All paintings live or die based on underlying design. Unfortunately, composition is one of the most challenging and least intuitive things about learning to paint. Where color and shape can be observational, good composition is nearly the opposite – it must be invented.

In this class we’ll demystify the “principles of design” by going under the surface of great paintings, making simple thumbnail sketches, and trying our hand at multiple strategies for avoiding pitfalls and strengthening weak compositions.

Through demonstration, exercises, and individual instruction, students will leave with an improved mental blueprint for design and an array of specific individual composition types suitable for a vast range of subject matter.