You may not know this but paintings and drawings have a "hard stage." It's in the middle of your process somewhere, you've been trucking along, feeling good... and all of a sudden you don't like it. And you don't know what you don't like! Something is off and you're feeling deflated, discouraged and wondering if you have to start over. Shannon likes to call this, "the ugly stage." 1st lesson: this is NORMAL!!! It doesn't mean anything about you as a painter or drawer. (insert

When you want to draw (or paint) a figure, don't just start drawing head, shoulders, etc... We look at people all day long but when it comes to drawing them, we need a system to help lay down what's really there and truly see. In order to draw or paint a figure we want to begin by laying down the axis of the body to create a "grid."  Axis are: imaginary lines that help divide the body into planes and help explain orientation. In this lesson we drew in axis for the spine, the

Create your rocks and ground with warm colors. To begin, paint the "middle color" of your rocks (not the darkest or lightest value). For my rocks, I used Burnt Sienna and added a little Red and Raw Sienna to make it even warmer. This was my base rock color. I added blue to this to create the shadow color (blue is the compliment to orange). Use the shadow color to lay out the edges of your rocks and start giving them shape and dimension! Feeling inspired?! This lesson comes fr

There's more than 1 way to paint a sunset! Shannon shares her favorite blending technique: Cross-Hatching. It makes for a more "painterly" looking sky and you can use it for any subject matter you want! Want to join our Creative Community?! A good place to begin is with our Class Schedule or the Getting Started page! #Denverartclass #Denverpaintingclass #Denverartstudio #Denverpaintingclasses #learntopaint #artclasses #artclass #artschoolDenver #paintingclassesDenver #paintin

"Why do you make art?" Hear from the students of MBodied's watercolor class. Common responses to the question are: "because it's relaxing/stress-relieving", "to express my creative side" and "I get absorbed in the process and lose track of time!" Why do YOU make art?? #Westminsterpaintingclasses #Westminsterartclass #Westminsterdrawingclass #Westminsterartstudio #artclass #paintingclass #drawingclass #learntodraw #learntopaint #learntopaintWestminster #artclasses #denverartc

Having a mindfulness practice can really help us be more present and peaceful. But do we have to meditate on a cushion or are there other ways?!! Making art can be a great substitute if you want to get into mindfulness but don't enjoy meditation. Art naturally brings you into the present moment and lets you express your inner world out and onto paper or canvas. Watch the video below to learn more about the connection between mindfulness and art. #artasmeditation #artastherap

Find out the last 2 steps of MBodied's system for helping people overcome this common issue with making art. #Westminsterpaintingclass #Westminsterartclass #Westminsterdrawingclass #art #artandcommunity #artclass #learntopaint #learntodraw #artforintroverts #artasmeditation #destresswithart #stressrelief #newhobby #creativity #Denverpaintingclass #Denverartclass #Denverdrawingclass #Denverartstudio #Denverlearntopaint #Denverarttherapy #Denverwomensgroup #denveradultartclasse