8 Simple Shape Painting Lessons with Dianna Shyne
Learn to create beautiful, simple shapes, honing your observational and color mixing skills. See light, shadow, and color through the eyes of a Master. Fill your palette with rich, juicy mounds of colors as you transform simple, household objects into gorgeous works of art.
Today's Special:
$99
Do you want to see like a painter? And create beautiful, simple shapes
with courage and boldness?
I'm Dianna Shyne, Award-Winning
Acrylic Artist
What if you could create beautiful paintings that you were proud of?
What if you felt encouraged,
motivated
and
inspired to paint?
What if you knew exactly what to paint every time you started painting?
What if you belonged to a community of artists encouraging each other and helping each other improve their artwork?
What if you were consistent with your artwork and saw the progress you've been craving?
If you're anything like me when I was learning, the reality is that our painting experience is often the exact opposite...
We feel discouraged, unmotivated and uninspired to create.
We have no idea what we're going to paint.
We feel lonely and isolated.
We're inconsistent at best with our work.
Learning how to paint can be SO OVERWHELMING! There has to be a better way...right?
I've been pursuing my passion for art for over 35 years.
I spent 15 years studying under renowned Russian Impressionist teachers including Ron Lukas, William Reese and Del Gish.
I have exhibited my work in over 40 solo and two person exhibitions, and won more than a dozen top National awards.
Over the past few years, I've worked with Acrylic University to share everything I've learned across my 35+ years of painting and now I'm sharing my secrets for painting simple shapes.
"Dianna has a rare ability to work with everyone from beginners to skilled professional artists in a way that accepts where they are on their artistic journey and helps them take the next step on that journey. She has a gift for explaining artistic concepts clearly, in a way that makes me say "Aha! Now I understand it."
Cynthia R.
The problem with other art courses. . .
Is there a better way?
What is the Miniature Painting Challenge and why is it helpful?
Teaching yourself how to paint is a difficult task.
There's an ocean of painting videos and courses out there.
Often times these courses:
Lack quality instruction: Some courses may be incomplete, confusing, or lack important information that a student may need. It can be difficult to know what instruction is reliable and what is not.
Lack real connection: Many courses don't provide an avenue for sharing your work or getting feedback from others. This can hinder your learning process and make it difficult to grow to your full potential, as well as, identify and correct mistakes.
Full of distractions: There are countless places to learn how to paint online! Many of these websites make it easy to get lost going down a rabbit hole of unrelated content OR overwhelm you with too many options.
Lack structure: Learning to paint online often lacks structure. You learn a little bit from one course and a little bit from another but the concepts never build on each other in a logical way. This can make it difficult to develop comprehensive and consistent painting skills.
These factors can make it incredibly easy to lose motivation to paint. . .
Over the years, at Acrylic University, we've seen many artists lose motivation to paint and wanted to figure out why.
What we found is that most artists who lose motivation are not seeing the results in their artwork that they want.
We dug a level deeper and found that these artists weren't giving themselves the chance to see results because they weren't painting consistently enough to get to where they wanted to be.
But we get it - even on a good day, sitting down to paint is scary and hard.
But on a bad day when life is crazy and things get in the way? Forget about it.
We knew there had to be a better way.
We knew we had to create something that would help remove the roadblocks to just sitting down and painting. Roadblocks like:
- Lack of time
- Uncertainty about what to paint
- Loneliness
- Fear and insecurity
- Discouragement about progress
After lots of experimentation, we ended up creating the Miniature Painting Challenge.
It was a huge success! Artists were seeing huge results in their artwork and were falling in love with painting again.
But. . .
We are so glad you asked!
The Miniature Painting Challenge is a program that gives you everything you need to create one painting that you're proud of every single week.
We remove all of the roadblocks so that you can just sit down and paint.
The only thing we challenge you to do is show up for yourself every week and spend 30 minutes improving your skills as an artist.
Our challenges cover a variety of topics and durations but they all:
- Give you a new doable painting lesson every week: Each week we give you a short painting lesson from the world's top acrylic artists that can be completed in 30 minutes or less.
- Show you exactly what to paint: Each lesson provides you with a reference photo and instructions so that you know exactly what to paint and how to paint it.
