Course Description
This four-day workshop introduces you to the foundations of portrait painting through the study of plaster casts and classical sculpture. The tradition of studying plaster casts traces back to ancient Greece and has long been part of classical training in the fine arts. The course is designed for artists with some prior drawing or painting experience who want to take the next step towards working from the live model with confidence.
Through guided demonstrations and personal instruction, you will gain the understanding of how to translate what you observe into paint and watch your portraits come to life on canvas. Working from stationary, monochromatic casts makes it easier to focus on proportion, light, and tonal value relationships, instilling you with a strong foundation in academic painting without the added challenges of working in colour or from moving models.
The week begins with exercises that centre around a planar approach to painting, in which you will learn the fundamentals of light logic and how to organise tonal values to effectively describe form. In the second half of the workshop, the focus shifts to creating a more refined portrait study, emphasising control in paint application, edge quality, and the harmony of light and shadow.
By the end of this course, you will have the tools you need to paint portraits from life with greater accuracy and expression. If you attended Thomas's Introduction to Portrait Drawing workshop the previous week, your completed drawing can serve as the foundation for this course, allowing a seamless transition from drawing to painting.
Through guided demonstrations and personal instruction, you will gain the understanding of how to translate what you observe into paint and watch your portraits come to life on canvas. Working from stationary, monochromatic casts makes it easier to focus on proportion, light, and tonal value relationships, instilling you with a strong foundation in academic painting without the added challenges of working in colour or from moving models.
The week begins with exercises that centre around a planar approach to painting, in which you will learn the fundamentals of light logic and how to organise tonal values to effectively describe form. In the second half of the workshop, the focus shifts to creating a more refined portrait study, emphasising control in paint application, edge quality, and the harmony of light and shadow.
By the end of this course, you will have the tools you need to paint portraits from life with greater accuracy and expression. If you attended Thomas's Introduction to Portrait Drawing workshop the previous week, your completed drawing can serve as the foundation for this course, allowing a seamless transition from drawing to painting.
Key Learning Concepts
- Build a strong foundation in academic portrait painting through the study of plaster casts and classical sculpture
- Learn to translate observation into paint, developing accuracy in proportion, light, and tonal value relationships
- Understand and apply an understanding of facial anatomy and planar structure
- Refine technical control in paint application, edge quality, and tonal harmony
- Gain the confidence and skills to working from the live model, equipped with a strong academic foundation