Specialty Pro-Seminars
Take your pick from these many specialized seminars. Taught by Cobalt and guest artists/instructors (and industry legends), these 3-5 day Pro Seminars are great professional development opportunities for scenic artists and instructors alike.
If you're looking to broaden your knowledge and skills, join us for these informative and interesting hands-on seminars. These programs are given for the full-time SATP students during the academic year and accommodate additional enrollees of all levels. Participants receive lots of individual attention.
If your schedule conflicts with these seminars and you are unable to attend, consider our Advanced Independent Studies Program for which you create a custom-made session that addresses your interests and fits in your schedule.
SPS GENERAL INFORMATION
Dates: See individual Seminars below
Instructors: See individual Seminars below
Deposit: $150
Note: Your deposit is ultimately included in the tuition cost and is credited toward the total of fees due.
Tuition: (tools & materials included) 3-Day Seminar: $450 4-Day Seminar: $600 5-Day Seminar: $750
Room & Board: Included
Visa, Discover Card and Mastercard accepted
Enrollment Max: 10
Deadline: Space is limited, so plan ahead and call early!
*Except for the Anti-Freakout Job Roundtable weekend. See below.
SPS - Curricula
All seminars are incredibly informative, hands-on workshop-style classes. This list is chronological to the current academic year. Check back regularly for updated schedules and information.
SPS - Admission Requirements
Open.
SPS - Application
None.
SPS - Registration
Please register as early as possible as class sizes are small. In order to reserve your place send a $150 deposit check to "Cobalt Studios" or call us with credit Card information at least two weeks in advance. Deposit is fully refunded if seminars are full or cancelled.
SPECIALTY PRO-SEMINARS
2009-2010 Academic Year
Please go to the Instructors page to learn more about Instructors/Hosts for the seminar you choose.
GUNS AND SPRAYERS IN THE SCENIC ARTS
February 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 2010 (4 days) (Monday 1:00 p.m. thru Friday noon, 4 days) Kamilla Nilsson
Itchy trigger finger? Learn to use a gun with confidence with Hollywood's star scenic artist, Kamilla Nilsson. Using cup guns and detail sprayers, she meticulously guides you to be able to use them as easily as a brush! You get plenty of practice before embarking on two to three finished projects
PAINTING FOR FILM AND TELEVISION: Textures, Techniques, Terms, Talents for Media Scenic Art
February 22, 23, 24, 25 2010 (4 days)
Instructor: Donna Wymore
Highlighting Scenic Art as a career in the Media Market, Donna Wymore draws on her years at Lexington Scenery in Los Angeles to cover the Basics required to work in this fast-paced field. Working environments, equipment, materials and the career market are discussed, Painting techniques are demonstrated and you try them out! Some techniques covered are Aging, Texturing, Crackle, Paint-spraying, Woodgraining, Wallpapering. ***STAY ON FOR THE ANTIFREAKOUT SESSION!***
ANTI-FREAKOUT JOB MARKET ROUNDTABLE
February 26, 27th, 2010
Roundtable Host: Rachel Keebler, et al
This is a short Scenic Artists Conference designed to relieve anxiety about JOBS. Cobalt Alumni and other working Scenics converge to share experiences with students and each other; recommending products, giving industry advice, and sharing portfolios.
*** 2009 SPECIAL SESSION ON FLAMERETARDING!
Saturday Afternoon with Peter Monahan and Bob Bertrand of Rosebrand
Arrive by 7:00 p.m. Friday night, when the roundtable begins over dinner. Saturday's sessions alternate between roundtable discussions, sharing portfolios and good eats!. Focuses mostly around getting, doing, and being sucessful at jobs. Other subjects include safety, resources and new materials. Stay over saturday nigh if you want, and Sunday we wrap up the networking and folks make their way home.
Bring $10 to toss in for the food kitty. Call ahead to reserve a bed or a couch.
For more information about this exciting annual event, click HERE to read the invitation.
THE ART OF SCENE PAINTING: THE HISTORICAL METHOD
March 15,16,17 2010 (3 days)
Instructor: Lance Brockman
Part I — This year Lance will begin with historical drawing techniques, and continue to cover painting from a pigment wet-palette system. As always, be prepared for lively late night slide lectures documenting the incredible scenic painting tradition of the 19th century, the training, work, life and times of Scenic Artists of the late 1800's. For examples of historic scenery visit this extensive Scenery Collections Database, linked on this website. Get enthused with the energy of this type of painting to enfuse it into your painting!
FUTURE COBALT SEMINARS — Dates yet to be Determined
FOLIAGE II:
Sometime durring the 2010-2011 school year (4 days)
Instructor: Rachel Keebler
Rachel will review the anatomy of painted trees and teach the brushwork styles used in Historical Theatre-style Foliage. Then she will guide the class through what it takes to reproduce any artists’ style for theatrical and mural applications. Your confidence level will grow as you are painting beautiful projects.
