This course introduces students to master copies as a means of sharpening accuracy, developing technique, and understanding the visual language of great realist painters. Working in either graphite or oil, students will select a masterwork from a broad range of realist traditions — from Old Masters and Golden Age illustrators to contemporary atelier-trained painters.

Using masterworks to study the fundamentals — shape design, value control, edges, color, and form — Sawyer will help diagnose technical challenges and guide each student toward personalized solutions that strengthen their foundational skills.