Our Classical Portrait class begins by introducing students to sight-sizing. This is a method from the Renaissance period that accurately measures your image onto the canvas the same size that it is viewed. It is extremely tedious but extremely accurate. We use nothing more than a string with a weight and charcoal. Plaster casts are our best models-they don't need breaks and they never move! Once the drawing is perfected, we transfer it to a canvas and begin by painting a monochromatic deconstruction of the image.

Students advance to using live models and the same process is repeated. A sight-sized drawing, transfer to canvas, a monochromatic painting and then we focus our attention to the endless variables of skin tones and lighting, shadow patterns and modeling the form.

Our Contemporary Portrait training is weaved throughout the class to break up the tedious nature of painting a realistic, classical portrait.

With the classical portrait, the "bar has been set" for hundreds of years, yet with the contemporary portrait there are no standards. So in this part of our class we still strive for the correct anatomy and likeness but explore other ways to achieve this.

Working with palette knife, working direct to color (no under painting, working with photographs and reinterpreting them. Exploring other palettes and looking and discussing other contemporary portrait artists.
But Learning to "see" is the biggest lesson and will help the student to be a better painter in any genre. Throughout the class, students will experience live demonstrations and personal attention.

STUDENTS LEARN:
-Sight sizing
-Work from plaster casts
-Work from Live models
-Reinterpret photographs
-Skin tones from a Florentine Palette

-Live Demonstrations
-Personalized Instruction

CHeryl Kline, Instructor, classical portrait demonstrating phases of a portrait painting.