This registration page may not work well in Internet Explorer. Please use a different browser to complete your registration.
DESIGNING YOUR SCENE: Create Harmony in Land and Seascapes using 8 Principles of Design
September 15, 2026 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
(EDT)
Description
Howard Park and Lisa Miceli
Designing a scene involves creatively reimagining elements of a landscape or seascape, as natural settings often lack perfect composition or ideal color harmony. This can present challenges in determining how best to convey the beauty of a scene, deciding what to emphasize and what to omit.
This class focuses on sketching and painting from photographs, guiding participants through the process of redesigning a scene using the eight principles of design, such as harmony, contrast, unity, and variation. The goal is to help students create paintings that capture the spirit of the scene and draw the viewer in.
Weather permitting, part of the class will be spent sketching outdoors along the river at MMoA. Please bring a sketchbook along with your preferred drawing materials, such as pencils, charcoal, pens, or markers for sketching.
5-week series
Tuesdays, 9am – 12pm
September 15 – October 13
Members $240 / Nonmembers $280
Class Supply List
Recommended Supply List for Oil or Acrylic
Suggested oil paint brands: RGH paints, Rembrandt, Lucas and Gamblin
Howard’s limited palette:
White: Titanium white, large tubes. Gamblin has a flake white replacement. Zinc white is a cool white with strong tinting qualities but can easily make colors get chalky
Black. Ivory black (Optional) Can be used to make greens and browns.
Red. Quinacridone red (a strong pure red) or Naphthol Red or Venetian Red.
Yellow: Hansa yellow (a pure, semi-transparent yellow)
Blue: Ultramarine blue or ultramarine blue deep
Green: Viridian (a transparent green used as a modifier)
Brushes: Bristle brushes, even sizes 2-10. Mostly filberts, a couple of flats and a few cheap hardware chip flats.
Palette knife and painting knives: A mixing knife for mixing paint on the palette. Flexible painting knives of a variety of sizes and shapes.
Miscellaneous: Paper towels, brush washer. medium cup. small trash bag, extra-large palette, odorless turpentine, [Thin -X] or gamsol,
Painting medium: Linseed oil to one part Gamsol, or one part stand oil to 4 parts Thin -X
Liquin, or Grumbacher Zec and Lucas 2225(fast drying gels)
For palette knife painting: cold wax painting butter such as Dorland’s cold wax medium
Canvas Boards 8X10, 9X12, 11X14 inches
Panel carriers to protect wet masterpieces
Recommended Supply List for Watercolor
Watercolor paper: Rough or cold press paper – minimum of 140lb
Brushes: Assorted sizes
Large wash brush or hake brush
1 1/2” flat – either synthetic or natural bristle
1-inch flat brush
#6 or other round brush
Lisa’s Palette:
(Please bring the colors you like to work with)
Raw sienna, cad yellow light, yellow ochre, quinacridone red, light red, burnt umber, ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, Payne’s grey, Prussian blue. Drawing pencils and kneaded erasers for sketching
