Acrylic Studio Lab: Layers, Texture and Image Transfer
12 Week Class | Registration opens 2026-07-02 12:00 PM
Discover the creative possibilities of acrylic painting beyond the traditional canvas. This experimental studio course explores innovative ways of building surfaces, creating texture and incorporating imagery through acrylic skins, gel mediums, texture-building materials and image transfer techniques.
Through demonstrations, hands-on exercises and personal projects, students will learn how to create richly layered and visually engaging artworks that combine painting, texture and transferred imagery. Whether you are looking to expand your painting practice or explore mixed-media approaches, this course offers new tools for experimentation and creative expression while helping you develop confidence with a variety of acrylic materials and contemporary mixed-media techniques.
$550 +
Material Fee: $12 =
$562 Total____________________________________________________________________
- What You Will Learn:
- Creating and using acrylic skins
- Layering techniques and surface development
- Working with gloss, matte and heavy gel mediums
- Building texture with modeling paste, sand and other additives
- Creating transparent and dimensional effects
- Image transfer techniques
- Combining painting, texture and transferred imagery
- Developing finished mixed-media artworks
- Acrylic paints
- Brushes (variety of sizes)
- Palette and palette knife
- Canvas, wood panel, acrylic paper, or mixed-media surface
- Acrylic gloss, matte, or heavy gel medium (at least one type)
- Modeling paste
- Fine sand or other texture additives (optional)
- Printed laser photocopies or magazine images for image transfer
- Sketchbook and pencil
Note: Students do not need to purchase all materials before the first class. Please bring your regular acrylic painting supplies (paints, brushes, palette and painting surface). If you already have acrylic gel mediums, feel free to bring them as well. Some of the specialty materials and mediums introduced in the course will be provided for experimentation during class. After the first session, students may choose to purchase additional materials based on their interests and the techniques they would like to explore further.
Leila Refahi
Leila is a visual artist, researcher, and educator working across painting, installation, and digital media. Her practice explores environmental issues such as climate change, ecological loss, and endangered species, with a strong focus on socially engaged and participatory art. Through her work, she is interested in how art can raise environmental awareness and contribute to shared knowledge within communities. Refahi has presented six solo exhibitions and participated in over 60 national and international group exhibitions and festivals.