This course provides the dedicated student of painting and drawing with the opportunity to carefully develop studies of the male and female nude from initial drawings to full resolution. For both painting and drawing students, emphasis will be on observational accuracy, construction, artistic anatomy and composition, to inform a contemporary practice. The course addresses the relationship of drawing to painting, underpainting techniques, value and color, light, shade and shadow, tonal organization, and modeling techniques. In addition, instruction will be given in palette organization, mixing flesh colors and archival practice.
For Intermediate to Advanced Level
Q&AQ: Can I make up a class if I miss one? A: No, there are no makeup classes. Because art is taught with demonstrations and demonstrations are time consuming, if one person misses the class each week, the instructor would spend the first part of each class repeating the demonstration from last week before moving on to the next lesson, which isn't fair to the students who attended. That said, most of our classes are taught atelier style. If there is a demonstration during the particular session, after the demonstration, the instructor goes to each student to work with them on a one-on-one basis. During this time, the instructor can work with you if you missed the previous week to talk and explain what to do.
Q: Are materials provided and included in the cost of the class? A: No. Materials list include:
Art Materials for PAINTERSSolvent: TurpenoidPlease use odorless mineral spirits, not turpentine, in classrooms! Keep opencontainers of solvents & mediums covered when not in use. Of course, we must do whatever we can tomaintain a healthy atmosphere in the classroom.
Palette CupsTwo large single palette cups (not double), for medium and solvent.
Plastic ContainersTwo heavy-duty containers (plastic snap-lid deli type do not melt!) to store andrecycle Turpenoid. You should never have to throw away solvent, except the sludge build-up. Never poursolvents down drains - there are NYAA hazardous waste cans for this.
Plastic Squirt BottlesThese are especially useful for storage and to apply yourmedium and solvent to palette and paint mixtures. Rubbing alcohol (cheap) works well to clean oil paintfilms from a glass palette.
Painting Medium - Your choice:
- 1/2 stand oil (or linseed oil) & 1/2 Turpenoid [mixed well in a container].
- 1/2 Turpenoid & 1/2 Galkyd (Gamblin) [mixed well in a container].
- 1/2 Turpenoid & 1/2 Liquin (Winsor & Newton) [mixed well in a container].
- or, a commercial painting medium, or medium or your choice.
Brushes- “filbert” hog-bristle brushes, several sizes of good quality - Robert Simmons, Winsor & Newton, etc.
- “bright” bristle brushes, two sizes: ¼” & ½”.
- bristle fan brush, large size (optional).
- varnish type bristle brush, 1" to 2" (thin inexpensive bristle brushes as useful).
- synthetic brushes (optional) can be useful. Buy a medium pointed, & two filbert sizes.
Drawing Materials- 18”x 24” basic drawing paper
- vine charcoal
- sketchbook.
- charcoal pencils.
- sharp graphite pencils.
Stretched CanvasesPre-primed (oil or gesso primed) linen is fine. Primed stretched cotton and canvasboards are O.K., but usually work better if you give them an extra coat of gesso. Slightly textured canvaswill generally be best for this class.
Palette¼” glass: 14”x20” (or larger). A wooden palette (not too dark) or disposable paper palette willwork. Your palette surface must be smooth and clean! A white, or light color surface is better to seecolor, especially transparencies. Tape white paper behind glass. A simple inexpensive disposable palettecan be made with wax paper taped around foam-core board.
Palette KnifeBring a medium size, pointed, flat or trowel-shaped palette knife, of good quality. Itshould be flexible and have a perfect edge. Must be kept clean!
Oil Paints- Large Tubes: - Titanium White.
- Flake white (lead white, optional).
- Small Tubes: - Yellow Ochre.
- Transparent Golden Ochre [Winsor & Newton-good].
- Cadmium Lemon Yellow, or Cadmium Light [or “hue”].
- Cadmium Orange [or “hue”].
- Burnt Sienna.
- Venetian Red. -Cadmium Red Medium [or “hue”].
- Alizarin Crimson [or Perinone Red, by Gamblin].
- Dioxazine Purple.
- Ultramarine Blue.
- Cobalt Blue [optional].
- Viridian Green, or Phthalo Green.
- Raw Umber.
- Burnt Umber [optional].
- Transparent Brown Oxide [Rembrandt, for example].
- Ivory Black.
In Addition- Paper Towels [strong ones: Viva or Bounty].
- Box of Kleenex (very useful).
- Ink [brown or black] or Acrylic: Earth Red, Raw or Burnt Umber or Black.
- Mirror [hand-held].
- Sandpaper [fine].
- Hand cream [with old towel, works well to remove solvent/paint from hands].
I recommend you to bring a sketchbook to all classes.
Art Materials for DRAWING STUDENTS1. Drawing Board19”x 25” (for 18”x 24” paper). A board of 1/2” foam-core is good, light & rigid, or bringanother type. Your board should always be larger your paper. Masonite by itself has a hard surface and it isrecommended to add a smooth cardboard surface to draw against.
2. Drawing PaperA good serviceable paper in a pad is STRATHMORE 400 series - DRAWING PAPER,18”x24”, white or off-white, or a similar quality paper.
- Also recommended: Several sheets of good rag papers such as ARTISTICO/FABRIANO, 90lb. hot pressed,and, for example: FRANKFURT CREAM, STONEHENGE, COVENTRY, SAUNDERS, GUTENBERG LAID, ARCHESMBM, (or other rag content paper you may wish to explore). New York Central Art Store (3rd Ave. &between 10th St. & 11th St.) has a huge range of fine papers on their 2nd floor, with an informed & helpfulstaff. A good rag paper will allow you to rework & erase your drawings for a longer period. We willexplore the toning & preparation of papers.
- CHARCOAL PENCILS - Best brands: GENERAL, PITT, RITMO. Get: soft & medium (others too, if you wish).
- CHALK PENCILS - (Recommended) Students should explore and purchase varieties of "chalk" type pencils -Brands: Conte, Pitt, Cretacolor, Stabilo… (also try thicker stick-leads in black, sepia & sanguine colors, thatrequire holders).
- GRAPHITE DRAWING PENCILS - Good brand: DERWENT. Get HB & 2B (More, optional).
- VINE/WILLOW CHARCOAL - Good brands: COATES, WINSOR & NEWTON. Get:soft & medium, hard.
- RETRACTABLE SNAP-BLADE MAT KNIFE - For sharpening pencils & charcoal (any size).
- MASKING TAPE – Best: white “Artist Tape” - ½” or ¾" .
- KNEADED ERASER - Also, other erasers, such as white vinyl and a plunger/stick type.
- LARGE CLIPS - You should have two (optional).
- TRANSPARENT 12” RULER.
- MEASURING STICK - (To be supplied in class) A thin straight dowel, or bamboo skewer, 10” to 14”. Otherdevices can be employed.
- SANDPAPER - One sheet of fine. Or, sandpaper paddle.
- CHAMOIS - or even soft strong paper towels such as VIVA.