Class Information

Portrait and Figure Painting and Drawing

The Atelier Method of Instruction

The Atelier method of instruction was most popular in the last century in France, when various artists opened up their studios for private classes.  Many of the students that were enrolled in the art academies attended the ateliers to learn more from a particular artist or to gain an edge in competition for the academy’s student awards.  This method of instruction has continued over the years to the present.  It has many advantages besides working in the environs of a professional studio:  classes are much smaller and less expensive than professional schools, no application or enrollment fees, no paying for cancelled classes, payments are made monthly rather than by semester, and you can begin, drop out or reenroll at any time.  (Degas is recorded to have attended a particular atelier on and off over a fifteen year span.)  In like manner I teach these classes in my own studio.  I enjoy passing along what I have learned from my former teachers as well as what I have learned on my own.  So come early, get set up, and be ready.  We start on time.

Painting a portrait or figure using a Model

The aim of these classes is to learn to represent, from practice, the head from all views, the structure, form, and character, and to learn to analyze the figure for gesture and proportion.  I begin all students with drawing only, in order to establish a routine way of rendering the head and to develop a sense of structure to the drawing.  The technique I use for developing the head may be used effectively with any subject.

A strong drawing makes a strong painting, and I encourage beginning students to stay with drawing until they are able to render a well structured head from any angle.  Try drawing all views of the model, as well as working up close (sitting), and standing farther back.  Valuable things can be learned from each distance.  Don’t worry if you do not finish your drawing or your painting.  The purpose of our class is to learn to see objectively and to do the best work possible at the time by studying the model—then future work becomes easier.  You will be making yourself a foundation to build upon.  Because drawing is so important, about once a month a drawing class is required all of students, even the most advanced.  You may also choose to draw when the rest of the class is painting to further develop your drawing skills.  I will never discourage anyone from choosing to draw—it is that important.

Working from Models

We try to have a variety of models posing for our classes so that the students are presented with a variety of challenges; different ages, races, sexes, complexions, builds, etc. 

Talking to the model or carrying on a conversation with another class member while the model is posing will disturb concentration for yourself and others.  Save socializing for the breaks.  You will find that part of your learning comes from hearing the critiques I give to others.

It is also important that you do not photograph any model without their express consent.  If you wish to photograph a model, you must ask their permission first.  Take the photo when it doesn’t interfere with the other student’s painting time.  Flash pictures are not satisfactory for capturing the shadow pattern.

I am continually looking for new faces.  If you know a person with an interesting face, ask if he or she would like to pose for a portrait class. Give me their name and phone number, and I will make the arrangements.  I interview the person and give them instruction on posing for the class prior to their scheduled class posing dates.  That way, a person that has no experience modeling is able to comfortably pose for the class and is able to do a good job.  Refer to “Models Wanted” in this website.

We work with experienced professional figure models for our figure classes.

Payments

Tuition is a flat lesson rate payable monthly on the first class of each month.  Once enrolled, your place is reserved as long as you pay according to schedule.  Credit or refund is given for any class that has to be cancelled.  No refund or credit is given for classes you enrolled for but did not attend. However, an exception may be made if I am notified of the date of your expected absence and you or I am able to call in a substitute for you.  I cannot guarantee that a substitute will be available.  Model fees are included in your class tuition.

If I do not receive monthly tuition of the first class date and you have made no other arrangements with me, then I will assume that you have dropped the class.  It is courteous to let me know when you plan on dropping, so that the next person on the waiting list is able to take advantage of the opening as soon as possible. 

Required Materials

Material lists are available here online for oil, pastel and drawing. If you have any questions about the materials or where best to obtain them, please ask me during class, email or phone. I do ask that you come to class fully prepared and not plan on borrowing materials from myself or other students. Some easels and trays are provided, although you will find that in the long run, having your own easel that you become comfortable using is a huge advantage. You will want to acquire the right tools for the job and work with them enough so they become familiar to use—easy and automatic. Creating good art can be difficult enough without fighting inadequate or poorly planned materials. The most valuable thing you will invest in your art is your time, so give yourself every advantage by acquiring in the best tools you can afford. I cannot stress this enough.

