Dynamic Portraiture
Oil Painting Workshops
Duration of the Workshops
Eight sessions of two hours each. Two sessions per week. A total of sixteen hours.
The Dynamic Portraiture oil painting workshops are for beginner painters to learn and experience the pleasure of
working with oils. Each student will learn easy to follow steps in oil painting techniques and exploring the subject
of portraiture.
The emphasis will be on the LEARNING and not the final painting. This is DYNAMIC painting where the results can
be a wonderful surprise.
Students will be introduced to the subject of portraiture through history and in contemporary art. The tutors
paintings and printed images will be available for inspiration.
Students will be following a demonstration by the tutor of each step on the process of creating an oil painting.
Each session will focus on a step in the process of indirect painting. Indirect painting involves procedures in which
the final effects in a picture are built up gradually by placing several layers of paint, one over the other, the upper
layers modifying, but not altogether concealing, the lower layers.
Indirect methods of painting have been employed in the past by many artists including Van Eyck, El Greco, and
Rembrandt. More recently such painters as Soutine, Modigliani, Rouault, Braque, and Paul Klee have utilized the
optical effects of indirect processes.
Students will be learning about brush and palette knife technique, layout, tone work, rubbing back, texture, the
emotions of colour, hue, value, chroma, face anatomy, grisaille and varnishing.
It is suggested that students bring two canvases to work on as they may wish to use different techniques and
ideas and they can alternate as they experiment.
All students will be given personal attention and help by the tutor. There will be handouts at the end of each
session with information on the techniques demonstrated.
Session Synopsis
First Session:
Tutor will introduce herself and exhibit samples of her work.
Tutor will discuss the painting process that will be demonstrated and practised over the eight sessions. Including
information on the safe use of brushes, paint and solvents .
Sketch Phase:
Tutor will demonstrate how to create the initial sketch, considering structure lines and form. Tutor will
demonstrate the easiest method of transferring a simple sketch to canvas.
Students will draw a sketch based on the images supplied. This will be used as visual reference during the
sessions.
Painting exercise:
We will look at face anatomy . Tutor will demonstrate this with sketches using structure lines and drawn
information on facial features.
Students will sketch on paper following simple steps. This will be a fun exercise learning how easy it is to create
individual characters using simple line work.
The student may select one or two sketches that they wish to take further onto canvas.
Painting Exercise:
Tinting the canvas. This is the first phase of underpainting. Students will chose the colour of their tint. The tint
will have a great effect on the "feel" of the painting.
Second Session:
The previous sessions sketch will be transferred onto canvas.
Building up the second layer using only blue diluted paint. Tutor will demonstrate shading and lighting. This layer
will determine these factors in the painting.
Reference images will be shown to see how different effects can be made using the illusion of light with paint.
Students will chose their image and practise tonal techniques on their paintings.
The basic face form will be built up by the end of this session.
End of this week two sessions, students will have a prepared. tinted canvas with the image chosen, sketched,
transferred to canvas and the basic shading, form and lighting decided.
Third session:
Discussion on using colour. Reference images will be shown and offered for use. Each student will discuss how
they consider the emotions of colour and how they feel it will affect their painting.
Painting Exercise:
Colour study on board of colour combinations and their effect. Discuss.
After considering the effects of colour students will decide what colour palette they will be using. They will then
lay down light areas of colour over the blue underpainting.
A demonstration will be shown of the effect of rubbing back colour, tinting and layering.
Students will then apply this technique to their painting.
Fourth Session:
The paintings will be critiqued and the next level for each decided with assistance from the tutor.
This is a period of adjustment. We will consider areas of opacity, lighting effects, hard or soft edges, the emotive
content of the colours used . Students will work on these areas.
Painting exercise:
Introducing texture. Tutor will demonstrate using a palette knife, ragging, scrumbling, thickened paint and brush
work.
We look at reference images that use texture to advantage.
End of second week of two sessions students will have their painting starting to appear as an individual piece
reflective of their own personalities. The portrait will have formed into either a realistic or abstract image.
Students can begin to independently practise their learned techniques to add to or alter their painting.
Fifth Session:
Each student will consider their work and its progress. A critique is encouraged from each student considering that
it is a process and not a final painting that is wanted.
These finer details can be brought to the students paintings to refine the images. All assistance is given during this
process.
Sixth session:
Painting will be put aside during which students will work on a small canvas testing the learned techniques. The
tutor will demonstrate grisaille.
Students will follow the steps shown in the demonstration working from dark to light.
This will be a painting exercise showing a fast effective means to create a dramatic image using the wet on wet
technique.
End of third week of sessions students will become confident of using learned techniques and have created a series
of tools they can use to take their paintings to a finished product.
Seventh session:
Students can relax and enjoy the final stages of their paintings .
We will be doing a critique of all paintings from each student and considering which to take forward to final
stages.
We will look how each student has learned the same techniques but have approached their work as individuals.
Each painting will be a reflection of each students personality and emotions.
Each student will be aware of the way using oils in a relaxed confident manner leads to personal expression. No
painting can be "wrong" as it is a personal journey experienced by the artist alone.
Eighth Session:
All paintings will lined up for critique. We will consider what techniques and thinking has been learned and how it
has been applied to each painting.
The tutor will do the final demonstration varnishing the demo painting. Students may decide to varnish one work
if they feel it is finished.
The day will be one of finalising paintings. discussion and feedback with tutor and fellow students. A breakdown
of what has been learned and what other techniques students may wish to learn and apply.
The aim of the eight sessions is to bring students through an enjoyable process where they learn oil painting
techniques, explore their own creativity and from this there emerges paintings that are as individual as
themselves. It is hoped that the paintings will not be seen as only a final result but as a learning step along their
own journey as artists.