Learn practical, essential digital skills for traditional and digital art making. We will not use any generative AI programs. In this class Christine will teach you essential skills she uses for her digital and traditional art making. You will learn the important difference between color modes for art made for print and screen, dimensions and resolution, “frankensteining” your reference, how to use a pencil drawing for digital painting, digitally alter a drawing to explore composition, how to enlarge and prep a pencil drawing to use to transfer for a painting, digital brushes, and more. About a week before the class, registrants will receive access to download the class files.

We will use Adobe Photoshop (the Photography plan should be sufficient. Be sure you understand their billing and cancellation terms) and AffinityPhoto (which is free through Canva).

Some technical assistance will be available. The class does not include any software or hardware.

Requirements:

• some drawing experience
• must be familiar with navigating and using your device
• must have your own laptop that can handle Photoshop (an iPad or similar may be used but please note, only assistance with Photoshop or AffinityPhoto will be available, not device tech help. Christine does not use iPad.)
• have a touchscreen laptop with a pen OR laptop with an external pressure sensitive tablet with pen like a Wacom Intuos or Intuos Pro. A mouse is NOT recommended.
• be able to connect to the internet using The Atelier's Wi-Fi

Christine Mitzuk has been using Photoshop since the mid 90s, first as a student at the U of MN, then through her graphic design career. She continues to use it as a professional artist and illustrator as part of her traditional painting process and for digital paintings.

with David Ginsberg and Christine Mitzuk

In imaginative art (be it a posthumous portrait or fantasy art) a photo reference is incredibly useful. Your limitations may be funds, space, or having someone to pose for your project. For example, you need to paint an historical picture but only have static head reference, you need to have someone flying but you can't defy the laws of physics, or maybe you need to paint a special effect.

In this workshop we will design pictures by sketching, exploring what's possible through imagination, and then work with a professional photographer to get excellent photo reference based on those plans. The focus will be on visual storytelling, working through compositions, exploring ways to evoke emotion, a sense of time and place or special effects through light/value design in sketches, and character. We will discuss props and costuming. Working with a professional photographer, we will translate the sketches to get excellent photo reference that you can use to complete your picture in your own time.

You'll gain tips and tricks about how to know what kind and how much reference you need. We will cover pictorial as well as legal considerations, what kind of reference is available to artists, and ways to shoot your own reference by either working with a photographer who has the ideal gear, or using what you have available if you have budget and/or time constraints. Questions welcomed!

The first 3 days we will be at The Atelier for the lecture and sketching/planning the pictures. Students will then have 5 days to gather props, costume pieces, and someone to pose (or they can pose themselves).

The following weekend, we will be at David's photo studio for photoshoots based on students' sketches.

• Lecture at The Atelier: Friday, June 5, 9:00am-12:00pm
• Workshop sketch and planning phase: Friday, June 5, 1:00pm-4:00pm, and Saturday–Sunday, 9:00am–4:00pm
• Photo studio phase: Saturday–Sunday, June 13–14, 9:00am–4:00pm.

with David Ginsberg and Christine Mitzuk

Lecture and demonstration only. See full workshop here.