Oil Painters Materials List

Canvas:
Use approximately 12” x 16”, 14” x 18” or 16” x 20” for head studies
Brushes:
Hog hair filberts (preferred) 1 or 2 of each size: 1/8”, ¼”, ½”, ¾” two or three small sables for the details, and a few larger sables such as #4, 6, 8 and 10 in a filbert or flat.
Paints:
Titanium white
Cadmium yellow light
Yellow ochre or yellow ochre pale
Viridian
Cadmium orange
Windsor red or cadmium red light
Cadmium red medium (optional)
Alizarin crimson
Terra Rosa or Venetian Red
Windsor or cobalt violet
Chromium oxide green (optional)
Cobalt blue (optional)
Cerulean blue (optional)
Ultramarine blue
Burnt Sienna
Raw Sienna (optional)
  • Odorless turpentine such as “turpenoid”—no Grumtine or Silicoil.   ALL SOLVENTS AND MEDUIMS MUST BE ODORLESS.
  • Painting medium:  linseed oil, or your favorite.  Medium not required.
  • Small lidded jars: (for medium and turpenoid) with mouths wide enough to dip your largest brush into.
  • A long (12” or so”) thin stick, knitting needle, or brush handle for measuring.
  • Palette (may use disposable pallets)
  • Palette knife
  • Paper towels
  • Mahl stick
  • Hand held mirror, 5” x 7” is good
  • Drawing pencils, sharpener, and eraser
  • Drawing tablet, 5” x 7”

Easels and trays are provided.  It is strongly recommended that you bring your favorite portable easel.

Pastel Painters Materials List

Paper:
Canson Mi Tientes 19 5/8” x 25 5” (full sheets), neutral tones, such as steel gray (431), felt gray (429), sky blue (354), oyster (340), flannel gray (122), amber (504), bisque (502).
Drawing board:
large enough to hold a 19” x 25” sheet of paper.  For use with pastels, the board needs to be padded with several sheets of paper (one way to do this is to pad the board with several sheets of newspaper and then cover it with a sheet of newsprint—use masking tape, and it will be semi-permanent).  Boards for drawing classes do not need to be padded, but you can certainly use your padded one for drawing, too.
Pastels:
A set of soft pastels, at least 100 colors, but the more the better!  Rembrants, Girault, and Holbein work very well.  A full set of 250 Rembrants is desirable.  The following separate Rembrant colors may be helpful if not included in your set:
227.8  Yellow ochre
234.3  Raw Sienna
339.8  Light oxide red
343.9, 343.8  Caput Mortuum red
371.8  Permanent red deep
409.3, 409.5, 409.8  Burnt umber
411.7, 411.8  Burnt sienna
508.3  Prussian Blue
538.7  Mars violet
548.3  Blue violet
704.9  Grey
339.5  Light oxide red
Augmenting your soft pastels with a set of Nupastels is fine—no oil pastels
Drafting tape or clips to hold your work to the board
Paper towels
Moist towels such as “Wet Ones”
Mahl stick
Hand-held mirror, 5” x 7” is good
A long (12” is good”) thin stick, knitting needle or brush handle for measuring
Kneaded eraser and chamois cloth
Vine charcoal
Sandpaper block for sharpening charcoal
Drawing tablet
Also nice to have:
Tin pie plate or box top to hold pastels you are using
Old watercolor or painting brushes
Skin blocking cream such as Artguard, or rubber gloves
If sensitive to pastel dust, a face mask
Dust catcher for easel (a thin strip of newspaper or mat board works well)
Flat, single edge razor for sharpening Nupastels
Pastel pencils and sharpener

If you tend to drop your pastels now and then, an old towel to place on the floor beneath your easel can save many a shattered pastel

Easels and trays are provided.It is strongly recommended that you bring your favorite portable easel.

For Drawing Classes

  • Drawing pencils, sharpener and eraser
  • 18” x 24” drawing tablet
  • Large drawing board and clips or tape
  • Long stick for measuring

Easels and trays are provided.  It is strongly recommended that you bring your favorite portable easel.