Earning a living as a professional artist is sometimes difficult. Not every artist has a dedicated group of clients. Teaching small classes during the evening and on weekends has become a way for artists to make some extra cash. Students benefit because the classes are often less expensive than going through a regular school. They can take one class or several, but they are not obligated to a full schedule over several months. Private teachers advertise the work that will be done in each class and students sign up weekly for the ones they want to take.
Generally, the cost of the class includes the materials needed for the lesson. Many artists who teach painting on canvas try to keep costs down by finding used canvases and cleaning them. This requires scraping the canvas and then covering it with a base coat of white paint. If one of the canvas threads is snagged during the scraping process, the canvas is ruined and cannot be reused.
Tole painting is done mainly on wood pieces. The teacher will have a wood shop make up the desired form such as a small box or clock face. The students are then taught how to paint flowers and other decorations on the piece. Since this type of artwork is generally done with acrylic paint, errors can be wiped off with a wet cloth. If the paint has already dried, then it must be sanded off. The danger of sanding is that the wood may be gouged if the sanding is not light enough.
One of the best ways to teach painting is with flat glass pieces. It is easy to clean with soap and water. If the paint dries and there is an error, it can be easily scraped with a razor edged knife. Teachers can use acrylic paints that dry fast. It is easy to give the students the broad outline of the picture to be completed by applying decals for glass or glass transfers. The teacher can then concentrate on teaching students to mix colors and fill in the blank spaces properly. It gives the students a finished piece within a single lesson.
