductory Classes ($97)

All levels

These two classes can be taken during ongoing morning or evening classes. You will create a baseline drawing so the instructor can see your current level and will be introduced to 10 quintessential concepts of “learning to see”. After completing these two classes you will be ready for any direction you want to develop: drawing, painting, portraiture, abstract art, mixed media, and you will be able to join live drawing classes on Saturdays.

Buy 2 Special Introductory classes

Materials

• Two 4b pencils
• Sketchpad with white paper (not newsprint), 9x12", 12x16”, or any size.
• ArtGum eraser
• Pencil sharpener with a cap
• Roll of paper towels
• Photo camera or cell phone, to record your progress

SUNDAY 10am - 1:00pm

MasterClass

Absolute Beginner through Advanced

(Prerequisite required: “Prima Materia” workshop (Learn to Paint in One Day)

MasterClasses are the next step after “Prima Materia” workshop (Learn to Paint in One Day). After the workshop has activated your creative potential, your pace of absorbing new information is like that of a young child. The typical resistance to unfamiliar activities is lifted and now you approach any new subject with curiosity and ease.

MasterClasses are based on utilizing this enormous inborn capacity of the “right brain”. There is no specific sequence, you can start with any 3-hour MasterClass. In MasterClasses, teacher demonstrates a technique and you effortlessly create an artwork from start to completion - even if you have never had any other painting experience than in “Prima Materia” workshop. MasterClasses are designed to help you develop your talent and become proficient in less than a year. You begin to acquire drawing and painting skills quickly, and after taking a variety of MasterClasses you will be able to create art on your own.

Materials: don’t bring any supplies, everything is provided; please have your photo camera ready to record your progress (and possibly post your work on Social Media).  

                     “Prima Materia” workshop(Learn to Paint in One Day) - BUY NOW

MONDAY 6:00 - 9:00pm

MasterClass

Absolute Beginner through Advanced

(Prerequisite: workshop “Prima Materia” (Learn to Paint in One Day)

MasterClasses are the next step after you have taken “Prima Materia” (Learn to Paint in One Day) workshop. When the workshop activates the Right-brain mode (which is the prerequisite for MasterClasses), you get a new insight into how the R-brain works: your pace of absorbing information and learning any technique is like that of a young child. A typical hesitation and resistance to “unfamiliar activities” are lifted and you begin to approach any new subject with ease, joy and curiosity. Beginners discover their talent there, and artists come there to unlock their artist block.

MasterClasses are based on utilizing this enormous inborn capacity of the “Right brain”. In 3 hours, you learn one technique and effortlessly create an artwork from start to completion - even if you never had any other painting experience than at Prima Materia.

In MasterClasses you begin to acquire drawing and painting skills and create art like you always hoped. There is no specific order, any MasterClass can be your perfect beginning. MasterClasses are for people who want to enjoy life.

Materials: you don’t have to bring any art supplies, everything is provided; please have your photo camera ready, to record your progress (and possibly post your work on Social Media).

TUESDAY 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Personal Projects and Intro Classes

Level: Beginner to Advanced   

WEDNESDAY 6:00pm - 9:00pm

NEW! Live Drawing with Model

No model fee in February.

Level: Beginner to Advanced  

THURSDAY, 10:00am -1:00pm; FRIDAY, 10:00am -1:00pm

Painting on Unusual Surfaces

Level: Beginner to Advanced  

Prerequisite: 2 Special Introductory Drawing Classes

In this project you’ll find out that tonal values in a painting can “flatten” an uneven surface or completely eliminate from our perception the protruding forms on the substrate. We will create a very complex, textured surface, then paint a single object on it and witness this amazing “disappearance” of the texture, caused optically by the tonal rendering of the form’s lights and shadows.

Please note that you will need to transport your artwork home, so you will want to bring a protective drop cloth for your car, in case the art is wet.                                                                                  

Materials

• 2 wooden substrates (flat panels or box-like panels), any size: for example 30x40, 20x20, 36x36, or 12x36. The substrates do not have to be of the same size. Round shapes are also suitable.
• Wood glue
• Paper towels
• Gloves (optional)
• Gesso - white or black
• Acrylic paints, your preferred colors
• An object to depict, that has personal value to you
• Photo camera (or cell phone), for taking snapshots of the evolution of your piece

SATURDAY, 10:00am-1:00pm

Figurative Painting or Drawing

Level: Beginner to Advanced

Prerequisite: 2 Special Introductory Drawing Classes 

Paint or draw from observation: the setup is with a gorgeous standing live model (female nude). This will be one of the series of standing poses, calling for several elongated canvases of the same size (your choice: 12x36”, 6x12”, 10x30”, etc.). As an option, students can purchase a wooden board 12x36 (or any desired size, at Home Depot) and bring precut pieces of unstretched primed canvas, large enough to wrap around the board (take your board size and add 3 inches to each side to calculate your canvas size).

Each Saturday, with a new standing pose, you will be able to wrap a new canvas around the same board, and at the end of the 6th week you will have a series of figurative paintings as one sizable polyptych - an opportunity not to be missed! You will be encouraged to use mixed media techniques, so please bring acrylic matte gel. Each pose will last one day, 3 hours.

If you prefer to draw, you can either focus on creating a resolved drawing or also use elements of mixed media. If you prefer to do a cut-out, feel free as well.

Please note that your artwork(s) may still be wet at the end of class, so please bring a protective drop cloth or a shallow box for transporting it.  

Model fee applies, $6 to $10, depending on the number of students in class.

Materials

• Bring your preferred drawing or painting materials.
• Optional: wooden board 12x36 or any size; unstretched primered canvas, clamps; Acrylic matte gel, brushes, acrylic paints, Freezer paper, palette knife.  
• Roll of paper towels
• Photo camera (or cell phone) for taking snapshots of your progress
• Model fee - $7-$10, depending on the number of students in class

Questions about materials? Call 619-630-9278

If you love what we are doing, YELP about your experience and leave your comment on Google or our Facebook! Help us fulfil our mission to elevate art to the status of literacy! Tell friends about us and give them the gift of art skills for life!  

Looking for a very special gift for a friend or family member? Art class makes a beautiful gift that can change the trajectory of one’s life! Read our testimonials to see the profound impact our programs make on people of different age, from teens to seniors.

To Purchase a Gift Certificate - call 619-630-9278 

Canvas sizes we recommend for your future classes, regardless of which project you want to work on:

• 36 x 48” - “the size of a washing machine”, the most popular with art buyers
• 48 x 60” - the size every artist must try
• 30 x 30” - perfect size for multi-panel installations
• 8 x 10” - best size for creating art as gifts

Blick Art, Rhino Art, Artist&Craftsman, Aaron Brothers - offer 10% DISCOUNT to Losina students. Print the Materials for the course you’ve chosen and present it at the register when buying supplies.