Is this where you wanted to be? Or would you rather visit another part of the big black pig studio web site?

Art Classes for Adults
Artist-in-charge: Linda Carson

A class can't make you an artist, a teacher can't make you an artist, and owning a fancy paintbrush can't make you an artist.

"There are fewer rules than you think"

This is a twenty-four-night intensive foundation course in drawing, starting with techniques, vocabulary and a thorough hands-on introduction to perspective. Then you'll test-drive all the best-known drawing media and practise drawing as an expressive art in its own right. Please note that while the Great Big Drawing Course starts from the beginning, it probably isn't appropriate for most beginners.

• Sundays 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for 24 weeks!
• Fall term/How to Draw: line, tone, technique and perspective, hands-on; 8 weeks starting in September
• Plus, Winter term/All Sorts of Drawing Media: try every major drawing medium for yourself; 8 weeks starting in January
• Plus, Spring term/Long Drawings: drawing as more than sketching; revisit your favourite media while developing ambitious drawings as finished work; 8 weeks starting in late March or early April
• My goal is to introduce students--hands-on and lightning-fast--to the fundamentals of drawing, including the skills, the materials, and the specialized vocabulary. Drawing is the basis of all of visual art and design, and an expressive practice in its own right. By the end of the Great Big Drawing Course, students will know from first-hand experience what their favourite drawing media are and what to buy for their own studio.
• My dream students are fearless, take notes, clean up and treat my tools and materials with respect. They're here to try everything they can, and to learn by doing. They've got a sense of humour and sometimes they even visit art galleries to look at drawing.
• Typically, this class uses an exhaustive array of drawing media. The work is often dusty and will sometimes involve the use of solvents. We take all reasonable safety precautions, but this course may not be suitable for students with severe allergies, asthma or environmental sensitivities.
• 24 weeks/$987.00 [Tuition $600.00 + Materials $300.00 + 8% PST $24.00 + 7% GST $63.00]
• You can pay in three equal installments of $329.00 each with post-dated cheques (the first at registration, the second dated November 1st and the third dated February 1st).
• All materials are provided. (Yes, that's an amazing deal. And if you don't think so, this might not be the course for you.)
• Click here for start dates and other schedule information.

Sounds good? How to sign up for classes

Or would you rather go back to the table of contents?

"Paint is just coloured glue"

This is a twenty-four-night intensive foundation course in painting, starting with techniques, vocabulary and a thorough hands-on introduction to colour theory. Then you'll test-drive all the best-known painting media and the classic subjects. Please note that while the Great Big Painting Course starts from the beginning, it probably isn't appropriate for most beginners.

• Tuesdays 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for 24 weeks!
• Fall term/How to Paint: Brush handling, supports & grounds, and all of colour theory, hands-on; 8 weeks starting in September
• Plus, Winter term/All Sorts of Paint: Try every major variety of artist's paint for yourself; 8 weeks starting in January
• Plus, Spring term/What to Paint: Revisit your favourite media while exploring the classic subjects (landscape, still life, nude, portrait, abstract, and a copy of a master); 8 weeks starting in later March or early April
• My goal is to introduce students--hands-on and lightning-fast--to the fundamentals of painting, including the skills, the materials, the classic subjects and the specialized vocabulary. Not every exercise is going to make a fabulous painting-but it should contribute to making the students better painters. As we say in this course, "It's not art, it's a learning experience!" By the end of the Great Big Painting Course, students will know from first-hand experience what their favourite paint media are and what to buy for their own studio.
• My dream students are fearless, take notes, clean up and treat my tools and materials with respect. They're here to try everything they can, and to learn by doing. They've got a sense of humour and sometimes they even visit art galleries to look at paintings.
• Typically, this class uses a staggering variety of paints, including solvent-based paints, raw eggs and pure powdered pigments. We take all reasonable safety precautions, but this course may not be suitable for students with severe allergies, asthma, environmental sensitivities or compromised immune systems.
• 24 weeks/$987.00 [Tuition $600.00 + Materials $300.00 + 8% PST $24.00 + 7% GST $63.00]
• You can pay in three equal installments of $329.00 each with post-dated cheques (the first at registration, the second dated November 1st and the third dated February 1st).
• All materials are provided. (You should see the clerk's face light up when I walk into an art supply store.)
• Click here for start dates and other schedule information.

Sounds good? How to sign up for classes

Or would you rather go back to the table of contents?

"The only rule of painting: Thick over thin, fat over lean"

This is an open-ended studio painting course. Each class begins with a teacher-guided sketchbook exercise to build skills and generate visual ideas. In the second (and usually longer) part of the class, students pursue their own projects under my cheerful supervision. WARNING: This class includes DRAWING and COLLAGE because good drawing improves your painting, and collage increases your options. We will work with a live professional model twice per term. Don't panic. Wouldn't you prefer to make your mistakes drawing a pro rather than at the expense of your friends?

