Thursday Portrait Painting

This is an ideal class for beginner-intermediate students who want to learn a step-by-step process on how to make a portrait painting. The class will cover color combination, form, texture, composition, and the use of brushes and other painting tools.

In the first class, the instructor is going to explain the process that students will follow using a reproduction of Andre Derain’s image as a visual reference. The students will learn how to draw the portrait on the canvas by making a sketch first, following a step-by-step process of drawing a frontal portrait, while learning to apply the concepts of symmetry, proportions, comparisons and measurements. Once they finish with the drawing, they are going to focus on how to set up the palette, mixing and blending colors, and how to start the color background.

In the second class, students are going to learn how to apply the paint according to the shapes and forms of the face, modulating tones and colors, light and shadows, color application and comparisons. They’ll also learn how to represent the different features of the face, sense of unity and balance of the composition and final details.

Students are going to have constant evaluation and guidance during the class. The classes will include demonstrations, practices and evaluations. This will be the process until the painting is completed. Then, a final critique will take place before the end of the course.

About the Instructor
Pablo Contrisciani earned his Masters in Fine Arts, Painting at Facultad de Bellas Artes, National University of La Plata, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has participated in several solo and group exhibitions locally, nationally and internationally. His work forms part of public and corporate collections from USA, Latin America and Europe. Pablo is an Oolite Arts alumnus (1998-2006 and 2010-2015) and works as a painting instructor since 1998.