This 4-day course will develop your skills in, and approaches to, portrait painting using oils. It's suitable for all levels and is based in a lovely light art studio on our beautiful Falmouth Campus.
Working from a life model each day, we’ll focus on teaching you to firstly draw and then paint a portrait from life using traditional techniques and materials, taking inspiration from painters such as Titian, Van Dyke, Velasquez and Reubens.
You’ll leave with a greater understanding of oil painting techniques, traditional approaches to charcoal portrait drawing, and mixing using a limited colour palette.
You'll take your final charcoal drawing on paper and a final oil painting on canvas home with you.
This course is taught by Emily Roberts, a figurative painter, sculptor, and teacher, whose work is held in private collections across Europe and North America. Emily teaches this course in an accessible method where traditional techniques are built up step by step. Each day will be spent in taught sessions with a life model constantly available for a reference point. There will be time to develop and explore techniques as you work through each day.
Course outline
Day one:
Following a brief introduction to the materials and method of observation we will begin to create a charcoal portrait study from life. Some measurement techniques will be covered, but we will focus on close observation of contour, shadow and atmosphere, completing a full tonal portrait study in charcoal.
Day two:
The day will begin with an introduction to the painting tools, materials and limited pallet. There will be an option to transfer the fundamentals of the drawing onto the canvas, or apply charcoal or canvas directly on to the canvas to refind the shapes. We will then begin a painting lay-in, covering the whole canvas with paint by the end of the day.
Day three:
Continuing to layer paint we will concentrate on colour mixing, working wet into wet to achieve a variety of edges whilst building the paint surface.
Day four:
Our final day will concentrate on accenting the composition, looking at highlights, the way the eye moves around the image, and creating atmosphere. Dependant on the paint surface we will discuss the use of glazes and impasto.
When
14th - 17th July from 9.30am - 5pm
Each day will have the following timings:
9.30: Arrival and welcome, tea and coffee then straight into our morning session.
1pm – 2pm: Lunch break (please bring a packed lunch or visit a nearby cafe)
2pm – 5pm: Afternoon session
5pm – 9pm: The art studio will remain open until 9pm on days 1-3 for you to continue working on your own, if you wish to do so.
Who is this course for?
This course is suitable for creative people with all levels of experience, whether you are a beginner wishing to explore oil painting or whether you have existing experience of life drawing or portraiture and wish to develop your technique further.
What's included?
All materials and equipment you’ll need are provided, using professional-quality art supplies. However if you have favourite brushes you wish to use please bring them with you.
There will be a model to work from in all taught sessions each day, as a constant reference.
Where
This course is taught in person, based in a lovely light art studio on our Falmouth campus
For campus maps and information on visiting us, please visit our How to Find Us | Falmouth University