- Surround you in a community:
Challenge participants get access to an exclusive members-only community full of artists who are there to encourage you on your journey.
- Give you courage and boldness:
See real progress in your artwork over time and surround yourself with artists who are on the exact same journey as you.
- Improve your art drastically:
Instead of spending hours, days, weeks or even months toiling over one large canvas, we scale it down and have you work on a small 6x6 or 8x8 canvas. We firmly believe that quantity is better than quality when it comes to learning how to paint. The more mistakes you make, the faster you can improve.
- Give you a sense of accomplishment:
You'll finally be able to paint consistently and put in the time it takes to see the results that you want to see in your artwork.
What EXACTLY is included in this challenge?
8 expertly guided lessons with over 3.5 hours of focused painting instruction, one easy-to-use supply list, 8 downloadable reference photos, and a private community of encouraging artists from all over the world
List of Services
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Introduction to the CourseItem Link List Item 1
In this section, Dianna will introduce the course and what you can expect to learn. You'll also be provided with an easy-to-order supply list that includes all of the supplies you'll need to take the course.
Each lesson is 30 minutes and a reference photo is provided for you. No need to worry about what to paint!
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Lesson 1: Orange With LeafItem Link List Item 2
The first lesson focuses on painting a simple shape, specifically an orange. Dianna guides through the process of creating a circle to represent the orange, emphasizing simplicity and the use of basic colors. The lesson covers basic techniques such as mixing colors (yellow and white to achieve a light color) and outlines the importance of placing the circle off-center for a more dynamic composition. Key elements such as the stem and the shadow of the orange are introduced, highlighting the use of simple geometric shapes (like triangles for leaves) to build the composition.
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Lesson 2: Backlit GrapefruitItem Link List Item 3
In the second lesson, Dianna shifts to painting a grapefruit, with an emphasis on capturing the fruit through a half-circle shape. Dianna continues to emphasize using simple shapes to build the image. This lesson builds on the skills developed in the first lesson, advancing with slightly more complex shapes and a richer color palette to depict the grapefruit accurately.
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Lesson 3: Red Tea CupItem Link List Item 4
In lesson 3, Dianna starts with sketching basic shapes and applying initial colors. She then goes into foundational techniques like mixing colors for shadows and highlights, adjusting hues for depth, and refining details to achieve a three-dimensional appearance. Dianna emphasizes the importance of observing light and shadow as it truly is instead of labeling it in our minds.
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Lesson 4: Red OnionItem Link
Dianna begins by explaining what made the red onion an appealing choice. She highlights the appealing dark, rich purple-red violets of the subject and the choice of a yellow-green background to complement the onion due to their opposing positions on the color wheel. Dianna emphasizes the simplicity of the onion's shape, essentially a big round circle, and discusses the process of mixing magenta and white with a little red to capture the onion's essence. The lesson also touches on the use of a black surface for painting to make it easier to distinguish values.
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Lesson 5: Green Cup With CherriesItem Link
This focuses on capturing the vibrant color and form of a green cup containing cherries. Dianna emphasizes and explains some basic techniques for creating volume and depth. Dianna also teaches methods for painting the reflective surface of the cup, the texture and color of the cherries, and how to effectively use light and shadow to create a three-dimensional effect. Dianna demonstrates how to use large, painterly brushstrokes for the cup, combined with detailed attention to the light on the cherries and their stems, to realistically portray the scene.
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Lesson 6: Silver PotItem Link
In the sixth lesson, Dianna addresses the challenges of depicting metallic surfaces and reflections. This includes understanding how to render the luster and reflective qualities of silver, creating the illusion of three-dimensionality, and accurately representing the pot's form and function. Techniques for capturing the nuances of light and shadow on the metallic surface, as well as the pot's interaction with its environment are key topics.
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Lesson 7: Banana On BlueItem Link
Dianna starts with an emphasis on the fun and complexity of painting a banana, highlighting its curving shapes and how they play against a simple circular motif. Dianna discusses the approach to capturing the essence of the banana, starting with mixing a pale gray color for sketching the major shapes and shadows of the banana. Dianna also covers techniques for accurately depicting the banana's peels and their interaction with light and shadow while using a blue background to enhance the subject's visual appeal.
