WE DO MAGIC, THEY SAY.

Introducing Next Level Animals

An Online Course
with Marla Baggetta

If you’re a pastel artist who’s struggling to find your style, or you feel like you’ve hit a wall with your creativity, I have something that will change the way you paint forever. With Next Level Animals, you’ll learn my revolutionary way to add creativity to animal paintings in pastel, and the results will be stunning. With my guidance, you’ll be painting animals in a whole new way and your creativity will be unleashed.

Over 9 Hours of Video

We have worked hard to bring you high quality instructional videos that provides easy to follow, clear and detailed instruction.  You’ll have lifetime access to all the videos enabling you work at your own pace in the comfort of your own home from any device for a seamless and modern online experience.

Beautifully Illustrated PDF

Our 61 page detailed coursework presents you with an illustrated guide to materials, theory and wisdom from an expert instructor and professional artist covering everything you need to revolutionize your work with Next Level Animals.  Divided into 12 highly structured chapters, Marla will guide you through all of the necessary groundwork, reinforced with exciting exercises and step-by-step demonstrations, providing you a roadmap to becoming an accomplished artist.

Private Facebook Community

 You’ll also have access to a private Facebook group where you can share your progress, ask questions of Marla and a community of your fellow students who are also taking the course to keep you motivated and inspired along the way. 

Course Contents

Each chapter focuses on a Study or a Step By Step Demo

Chapter 1:
Introduction

During this workshop you’ll be branching out in new directions to find the recipe that will take you to the next level. By finding the right mixture of study, spontaneity and new materials you can make the leap. Bear in mind that to do so will require courting the occasional failure. I hope that this workshop will encourage you to push ahead with your own quest for greater knowledge which is the cornerstone to all painting.

Chapter 2:
Materials

Experimenting with a variety of surfaces will enliven your painting practice! Try papers and surfaces that you might not think of for pastels. Creating a ground for your pastel paintings can serve several functions. It can be a simple base to help the pastel adhere to the paper. It can be a base color that serves to harmonize the piece if you let bits of the
color show through here and there throughout or it can be an abstract base that is a springboard to a looser more spontaneous approach.

Chapter 3:
Drawing

You might think of sketching as the dreaming stage an artist goes through before committing to a finished work. You also might consider a sketch a working drawing. A sketch might act to preserve something you see. For the birdwatcher, teacher or a student, sketching can be observational note taking without the need for verbal language.

Chapter 4:
Hummingbird

For this lesson we’ll draw a larger than life hummingbird and focus on movement, gesture and the shimmering iridescent color. Since this is a portrait, don’t be afraid to place him in the center!

Chapter 5:
Black Lab

When it comes to finding a great dog breed to paint, the dark shiny coat of a black lab is perfect for us to paint with invented color in pastel. For our project we’ll use this wonderful photo that highlights the wonderful attributes of this sweet pup.

Chapter 6:
Springer Spaniel

Time spent on getting an accurate drawing is key to this project. You’ll want to measure and use plumb lines. Once this is secure, you can simply enjoy creating the lovely swirls and curls of his or her beautiful coat.

Chapter 7:
Cow

There are many distinct cow breeds with various colors and body sizes, ensuring that you will never see one that looks exactly like the next. Both their shapes and markings make them wonderful subjects to paint. The reference photos adds even more interest with back lighting to create a lovely rim lite silhouette.

Chapter 8:
Nuzzling Horses

White horses are undeniably beautiful creatures. They’re the stuff of legends and fairy tales, and to some people, they can evoke images of magical stories of princesses, wizards and unicorns. We are concerned with how they appear in the pervading light. I’ve chosen to use the Phthalo blue ground and a range of cool colors to convey their beauty and the sensitive caress between them.

Chapter 9:
Gray Horse

There is something soft and familiar about the look of a gray horse. More humble and less flashy or mythical than white horses, they nevertheless, have a beauty that is wonderful to try to capture in pastel. Unlike the Nuzzling Horses, we’ll employ a limited palette and use an abstract, textural ground.

Chapter 10:
Rooster

Roosters are absolutely stunning. When the sun catches their colors, it can make them seem iridescent. They add so much vibrancy and activity
to a chicken coop. This fervent, constant motion, can seem outright silly to us, but he takes his job seriously! Our rooster has this intensity, beauty and motion. We’ll capture all of this with, color, detail and mark making.

