My art classes are geared towards adults and serious young artists ages 12 and up. Specifics on experience level are listed in each class description.
If you would like to be notified about upcoming events, new work, or when new classes are added, you can sign up to receive that here.
My studio gallery is located in downtown Bloomington, IL at 105-A W. Monroe St, and parking is available on the surrounding streets and nearby public parking lots and structures.
Painting Pet Portraits in Soft Pastel (2/21 & 2/22, 10AM-4PM)
***Must have taken Introduction to Pastel Painting Workshop or have experience with pastels***
This class will meet on 2/21 and 2/22 from 10 AM – 4 PM each day.
In this immersive two‑day workshop, artist and instructor Mandy Roeing will guide students through her process for capturing personality, texture, and realism in animal portraits. Through live demonstrations and personalized instruction, students will explore how to create various fur textures, how to select colors for an animal’s coat, and important considerations for bringing a portrait to life.
What to Expect:
- Discussion of how to create a meaningful portrait and how to choose and edit strong reference photos
- Demonstrations of pastel techniques for creating various fur textures
- Exploration of colors found in animal coats
- Demonstrations and exercises for painting animal eyes
- Individualized guidance tailored to each student’s style and goals
Bring your own supplies or add the optional materials fees when registering to have pastels and/or painting surfaces provided.
Gloves In a Bottle, nitrile gloves, paper towels, and tabletop easels will be provided.
Materials List:
- Assorted soft pastels with a nice range of values — you may bring your own or add the Materials Fee for Pastels when you register.
- Pastel pencils – these will be used primarily for animal eyes, so consider the colors you would like for that
- A soft silicone taper brush like the one in this set
- 8″ x 10″ or larger pastel surface of your choice for your painting plus additional smaller pieces for studies. (If you are a fast painter, feel free to bring more!) If you choose to add the Materials Fee for Paper when you register, a 9″ x 12″ UArt 400 will be provided plus smaller pieces of assorted papers for studies.
- Please bring your own backing board large enough to hold your painting surface. A drawing board or piece of foam core will work.
- Please bring your own reference photos for your painting. If you do not have any references, you may choose from mine.
Other Info to Know:
- Feel free to bring snacks and drinks and take break times as needed. You can bring a sack lunch or purchase something from a nearby restaurant if you wish.
- You must register for this workshop at least 24 hours prior to the start of class.
- I will not be able to offer refunds in the event you miss class.