Foliage I is not a prerequisite. TREES, BRUSHWORK AND THE ARTIST
SIGN PAINTING FOR FILM AND THEATRE
Nov 2010(5 days)
Instructor: Theresa Dringenburg
This in-depth seminar addresses traditional sign materials, tools, alphabets, & lettering techniques for fake and aged signs, special effects & unusual surfaces. Instructor Theresa Dringenburg draws from her classical lettering training and 22 years of experience in the sign painting and scenic painting industries to guide students in sign layout, brush manipulation, and drawing and lettering serif and sans serif alphabets.
PERSPECTIVE FOR THE SCENIC ARTIST
Fall 2010 or Sprin 2011 (4 days)
Instructor: Diane Fargo
We want you to KNOW YOUR PERSPECTIVE !! Be able to fill in the gaps and fix drawings to make them right. Diane goes through the rules then teaches you how to convert a designer's image into full scale production drawings. Apply these principles to layouts for theatre, ballet, opera, film and TV.
Diane Fargo has a wide breadth of experience having been the Charge Scenic Artist at the acclaimed Goodspeed Opera for 16 years. She is currently Scenic Painting instructor at Boston University.
INTERIOR MARBLE
December 2010 (5 DAYS)
Instructor: Rachel Keebler
After a review of the business of faux painting, RK guides you to be able to reproduce virtually any Marble in paint. Focusing mostly on techniques using "beerglazing", these quick and magical techniques are then complemented by a short section using oil techniques, then finished off with various finishes. Add significantly to the samples on your portfolio! "
FAUX WOODGRAIN - INTERIOR GRADE
SPRING 2010(4 days)
Instructor: Nels Christianson
From New York City's Christianson Lee Studios, Belgium's Gold Medal of Excellence for Decorative Painting Winner, Nels Christianson gives a riveting four-day seminar of interior-quality European realistic faux-painting in oils, complete with beer glazing. Nels meticulously guides you as you make your own Maple, Mahogany, Walnut, and Oak samples.
STAGE FLOORS AND SCENIC ARTISTS
Instructor: Mary Heilman
Mary Heilman of Cal Arts, leads this exploration of the landscape of dealing with stage floor surfaces! Come join us for the wealth of information that will be discussed, along with problem solving those knarly requests and sampling, poking and prodding.
PAINTING TRANSLUCENT BACKDROPS
TBA Sometime durring the 2010-2011 school year(5 days)
Instructor: Rachel Keebler
How to create those magical translucent backdrops that scenic and lighting designers love as a focal point. Rachel Keebler de-mystifies the process and guides you through the testing and painting processes that result in a finished project of your own. The final afternoon we have our very own light show on the projects, with a full discussion of the work.
ALL ABOUT FOAM
Sometime durring the 2010-2011 school year (5 days)
Instructor: Donna Wymore
All About Foam covers the subject of flexible and rigid foams used
in the entertainment industry. Various types of coatings, tools and paint will be used to demonstrate how to use these foams: which ones to use, how to attach, form, protect and paint them. This hands-on workshop includes PLENTY of product information,
safety practices and a finished sculpture of your own design to take home.
A foam lot of FUN!!
LANDSCAPE PAINTING FOR MURALS AND THE STAGE
Sometime durring the 2010-2011 school year (5 days)
Instructor: Bob Moody
Study with legendary Scenic Artist, Bob Moody, Brandeis University's long time instructor and lover of painting large-scale dramatic landscapes.
This seminar will take you through a 9' x 12' project of your own. You will learn how to quickly and masterfully render the elements of landscapes—skies, mountains, waters, fields and trees. Learning from this genuine master in this relaxing environment is always wonderfully productive.
FOLIAGE PAINTING I : Photo-real Foliage Painting Techniques
Oct 2011 (4 days)
Commune with Nature on the Cobalt grounds and master the techniques of rendering foliage photo-realistically! This seminar provides a fresh approach to looking at and painting trees and leaves. Special attention is given to reproducing realistic colors and textures. Learn how to use apropriate contrast, scale and perspective to add depth to your treescapes. CLUE IN ON THE FASTEST WAYS TO GET SPECIFIC TREES! Three big tree projects come out of this seminar!
FURNISHING YOUR BACKDROP
TBA Sometime durring the 2010-2011 school year(three days)
Instructor: Susan Crabtree
Susan Crabtree, Master Scenic Artist and co-author of Scenic Art for the Theatre: History, Tools, and Techniques shares her innovative techniques developed through her long association with the painting of furniture, ornaments, and other objects onto interior setting backdrops. Come learn the skills and shortcuts Susan uses for quick project turnarounds and accurate artistic representations.