Color, Light and Shadow: Painting the Figure

Summer Workshop at Studio Incamminati

June 20-24, 2011         9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.         $550

Using complementary colors to paint people and objects as they “turn” into shadow is not just about mixing a local color with its complement. It involves creating a unified color framework for each painting based on the color of the direct light source, which determines how we see the ambient light and shadow.

This workshop will begin with painting one-day color studies of white plaster casts using primary colors, observing how white objects appear in warm and cool light, and what color mixtures are used in the light, halftones, and shadow. Artists then paint from clothed models using a full palette, observing similar light and color relationships.

Alex, using a power point presentation, will discuss the relationship between direct light, ambient light and shadow. She will also demonstrate how she lays out her palette with complementary colors. During the painting sessions, she often paints demos alongside the workshop participants, taking lots of time to walk around and discuss each student’s work.  

To register for this workshop using a credit card, call 215-592-7910 or visit the Studio Incamminati website.

Painting Portraits Using Color Studies

Portrait Class at the Wayne Art Center, Wayne PA (Co-taught with Nancy Bea Miller)

Mondays May 2—June 13, 2011 (no class on Memorial Day)         9:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Even the most realistic painting can be broken down into an abstract mosaic of color “pieces.” On very small boards or canvases, students will practice making quick notations of the major color pieces of our composition. Students will move around the room, painting color studies of the model from different angles as if taking visual notes. The point is to get lots of practice working quickly. This should be fun! The class will end with a longer pose that begins with a color study and progresses to a fully realized painting on a larger canvas. Working in oils only, artists will start with a limited palette and progress to full palette. Drawing experience necessary; experience with oils preferred. 

To register for this class, call the Wayne Art Center at 610-688-3553, or register online on the WAC website.