Chapter 11:
OWl

Owls are amazing creatures. They are one of the only nocturnal animals that can see extremely well in low light conditions. They have incredibly soft feathers that make very little noise when they fly, making them great hunters. We are going to zoom in to the key feature of our owl, the eyes. The restrained palette in the feathers will also highlight the eyes.

Chapter 12:
Afterword

I hope that you will spend many hours and create many works of art using the tools and techniques in this workshop. I hope it has inspired you to come up with your own unique approaches and solutions.

Next Level Animals

24/7/365 Lifetime COURSE aCCESS

Get started mastering Next Level Animals in this incredible Online Workshop!

Beautifully Designed Ebook

60+ pages of in-depth content

In Depth Theory and Guidance

Marla isolates the complex principles of painting and investigates them practically and simply so any student can comprehend and execute even the most difficult problems. Moving from simple to more involved concepts, each lesson builds on the previous so you’ll gain a sound foundation to further your study and practice of painting.

Step by Step Guided Demonstrations

Marla guides you through the time-tested fundamentals step by step, stroke by stroke from the very beginning stages of a painting to the finish line in a logical and enjoyable path. Marla  stresses the need to develop your own judgement and individual voice as an artist.

A Lifetime of Artist Experience
At Your Fingertips

Over 30 years as a professional artist and teacher

Award Winning Artwork, Photographs and Illustration

Following Marla's Instruction is a Pleasure and A Breeze
thanks to Creative and Beautiful Design

Marl a Has Thousands of Satisfied Students

What people say?

I was both stimulated and excited at the prospect of taking on a totally new medium. I adored the class work and the interaction with other students. I hope to take another class soon and I feel I have learned a great deal in”mark making” and with a new medium upon which to play. Thanks, Marla!
Donna
Santa Fe
I have been so impressed with your online painting lessons. You put so much work into presenting the concepts clearly with your teaching, examples, and demos. There is so much content on your site and I’m still scratching the surface of your offerings but I feel that every exercise you suggest helps me grow in depth and breadth. Thank you for your commitment (and perfectionism) to giving us the best learning experience.
Francesca
Montana

World Class Video Instruction

Like having a teacher at the easel with you, no matter where you are

Fun and Easeful Instruction

With a lifetime of experience as an artist and educator, Marla brings an unparalleled combination of joy and wisdom directly to your home. We have worked hard to offer beautiful and clear video instruction, providing valuable education and insight, that will keep you inspired for months and even years.

Up Close and Personal at the Drawing Board

Following along while learning has never been easier! The demonstration view shows the progress of each painting, the reference photo and thumbnail when appropriate, so you get to see how each piece is built from start to finish. Marla narrates her progress in real time as she is painting, so you won’t miss a thing!

Next Level Animals

24/7/365 COURSE ACCESS​

Get started mastering Next Level Animals with this incredible Online Workshop!

Frequently Asked Questions

You need to log into the site to participate in the workshop so you will need an internet connection. Workshops and Subscriptions are accessible on iPads, tablets, computers, laptops and even phones – any device you can watch access the web on.

If you have any problems with playing a video or hearing a video, try these steps: 

1) Check your internet connection and reset your internet connection if necessary.

2) Clear your browser cache and history.

2) Update your browser, or try another browser (like Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer).

Sure, you can open a support ticket and we’ll help you right away. Just Email Suport  and we will reply within 24 hours! If we don’t know the answer to your question, we’ll ask Marla and she’ll reply as quickly as she can.

The workshop assignments are online accessible 24×7 – you can take the lessons any time you want. You are not required to complete the course in a specified amount of time. You get access to all the assignments in the workshop at once in a secure member’s area on PaintingLessonsWithMarla.com

When you register for the workshop, you’ll get a Student Account which gives you access to the My Courses area on the PaintingLessonsWithMarla.com website. Your Student Account will allow you take lessons and complete assignments any time you want.

You get lifetime access to the workshop and lessons you pay for so you can finish your painting any time.  It’s fun to keep up with your fellow artists and see how they are doing too but you can stop and come back to it any time, 24×7.  Assignment reminders are sent via email but you can complete them at your own pace – no problem at all! 

100% Digital Online Course

Works With All Devices

24/7 Access No Matter Where You Are

Easy To Follow

Our Site has been carefully designed to be easy to follow. Our simple learning system tracks your progress and takes out the hassle, allowing you to focus on panting!

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