Keep the Paper in the Painting
Place the scraps you want to see, seal them for oils and soften selected paper edges with modeling paste.
Paint an Expressive Figure That Belongs with Your Collage.
Collage Impressionism Painting
With Aleah Danae
4 recorded lessons. 112 minutes.
What You’ll Learn
Give the Figure Form
Build the face, hands and dress with thin oils, working from dark shapes to lighter colors.
Keep Your Expressive Marks
Choose where to add detail and where a shape can stay soft. Let brush marks and printed words remain visible.
Bring the Layers Together
Use stamps, oils mixed with cold wax and final pastel lines to connect the figure with its textured background.
What You Get
- Four recorded lessons with Aleah Danae
- Recorded demonstrations of a small study and a larger figure painting
- 112 minutes of teaching, with lifetime access
- Watch at your pace on your computer, tablet or phone
Pause while you paint. Come back when the layers are dry and you’re ready for the next step.
Materials are purchased separately. Personal coaching and individual feedback aren’t included.
$25 USD, one payment.
Lifetime access.
Is This Class for You?
You love collage, but paint over the parts you liked.
Learn where to place a favorite fragment and how to keep words and patterns visible beneath the figure.
Your figure feels separate from the background.
Use repeated colors, softer edges and thicker texture to bring the painted dress and surrounding papers together.
You want to try mixed media with a plan.
Test your papers, colors and marks on a small painting before moving to a larger canvas.
Some drawing and painting practice will help. This class doesn’t teach drawing or oil painting from the beginning.
Start Painting with AleahSee How the Painting Comes Together
The same figure, from visible paper to painted form. These are stages from Aleah’s class demonstration.
Inside the Four Lessons
Lesson 1 of 4
Test the paper and colors before going bigger.
Make a small collage study with oils and pastels. Try your colors and marks here, then note the details you want to incorporate into the larger painting.
Lesson 2 of 4
Prepare the paper for your oil layers.
Coat the paper with gloss gel to seal it. Cover selected paper edges with thick acrylic modeling paste, then use thin acrylic paint to connect the colors. I’ll show you how I place the figure on the larger canvas.
Lesson 3 of 4
Paint the figure from darks to lights.
Begin with thin oil paint so some of the print stays visible. Paint the dark shapes first, then add lighter colors. Watch how I change the color and shape of brush marks as the figure develops.
Lesson 4 of 4
Finish the background and sharpen a few lines.
Add highlights and stamps, then mix oils with cold wax medium, a wax paste, to cover busier parts of the background. Use pastel lines to define chosen shapes. I’ll explain how I check the finish and protect those marks when varnishing.
$25 USD, one payment.
Lifetime access.
A Note from Aleah
Hi Artist,
I love finding my own collage papers. A napkin from a restaurant or a page from an old book can give me an idea for a painting.
In this class, I’ll show you how I make those choices. We’ll try them in a small practice painting first, then use what we discover on the larger canvas.
You’ll see where I leave a printed fragment showing, where I sharpen the face and hands, and where I let the dress soften into the background. Choose your own papers and colors as you follow along.
Aleah Danae
Paint Along with Aleah
Gather Your Papers and Paint
Start with a small canvas or mixed media paper for the study. Aleah uses a 30 × 40 inch canvas for the larger demonstration; you can choose your own size.
For the First Layers
Collected papers, acrylic gloss gel, modeling paste and acrylic colors. Bring brushes, a squeegee and palette knives.
For the Figure and Finishing Marks
Oil paints, an oil painting medium, cold wax medium, stamps, ink pads and oil pastels.
Time Between Painting Sessions
Allow the layers to dry, including overnight after oils and cold wax. A projector is optional; some understanding of figure proportions will help.
Materials are purchased separately.
Meet Your Instructor
Aleah Danae
Aleah brings collected papers, soft figure painting and expressive marks together in her work. In these lessons, you’ll see her decisions as she paints, from the first scraps to the final pastel lines.
She graduated from Milan Art Institute’s Mastery Program, where she now coaches and mentors artists. This class gives you her recorded demonstration to watch and revisit at your own pace.
Before You Begin
How much experience will help?
Some experience sketching the main shapes of a person will help. You’ll also want some painting practice. I explain my choices as I go, but this class doesn’t teach drawing or oil painting from the beginning.
Will I need a projector?
No. I use one to place the figure on the larger canvas more quickly. In the small study, I paint in the form without one. A basic understanding of proportion will help with either approach.
Can I make different choices from yours?
Yes. Choose your own papers and colors. I’ll explain what I look for in the scraps and which areas I leave visible. Try those decisions with your own collection.
Can I return to the lessons later?
Yes. Your one-time $25 USD purchase includes lifetime access to all four recorded lessons. Watch at your own pace, pause while you paint and return to a step whenever you need it.
Does this include personal feedback?
This purchase gives you the recorded class. Personal coaching and individual painting feedback aren’t included. You’ll follow my demonstration and make the choices on your own canvas.
Where do I open the class?
You’ll watch in the private class area at app.milanart.com, on your computer, tablet or phone. Sign in with the email address you used at checkout. If you’re new to the Milan Art community, your welcome email will explain how to finish setting up your account.
Make Your Collected Papers Part of a Painting You Love.
Begin with a small study, then follow Aleah through the collage, oil layers and finishing marks on a larger figure painting.
- All four recorded lessons
- 112 minutes of teaching
- Lifetime access at your pace
$25 USD, one payment.
Lifetime access.
Watch in your private class area at app.milanart.com.
Use the same email address at checkout and when signing in.
About Milan Art Institute
Milan Art Institute teaches drawing, oil painting and mixed media through online classes and its Mastery Program. This recorded class lets you explore Aleah’s collage and figure-painting process at your own pace.