Alla Prima Florals II: Autumn (Online Course)
Sandra Sanchez
Sundays, 2 PM – 4 PM ET – please adjust for your timezones
September 20, 27, October 4, 11, 18, 25, 2026
8 weeks- Tuition $595
Plus over 24 hours of recorded demos. Each week’s corresponding demo is provided a week before each live class.
*Note: first demo sent a week before the live class starts – there is a painting due the first class.
Limit: 10 students
There will also be a Florals II: Spring/Summer session offered annually.
Take this class:
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- To learn to create high-quality floral studies in one session.
- To improve your timing while painting floral subjects at a high level.
- To learn to simplify various floral varieties in an aesthetically pleasing manner
- To improve your overall visual impact in your floral artworks
- To become a more competent and well-rounded floral painter.
Is this class for me?
- This class is open to intermediate levels. Alla Prima Floral Fundamentals is a pre-requisite to this class.
Class format notes:
- 4 hours of pre-recorded demos distributed weekly. The first demo is distributed the week before the first live class. Homework is due on the first class.
- 2 hour live critiques class.
- The class will be conducted on the Zoom platform and is a live online experience.
- The pre-recorded demos will be shared via a private video link on YouTube. YouTube is free but will require an account to view the video.
- This class also uses Google Classroom to distribute materials. Watch this video for more insight.
All of these services are free but require registration. - It will be necessary for students to have access to a computer, tablet or smartphone. The recommended device is a laptop or desktop.
- Every online class is recorded.
- Critiques are only given during the live class time.
- Students work on their weekly assignment outside of class time.
- Attendance at every live class isn’t mandatory.
- Absentee students can still submit their work at least 15 minutes before the live class starts and the instructor will critique the work during the class. The critique will then be viewable in the recording.
- Students receive access to the class recording within 24 hours of the class finishing. The recording gets posted into the google classroom.
- Access to the recordings is available for the duration of the class plus an additional 30 days. There are no extensions.
“Sandra has taught me so much, not only about alla prima, but composition, artistic approaches, and how to learn from the masters. She very generously and clearly communicates her wealth of knowledge.” – Christelle
Course Description
Alla Prima Florals II: Autumn is an opportunity for students who have completed Alla Prima Floral Fundamentals to further enhance their technical oil painting skills with a focus on painting more complex flowers, foliage and bouquets. Flowers play a special role in the lives of humans commemorating everything from birth to death. Given how much they communicate across many cultures, as painters we are compelled to learn the art of painting florals at a high level. Beginning with a series of Autumn flower specific studies and culminating in three Autumnal bouquet paintings, this course is designed to further refine students’ understanding of the properties of different flowers and improve their proficiency as an artist. Autumn flowers provide an excellent opportunity to learn about color mixing and how to handle organic complexity. The fragility of flowers provides a special chance to explore luminosity of light passing through petals. Paint handling can help enhance the balance of making the flowers feel both three-dimensional and radiant. Students will complete the class feeling competent, confident and equipped with the skills necessary to succeed as a floral painter.
Throughout the class, Sandra will share masterwork examples inviting questions and casual conversation with participants. Students may turn in their homework for weekly individual in-class critiques, which include detailed feedback and digital paint-overs in Procreate to show ways to improve in real time.
The weekly assignments and demos are as follows:
Week 1 – Warm Up Rose
- Discussion on set-up and capturing form, space and luminosity
- Detailed demo of a white rose
Week 2 – Sunflowers`
- Discussion on mixing yellows and maintaining vibrancy of hue and chroma
- Detailed demonstration of a sunflower
Week 3 – Chrysanthemums/Dahlias
- Discussion on managing detail while capturing form, color and space within complex floral types like chrysanthemums and dahlias
- Detailed demo of a chrysanthemum or dahlia
Week 4 – Simple Bouquet I
- Introduction to simple yet sophisticated floral arrangements, using 2-3 flowers at a time
- Detailed demonstration on composing, arranging and painting a simple bouquet
Week 5 – Simple Bouquet II
- Working with the feedback received from the first bouquet painting, create a new simple floral composition and alla prima painting.
- Detailed demonstration will include the addition of greenery and a vessel
Week 6 – Final Bouquet
- For the final painting, create a more complex arrangement with several flowers.
- Final detailed demonstration on arranging and painting a full bouquet