• Mondays 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
  [Yes, there will be classes at the end of long weekends.]
• This is not a How-to-paint-a-sailboat course!
• My goal is to help students paint more and better. I encourage them to work from imagination and direct observation, representationally and abstractly, in colour and black-and-white.
• My dream students are enthusiastic adults who enjoy painting and want new challenges. Brave beginners and mature teens are welcome if they're ready to work independently . . . and hard. My dream students clean up and treat my tools and materials with respect.
• Typically, this class uses acrylic paint, gouache, watercolour or water-mixable oil paints (your choice).
• Students provide their own materials (your shopping list is here), including a hardcover sketch book and a small set of gouache for exercises and studies.
• This is a low-odour studio session: no traditional oil paints, alkyds or turpentine, please.
• 8 weeks/$240.75 [Tuition $200.00 + model fees $25 + 7% GST $14.00; your shopping list is here)]
• Click here for start dates and other schedule information.

Sounds good? How to sign up for classes

Or would you rather go back to the table of contents?

"The only rule of drawing: Don't think, draw"

This is an open-ended studio drawing course. Each class begins with a teacher-guided sketchbook exercise to build skills and generate visual ideas. In the second (and usually longer) part of the class, students pursue their own projects under my cheerful supervision. WARNING: This class includes COLOUR and COLLAGE because this is the 21st century and drawing has come a long way since the pencil! We will work with a live professional model twice per term. Don't panic. Wouldn't you prefer to make your mistakes drawing a pro rather than at the expense of your friends?

• Wednesdays 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
• This is not a How-to-draw-a-doggie course!
• My goal is to help students draw more and better, and to develop a wide range of skills and media-handling to serve their own needs. I want more people to discover drawing as an expressive medium in its own right. I encourage students to work from imagination and direct observation, representationally and abstractly, in colour and black-and-white.
• My dream students are enthusiastic adults who enjoy drawing and want new challenges. Some want to strengthen their drawing as a way of improving their painting, and others pursue drawing for its own sake. Brave beginners and mature teens are welcome if they're ready to work independently . . . and hard. My dream students clean up and treat my tools and materials with respect.
• Typically, this class uses charcoal, pencil, and chalk pastels. The work is often dusty and will sometimes involve the use of solvents. We take all reasonable safety precautions, but this course may not be suitable for students with severe allergies, asthma or environmental sensitivities.
• Students provide their own materials (your shopping list is here), including a hardcover sketch book for exercises and studies.
• 8 weeks/$240.75 [Tuition $200.00 + model fees $25 + 7% GST $14.00; your shopping list is here)]
• Click here for start dates and other schedule information.

Sounds good? How to sign up for classes

Or would you rather go back to the table of contents?

• Sundays 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• My goals are to help students draw the figure more and better, and perhaps to strengthen their portfolios for college applications.
• My dream students are enthusiastic adults who enjoy drawing and want new challenges. Some want to strengthen their drawing as a way of improving their painting, and others pursue drawing for its own sake. Brave beginners and mature teens are welcome if they're ready to work independently . . . and hard. My dream students clean up and treat my tools and materials with respect.
• Typically, this class uses charcoal, pencil, and chalk pastels. The work is often dusty and will sometimes involve the use of solvents. We take all reasonable safety precautions, but this course may not be suitable for students with severe allergies, asthma or environmental sensitivities.
• This class is based on drawing from live nude professional models. It's suitable for adults and mature teens only. You should have some drawing experience before you try this one . . . life drawing is pretty intense!
• Students provide their own materials (your shopping list is here), including a hardcover sketch book for exercises and studies.
• 6 weeks/$267.50 [Tuition $200.00 + model fees $50.00 + 7% GST $17.50; your shopping list is here)]
• Click here for start dates and other schedule information.

Sounds good? How to sign up for classes

Or would you rather go back to the table of contents?

The pig is a working art studio in Waterloo, Ontario [Canada] where you'll find me, Linda Carson (the person behind the pig), offering art lessons privately and for small groups.

For the latest snail-mailing on course offerings at the pig, call 519-884-7355 and leave a cheery message (including your name and your complete mailing address). The pig is not a prompt e-correspondent.

For that authentic small-town feel, the big black pig studio is located above McPhail's bicycle shop and next door to the Harmony Lunch at 98 King Street North, Waterloo, Ontario [Canada] N2J 2X4, telephone 519-884-7355.

E-mail linda@bigblackpig.com (that's Linda, the person behind the pig).