Summer Workshops

Only $50

All Supplies Included!

Beginning Artists Welcomed

How to See to Draw for Young Artists

Wednesdays 1 – 3 pm
1 Session Left!
August 19
Young artists learn classic drawing and illustration techniques with interactive exercises and worksheets, application and practice, and opportunity to explore and expand.
Registration Open for Remaining Session

Creative Thinkers Wanted

Ages (10 – 12)

6 Sessions for $150 (Best Deal)

$30 per session

Materials and supplies are provided. This includes graphite pencils, paper, erasers, and pencil sharpeners. And some fun surprises!

How to See to Draw teaches young artists how to draw what we see – not what we think we see. Children are naturally creative thinkers!

Summer Workshops

at the

1007 E Mill Plain Blvd, Vancouver, WA

Beginning Artists Welcomed!

Colored pencil does not require an art background. Budding creatives to professional artists are welcomed. Whatever your artistic style, it can be achieved with colored pencils!

Read what new artists are saying …

Master Realism

Picture perfect and ready to frame in only a couple of hours! How is that possible?!

Select a reference photo with bright colors, a range of highlights and shadows, and simple shapes that is easy to draw. Gasp! Draw? Yes! Drawing establishes a mind/body connection to turn on your innate creative ability. Prismacolor Premier pencils are my choice for their vibrant colors. Pencils are selected based on the ‘local’ colors in the reference. Then colors are layered onto the paper so each color can be blended like paint. The paper is the palette! Odorless mineral spirits are applied with a brush to mix the layers of pigments and create an underpainting. More layers and color is applied over the underpainting to brighten the highlights, deepen the shadows and intensify the colors. Details are added for an extra pop of realism.

Introduction to Colored Pencils

Don’t miss my next workshop coming December 2026.

Learn the basics of colored pencils and create a simple realistic painting.

Hair of the Dog

Coming in Winter – Spring 2027

Explore techniques to create fur, and realistic details to paint animals.

In Hair of the Dog workshop held August 25, we painted a picture of my dog, Chloe. She has short hair, which is less complicated than long hair and uses different texturing techniques and tools. The eye looks more difficult than it really is! Chloe has thick black eye liner around her eyes that makes her eyes a big swatch of black and brown surrounded by short hair that grows around the eye.

It’s a process of layering short, contour strokes and marks using light to medium pressure following the direction of fur. We used only 6 pencils – Prismacolor Dark Brown, Sienna Brown, Goldenrod, White, Orange, and Black.

Paint with Watercolor Pencils

Coming Winter – Spring 2027

Paint uninhibited with watercolor pencils. Draw with a pencil and paint with a brush!

Water + Color + Pencils = Paint with Watercolor Pencils. In this workshop held on July 28, we painted a picture of my neighbor’s nosey sunflower. We started with a wash of yellow pencil color, onto which we drew two circles – a large circle to ‘envelope’ the petals and an inner circle for the orange middle. We then layered the grass background and the negative area between the petals with a blue watercolor pencil. The middle disc was colored in with red and orange pencils. Before activating with water to create the ‘paint’ we layered all over again with yellow pencil to intensify with brilliant colors. Now, we paint! The blue and yellow mix to create the green background around the petals. The red and orange middle blends with the yellow to create the sunflower’s vibrant oranges. Once the painting is dry, texture and details are added to the middle and to the petals to finish.

Explore Pastels

August 31, 6 – 8 PM (Ages 18+)

Mixed medium with water based pastels and colored pencils.

All Supplies Provided!

Easy Landscapes

Coming Winter – Spring 2027

Explore techniques to create textures and details to paint landscapes.

Simply Stunning! In Easy Landscapes, I showed how to combine simple shapes, sunlight and shadows, along with the colored pencil techniques of blending pigments, creating textures and adding details to paint this simply stunning picturesque landscape view of Salmon Creek with Mt. Hood visible in the distance.

Paint with Colored Pencil Series

Paint with Colored Pencils Series

In this 6-week Painting in Colored Pencil series, you will learn fine art principles to create realism using colored pencils.

6 Sessions

theARTScentered, 1007 E Mill Plain Blvd, Vancouver, WA

Learn fine art principles to create realism from a photo reference using colored pencils. You are guided step by step through the various techniques and then apply these techniques to paintings of various subjects. These simple techniques provide the foundation to create realism and detail in portraiture, landscapes, still life, animals, pets, botanicals or whatever your creative mind desires. Includes exclusive YouTube videos.

Beginning Artists Welcomed!

Colored pencil does not require lots of expensive or messy art supplies, a large studio or dedicated spare bedroom. Colored pencil does not require a background in art. Budding creatives to professional artists are welcomed.

Whatever your artistic style, it can be achieved with colored pencils!

Read what new artists are saying …