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▶ Art-Making Workshop: The Fundamentals You Should Know
▶ Saturday, February 28, 2026 | 10 AM–3 PM
▶ Instructor: Greg Gandy, MFA | Portfolio
▶ 10 Participants Maximum
▶ In-Person Participation Only
COST: $245
MEMBER PRICING | Use code at checkout
$220 – Member | use code: MEMBER
$198 – Advancing Plan | use code: ADVANCING
$180 – Mastering Plan | use code: MASTERING
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
We want everyone to be able to participate. If you need financial assistance, a 30% discount is available – just email us at team@azgourartgroup.com
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
Join us at the West Portal Gallery in San Francisco for a dynamic, hands-on painting workshop designed to spark creativity, strengthen compositional instincts, and expand your visual language. This immersive five-hour session blends lecture, demonstration, guided painting time, and a supportive group critique – all in a small group setting limited to 10 participants.
WORKSHOP STRUCTURE
Objective: Understand value, light, and form to create depth and believable shapes in paint.
1. Introduction
Materials overview: brushes, mediums, surfaces, and cleanup
Quick talk on paint quality, fat-over-lean principle, and safety
2. Warm-up Exercise
Value scales using only black and white
Simple shapes (sphere, cube, cylinder) to study light and shadow
3. Demo
“Building form with values”
4. Student Painting Session
Students create their own monochromatic painting of a simple still life setup
5. Critique and Wrap-up
Group discussion on problem-solving: edges, transitions, simplifying complex forms
Homework: Take reference photos for next class
WHAT TO EXPECT
Instructor lecture and painting demonstration
Structured painting exercises with room for interpretation
Individualized guidance during studio work
Group critique and discussion
Insights into the instructor’s current projects as added educational context
A casual, energetic environment that encourages experimentation and growth
MATERIALS TO BRING
Black and white acrylic paint is preferred but oil will work as well.
Small canvas anywhere between 8x10” to 16x20” is fine. If you want to work larger that is fine too.
Reference photos of whatever subject you would like to paint, or studies if you work more abstract.
Brushes, turp or water to clean brushes
Rags or paper towels
Tables and chairs are provided. Participants may bring their own easels (tabletop or freestanding) or work directly on the table. The studio offers a restroom, paint-washing sink, paper towels, water, tea, and backup art supplies if you forget something. A café is conveniently located across the street, though bringing lunch is recommended to maximize working time.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Arrival: Participants are welcome to arrive up to 20 minutes early to settle in.
Parking: Free parking is available around Wawona & 14th Street. There is a 2-hour limit on weekdays and no time limit for weekends (see map below). Directly in front of the studio you will find meter parking, which is ideal for loading and unloading. There’s a good cafe right across the street and several lunch spots in the area in case you need to refuel.
Questions: please get in touch via email: team@westportalgallery.com
WEST PORTAL GALLERY
320 West Portal Gallery | San Francisco, CA 94127
415 212 9092 | team@westportalgallery.com
