Pioneers: Portrait Painting I

Service Description

Portraiture is often an act of devotion. We often seek to photograph, draw and paint images of those we love, want to remember, show honor or emulate. When creating works of art that involve something as intimate and unique as a person’s face, it is helpful to learn to use various guides as a framework for your art and then add elements which give the work added meaning, emotion and expression. This soul care course includes six weeks of art classes (6, two hour classes) with an option of a make-up class if you miss one session. All supplies included! Beginner and intermediate students are encouraged to register with all skill levels welcome. Ages 14+ welcome. In this course we will learn to use several types of guides in creating artwork. Initially, you will practice using tools such as a compass, ruler and symmetry to aid in a frontal view of drawing a face. Then, we will learn and practice using the grid method to create an 11” x 14” rendering that we will expand into an wonderful expressionistic portrait of a person you find inspiring using acrylic paint. Each session we will have a bit of discussion related to the course. This will develop a sense of community and your understanding of the ideas and techniques examined. We will explore questions such as “What are guides and why are they important?”, “Is using a guide an artistic crutch?”, “How are artistic guides practiced in contemporary artmaking, illustration and animation?” and “When is it valuable to create images in a specific, consistent manner”? Course taught by Melinda Watters.