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Taryn Curiel

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Composition and expression

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About Course

The path to an authentic work.

What Will You Learn?

  • By the end of this course, you will be able to:
  • Think like a visual designer rather than simply copying what you see.
  • Understand the fundamental principles behind strong, intentional paintings.
  • Simplify complex subjects into clear and effective visual structures.
  • Use line, direction, and movement to guide the viewer’s eye.
  • Create stronger compositions through shape design and visual hierarchy.
  • Apply color intentionally to communicate mood, harmony, and visual impact.
  • Organize light and shadow to create depth, clarity, and focus.
  • Build balanced compositions using principles of visual weight and hierarchy.
  • Use texture and mark-making to add expression, character, and energy.
  • Make more confident artistic decisions based on design rather than technique alone.
  • Create paintings that are more memorable, expressive, and visually compelling.

Course Content

Module 1: Fundamentals of Intentional Painting — How to Design Stronger, More Memorable Paintings
This module is designed to help you understand that a great painting depends not only on an interesting subject or perfect technique. The strongest and most memorable paintings are built through visual design: the conscious organization of shapes, lines, values, color, space, and texture. Throughout the course, you will work repeatedly with the same subject to remove the pressure of “what to paint” and focus on how to design a painting. Each week, you will study a fundamental element of visual design and learn how to use it intentionally to create clearer, more dynamic, and expressive compositions. Instead of chasing realism or excessive detail, you will develop the ability to simplify, organize, and make stronger visual choices. You will learn to observe like a designer, build purposeful compositions, and understand why some paintings have visual impact while others do not. Each lesson will combine theory, visual analysis, and hands-on exercises focused on exploration and understanding, helping you build a solid foundation for any artistic style or medium.

  • Lesson 1: Seeing Like a Designer — Understanding Visual Structure
  • Lesson 2: Line, Direction, and Movement — Guiding the Viewer’s Eye
  • Lesson 3: Simplifying Complexity — Shapes and Sizes
  • Lesson 4: The Power of Color — Emotion, Harmony, and Visual Impact
  • Lesson 5: Value and Light — Creating Depth, Clarity, and Visual Strength
  • Lesson 6: Composition and Visual Hierarchy — Balance, Weight, and Final Organization
  • Lesson 7: Texture and Expression — Giving Life and Character to the Painting

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