CAN BE TAKEN WITH FOUNDATIONS OF PORTRAIT DRAWING #2004 FOR A $30 DISCOUNT

ADD BOTH TO SHOPPING CART AND ENTER THIS CODE: PORTRAITANNA2

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In Portrait Painting in Oils, students will learn to paint the portrait through both observing what is seen and also understanding the structure behind the forms and colors of the face and head. We will begin with a preparatory drawing on paper, looking for the basic proportions, contours, and shadow shapes. The drawing will then be transferred to canvas. Before beginning the painting, we will pre-mix colors to create a controlled palette and complete a small color study. We will discuss in depth the three components of color: Hue, Value, and Chroma, and how they apply to painting a variety of skin tones in light and shadow. Instructions will be provided for mixing a simplified warm-cool palette as well as an expanded palette. The painting will be developed with an initial first pass and then a more refined second pass. Reference images will be provided for students to work along with Anna’s master copy demo.

RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

• For preparatory drawing: 9”x12” white paper with medium smooth texture; Graphite pencils; Eraser; Sharpener; Ruler

• For transferring drawing: Graphite transfer paper; Red pen

• Solvent (odorless mineral spirits such as Gamsol)

• Medium (I use Rublev Oleogel, but this can be as simple as linseed oil.)

• I prefer a medium-smooth surface to paint on, like a portrait grade linen canvas (I use Artfix L84U mounted to panel) or primed panel, and a smallish size for a head and shoulders portrait (I’ll be working 8”x10”).

• Small panel 4"x5" or oil painting paper for a color study.

• Palette (preferably neutral-toned, not white; can be paper. I like Jack Richeson's Gray Matters paper palette 9x12")

• Paint for toning canvas: Burnt Umber

• Paints for the simplified warm-cool palette: Ivory Black, Titanium White, Transparent Red Oxide (OR Winsor Newton brand Burnt Sienna which is the same pigment PR101)

• Additional paints for expanded palette: Yellow Ochre, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue.

• A variety of brushes, medium to small in size. I prefer nylon, synthetic sable, and synthetic mongoose in rounds, filberts or flats.

• Paper towels or rags

• Palette knife for mixing

• Recommended: Tupperware or palette box to store pre-mixtures. To keep paint fresh longer, store box in freezer and/or keep a small piece of paper towel or cotton ball saturated with clove essential oil inside the box.

• Optional recommended color charts: Munsell Student Set or Munsell Soil Color Book

Anna Wakitsch combines traditional fine art training and materials with innovative mixed media installation and digital media, exploring optical and ocular effects within intimately scaled spaces and moments. She holds an MFA in Painting from the New York Academy of Art, where she then taught as Post-Graduate Teaching Assistant and Adjunct Faculty. Previously, she received her BA in Art Theory and Practice from Northwestern University, and then began intensive study of painting and drawing the figure with artist Anthony Ryder in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she subsequently taught for several years as his assistant instructor. She has also taught at Vitruvian Fine Art Studio in Chicago and Altos de Chavón School of Design, as well as given private instruction and workshops. Her work is in public and private collections and has been published in ArtNews.com, American Artist Drawing, and American Art Collector. Anna has participated in group shows in New York, Santa Fe, Chicago, Nashville, Maine, Indiana, and Leipzig, Germany. She currently lives and works near Chicago.

I'm loving the class. Anna is super talented and I'm learning a lot. I've always had incredible experiences with the classes at Teaching Studios. In fact, they are the best I've ever had.

Virginia L.

To see more of the instructor’s work, click on the images: