In this class we will consider anatomy with an emphasis on painting the figure or groups of figures with correct anatomy and proportions.
Major Concepts:
- I have been painting for quite a while but most recently have been working with a burnt sienna or burnt umber ground.
- I prefer to work from life but can also work from photos as needed.
- Students need to "see" with their artistic "third eye" and interpret what they see through "near and far" poetry, their aesthetic sense, and their spirituality.
- We will use traditional procedures that have existed from the Renaissance which include study of proportions, measurement, use of grids, triangulation and angles, and locating key landmarks.
- Begin with placement of the large shapes, quickly establishing the "macchia" or “gestalt” of the figure using a big brush and burnt sienna. Work on paper or canvas. By doing so one can establish the gesture, the composition, and the placement at the very beginning.
- Students should then use a process of working from general gesture to more specific contours, lines, shapes, and values.
- Always keep the whole work in mind by working on all areas simultaneously and never finishing one part while neglecting another.
- Students can try working in reverse by lifting lighter tones out of the darker tones.
- This helps greatly in discovering the largest shapes and controlling the edges of the contours.