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Lesson 8: Green Glass BottleItem Link
Dianna ends the course with a painting of a green glass bottle. This scene poses unique challenges. She'll teach you how to capture the translucency and reflectivity of the glass - while still focusing on using simple shapes to build the scene.
What You'll Get Today
Dianna Shyne's
Simple Shapes Challenge
- 8 Weekly Miniature Painting Lessons
- HD Quality Video - See Every Brush Stroke
- Expert Insights From a Professional Artist
- Supply List With an Easy Order Button
- Encouraging Artist Community
- 24/7 Lifetime Access
$199
Today's Price: $99
Already a member?
Click HERE for the member discount!
Frequently Asked Questions
What supplies will I need?
Please note: Inside the course, we will provide you with a full list that will include links if you'd like to order online.
You will need just a few supplies really.
1. Paint: A limited palette of paints (a yellow, a red, a blue) plus black and white will suffice. There may be a few more colors used periodically, but if you have the basics, you'll be fine.
2. Canvases/panels: All the demonstration paintings will be done on an 8x8 canvas. If there are exceptions, it will be noted. You can, of course, change the size if you want.
3. Brushes: You will need 3 or 4 brushes of various sizes. I generally use 2 or 3 "flat" brushes and one "round" brush for smaller details.
That's pretty much it! Again, you will find a more detailed list in the course.
Do I have to use acrylic paints?
The short answer is no. The vast majority of what's taught is foundational to all painting mediums. So, if you wanted to use oils, for instance, you would find all the main principles are totally applicable to you, but there would just be some differences in technique as the mediums have different properties.
The longer answer is that while you COULD use a different medium, there are SO many reasons to paint with acrylics!
1. Water Cleanup: Acrylic paints clean up easily with water. You will never need to expose yourself or others to special solvents or thinners when you are using acrylic paints.
2. Fast Drying: I love the fact that I can touch my paintings after a short time and not worry about getting wet paint on myself or what's around me. This makes it much easier to store and transport paintings without all the headache you'd have if they were still wet. Also, when I want to make a change to a painting I can do it quickly.
3. Super Versatile: Acrylic paints can be applied to almost any surface because they adhere so well. They can also be applied very thin and transparent or very thick and impasto-like without having to worry about rules like "thick over thin" because of their quick drying properties. Acrylic paintings are easy to frame because they don't need to be protected with glass.
4. Cost Effective: Acrylic paints are fairly inexpensive when compared to other mediums. This means that you can paint and practice with freedom without being too concerned about cost.
5. Travel Easily: Because they are non-toxic and don't require fancy thinners, you can travel the world with your acrylic paints and never worry about boarding a plane with hazardous materials.
Are the lessons good for beginners?
Yes, Dianna created this challenge with beginners in mind. Some knowledge of your tools and materials and how to use them will aid in your enjoyment of this instruction.
These mini-painting lessons are probably one of the easiest entry points for a beginning artist. They are short and don't take too long, so they aren't scary.
Plus, you don't have to figure anything out on your own. You'll be able to see each step of the painting process and more - starting with what supplies you want to have and why.
The bonus is that by starting and finishing several smaller paintings you will grow so much more than if you had worked an equal amount of time but had only completed a couple larger paintings. Your growth will be exponential as you will be able to see paintings come together from start to finish and never miss anything because you can pause, stop & rewind as much as you need!
Are the lessons good for experienced artists?
Absolutely, yes!
One of the things that can hinder artists of any level is feeling "uninspired". These short, mini paintings will help you get out and stay out of any rut that tries to slow you down. And they will be a springboard for your own creativity to soar.
What do I gain access to when I join?
You will gain access to one high-quality, professional painting lesson every week for 8 weeks, and you will keep access to those lessons for life, so you can come back and revisit your favorite lessons for years to come :-)
How will I access the lessons?
Your lessons will be accessible 24/7 through any computer or mobile device.
We built our site on a very user-friendly platform that anyone can navigate. And if you ever have questions or issues, you can contact us at support@acrylicuniversity.com. We are here to help.
What's the 45-Day Guarantee?
If, for whatever reason, you decide you aren't satisfied within 45 days, we will refund all of your money - no questions asked. We believe strongly in what we do and we want you to be thoroughly satisfied.
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