Bellevue Art Class Curriculum

"The Studio Fine Art Classes was my goal to bring back the basics of creating fine art. With my love for teaching, and being formally trained in fine art, I knew when I moved to Bellevue Washington, my mission would be to bring back the arts.

Like most communities, children and adults who always wanted to learn how to draw and paint, never get the opportunity or proper training, because these skills have been lost (and cut from our schools). The Studio Fine Art Classes instruct the individual student at their own pace.

Our teaching method emphasizes the skills developed by classical fine artists. Our talented staff can teach anyone how to draw and paint. I am proud to say that The Studio Fine Art Classes continues to help students discover their own artistic talent and enrich their lives. We continue to change lives every day."

-Cindy Linkon (Owner/Director)

Mediums of Art We Teach

1. Pastel

Most students will start in pastel. It is a forgiving medium to work in while learning how to draw. Students will start with step-by-step drawings, to no step and lastly photographs. When coloring in pastel, students will get basic training in color theory, blending techniques, and learning about tones, the key to making their art look real.

2. Colored Pencil

When students use colored pencils, they are building on their knowledge and skills already learned in soft chalk pastels. Students will continue to master their drawing skills but instructors will elaborate more on teaching color theory, shading techniques, and how to create various effects using a blending tool, and how to apply light to heavy pressure to the pencil. These techniques will continue to help students make their art look realistic.

3. Still Life

Students will already have a foundation in sketching before starting still life. When in still life, students ranging from a young age to adults learn how to observe something from life and to draw what they are observing and not using their imagination. Students don’t spend a lot of time in still life, however skills taught in still life are key in preparation for advance sketching, portraiture, or other mediums such as watercolor, gouache or oil painting.

4. Advanced Sketching

Many of our students who have a foundation in sketching and have done still life, want to continue to build their drawing skills by doing advance sketching. We found that sketching challenging still life set ups, figure drawing, or portraiture are great ways to introduce various tools you can use to develop accuracy and confidence in your art work.

5a. Water Color

Your instructor will encourage you to move into watercolor or gouache for your next medium. The instructor can tell you which medium will suit you best for continuing your growth and knowledge as an artist. With watercolor students will be completing several watercolor drills that familiarize them with different kinds of washes. The drills are also important to learn how the paint interacts with itself and with the paper. Once drills are completed, the student will paint beginning level pictures and progress to duplicating advanced works by artists like Winslow Homer and learning his techniques.

5b. Gouache

Your instructor will encourage you to move into watercolor or gouache for your next medium. Gouache is The Studio's newest part of the curriculum. Like watercolor, gouache has its own set of drills that must be completed. Unlike watercolor, gouache is opaque. It is an unforgiving medium, and students get immediate results from painting layers of solid and vibrant colors with little drying time.

6. Oil Paints

When the student completes the watercolor and gouache section of the curriculum, or depending on the student's age/experience, they may move into oil painting. Oil painting has its own set of drills that students must complete before moving into photos. Students begin with simple paintings and progress to duplicating master paintings learning a style and technique that was used to create the painting

Call to Book Your Class

Downtown Bellevue

Crossroads Mall