At LAB, we have a many different types of "Weekly Classes" for your kids (starting at age 3 and up) to try out, and every month has a new and exciting theme. Between Acrylic Painting and Mixed Media classes, most people wonder what the difference is, and which one is best for their child(ren).
Let us tell you more!
In Acrylic Painting class, our main focus for every project is on the following techniques:
Brushwork - It's important that our students learn which brushes to use for each step, how to hold and care for them properly, as well as how to achieve different techniques (from painting the night sky to shading a face). We like to focus on this a lot so that students understand how to respect the tools, and get to enjoy exploring all the different ways a brush can turn a blank canvas into a complete masterpiece!
Colour theory - Once students learn the basics of primary colours, and how they mix to make all sorts of colours of the rainbow, the real fun begins! We'll get to teach them how and when to use warm and cool tones, how each colour can evoke different feelings, and how to achieve a beautiful work of art using colours that compliment each other.
Composition - Knowing where to start a painting is a huge skill. We'll get to show our students how to recreate paintings from start to finish. At the same time, kids are learning how to problem solve (which step goes first, and what is next?), and understand that a great painting can't be done in one day. When our students make mistakes along the way, we try our best not to do it for them, but to show them "it's no big deal banana peel", and how we can make it better.
Our Mixed Media class is more of an introductory course to all sorts of mediums including acrylic painting. Students' paintings can include:
Printed colours - For younger kids, we love printing with Gelli mats, and create swirly patterns and layer colours with it. Older students can some times learn how to print with a silkscreen, which is a cool way to 'copy and paste' a design over and over.
Collaged pieces - Who loves sticky sticky glue?! Collaging presents so many great ways for our kids to practice their finer motor skills (such as sticking, taping, cutting, and tearing) and have fun while they're at it. Some times our instructors will have a bunch of pre-cut shapes so kids can learn how to piece it together on their canvas like a puzzle!
Chalks and oil pastels - These are awesome sensory tools that kids love since they probably started drawing with wax crayons first. These materials always give out vibrant colours and fun textures to our paintings.
Felted wool - If there's a fuzzy bear, a buzzing bee or flowers, we love to let our students use wool to add texture via needle felting.
...Even clay work! - We'll introduce air dry clay and polymer clay to our students. Kids get to stretch, pull, twist, mold and shape pieces that can be glued onto their work, which is always a fun way to make a flat painting tactile and unique.
Our Parent + Me Painting and Mixed Media classes are similar in routine and structure, so when your little toddlers are ready to a class on their own, it's great for them to graduate to a Mixed Media class next :)
Here's a great side by side comparison of how different and unique our projects can turn out from either classes made in the same month (#tbt to our Da Vinci-inspired Mona Lisa portraits from last year!)
Whether you choose to enrol your kid(s) in Acrylic Painting or Mixed Media class ( or BOTH), we hope they get to take away a wonderful and proud art piece and much, much more!
Can't wait to create with you,
Messy Jessy + Trendy Wendy
-- LAB Language Arts Base Ltd. Come visit our studios:
Unit 110 - 12480 No 1 Road, Richmond, BC, V7E0A2 (Steveston Village)
4431 W. 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V6R 2J1 (West Point Grey Village)
Give us a call: +1-604-285-6226 See what we're about: languageartsbase.com Keep up to date by following us on Instagram @lab.artstudio and Facebook Love what we do? Give us a review :D