Building Form Through Light

Value studies occupy a distinct place within academic figure drawing as a preparatory exercise artists use to establish value relationships before moving on to the final work. Instead of drawing with line, you construct the figure with mass—identifying the major planes of light and building form through value relationships rather than contour. A value study serves as a miniature and more simplified version of the final figure drawing, allowing the artist to refer back and maintain the same flow of light established in the study. The practice of doing value studies reveals how essential simplicity is to a successful full-value figure drawing.

In this three-day workshop, students will work from a live model while focusing on identifying major planes, establishing a hierarchy of light and shadow, and examining the way in which the light falls on the figure. Working without the use of line, students will learn to draw with only mass using charcoal and white chalk on toned paper.

Students will gain both technical fluency in their use of materials and a deeper understanding of how simplified value relationships strengthen the overall coherency and unity of a figure drawing, giving them practical tools for approaching larger, more resolved full-value figure drawings.

In this workshop, students will work short figure poses to master the quick figure study. Students will learn the value of decision making and how to prioritize those decisions. Working the quick pose will create the opportunity for students to make fast decisions, which will better prepare the student to make intelligent decisions when faced with a longer pose.

“There is no such thing as bad weather, only poor clothing.”
-Norwegian saying

One of the great things about Minnesota is our four seasons. Painting winter offers a unique opportunity to study light and form in the landscape. It is one of my favorite seasons to paint. Painting in the cold is not without its challenges, but if you are ready to leave that bug spray behind and see what winter has to offer, this class is for you! Mornings will be spent warm and cozy at the Atelier. Bridget will discuss the value of the snow, how snow helps to show us the form of the landscape, overall value structure in the landscape. The second day, Bridget will discuss design principles and mixing neutral colors that we see in the winter. Lecture will also touch on color temperature shifts. The park has a fire pit, so depending if it is available may have a marshmallow roast and hot cocoa on the last day.

Class will be taught in oils. This is a plein air class so, yes, we will be painting outside. This class will be at the mercy of the weather. If there is excessive snow fall, wind or if the temperature is less than 15 degrees, this class may be cancelled. This class may also be cancelled if we get too much warm weather and all of the snow melts.

Experience our full-time program in a week-long workshop.

Students begin by drawing a plaster cast or still life in charcoal, developing their ability to render accurate proportions and value relationships. As students progress, they are introduced to the fundamentals of oil and/or pastel techniques, composition and color.

Experience our full-time program in a week-long workshop.

Life drawing is at the core of any serious program of fine arts. In the class, students draw from the figure in pencil. Each drawing is created over a period of several sessions, developing the student's eye for accurate proportions, gesture and anatomy.

With a live model

During the first session an accurate portrait drawing will be done. The remaining sessions will be applying watercolor to the portrait drawing. There will be instructor demonstrations on the progression of the painting. We will discuss warm/cool colors and light/dark values. The model will keep the same pose throughout the class. Supply list will be sent upon registration.

Friday & Saturday, March 14-15 & 21-22

Do you want to learn how to create expressive still-life oil paintings in one sitting? This workshop will cover the information you need to learn how to set up, block-in, and finish small, impactful still-life compositions in a short amount of time. As a part of this workshop, Andrew will give demonstrations of the techniques he employs to execute all-prima still lifes covering topics including composition, visual impact, paint handling, color and temperature, light effect, and value. Besides the demonstrations, you will also work on your own compositions which Andrew will help you set up and then will critique throughout the process. This is a three-day workshop. The first two mornings will consist of demonstrations by the instructor. There will be a break for lunch followed by an afternoon session where students will work on their own alla-prima projects. The third day will give students an opportunity to work on their choice of either one or two alla-prima projects throughout the whole day. This workshop is intended to be a low stress and fun experience where students can loosen up, throw paint around, and try to get ideas down on the canvas. All painting ability levels are welcome. The instructor will contact you prior to the workshop to go over the materials list.

This workshop introduces students to the essential principles and practices of painting the figure with a chromatic palette. Through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on exercises, students will gain a deeper understanding of how to observe, interpret, and utilize color/value relationships to reflect the lighting, the complexion of the model and the environment accurately.

While the skill and knowledge gained in this workshop can lead to a more refined way of "finishing" a painting, the goal of this workshop is not in learning to develop a painting to a higher finish but to gain knowledge and familiarity of one's palette and its utilization. An open mind and willingness to experiment with paint application and color mixing are essential to putting the theories and principles introduced during the workshop to practice.